Discussion: What's Missing In YA?



A discussion with P.E. and Mari.

YA is awesome. But it can get even more awesome. I was inspired for this post by this tweet that was asking for a YA romance set in the Olympics. I don't really need the romance part (but I wouldn't mind) and this got me thinking about all the types of stories that aren't found in YA. So, I'll start with saying there aren't enough stories about athletes, especially professional athletes. You get drafted in the NHL at 17/18. There's a 15 year old Russian skater killing it at the Olympics. Teens are a huge part of the Olympics and sports, and I know that it's a stereotype that bookish people don't care about sports because I know we're both fans. So, I would love to read a YA about that. What do you think?

Google and I have a long standing relationship and it knows how much I wish there was more to YA with my relentless searches: "YA book that features sports", "YA book set in Korea", "BOOK IN THE OLYMPICS"!!! I completely disagree with stereotyping in general. Bookish people aren't a type of people, they are a diverse community of people spread over different ages, countries and languages. We don't all read the same books, we definitely don't all like the same books, so who says that we all don't like the same things as well; especially sports. Hating sports is a lot like hating music; it's something that is supposed to be fun. I don't play sports because I suck at them but I sure would love to read about them and act like I don't suck. 

Well, we all know about my illustrious career as a defence in touch football. Or how about the one time in fifth grade where my coach said I was the most improved player after I did like six straight volleyball serves that managed to GET OVER THE NET. I'm a rockstar. 

Okay, I get your point. You also touched on some other thing I wanted to mention: diversity. Everyone agrees on the need for more diversity. I personally want diversity in books, but not books about diversity. Well, I'm not saying those shouldn't exist either, but I personally am not interested in social issue books. I'd love if there was diversity in a book, but it was completely natural. Like, I think R.J. Anderson had a Korean character in Quicksilver and it was awesome. I want diverse characters in paranormals where their diversity is not their defining character point, but just another part of them. YA is pretty white-washed as it is, and ideally, I think YA needs more of a variety of characters from different cultures. 

It's great that we both agree on that. Team diversity over here. Something else that I've been thinking about a lot lately is the awesome literature other counties have that we don't necessarily know about. I mean english can't be the only language with great books. Les Miserables and Le Petit Prince are French, Anna Karenina is Russian. Those can't be the only jewels of their language, there must be more and so I would love if we could read books written by a foreign author just as easily as we can watch a movie by one.

I absolutely agree. The Ruby Red series was by a German author, if I'm not mistaken, and I think that's something I would love to see- books FROM other cultures. Stories resonate with people, and I am so open to reading a YA book written for, say, Indian teens. Some of the stuff Western culture takes for granted would be discovered, and it would be awesome. Right now, it seems like so many Western books are being published in other languages and I would like to see the same happen. This can only help my book selection, because then I can have books from all the YA authors on Earth! (I am way too excited about that!)

Haha, same here. It would be fantastic imagine the variety we can find. One for every mood and mindset.

You know what else YA desperately needs? Canada. No, seriously. In dystopias, it's usually some enormous government running North America, and the government seems to be emulating American styles (with Presidents and no French) so I've always wondered what happened to us. I know Canada would not want to merge with the US, so maybe this is weird, but I always feel like the history of these dystopias is lacking. 

History and politics as well. As far as I know Canada and the US are tight allies so one turning on the other is hard to imagine, at least in my mind. I think more Canada and more accurate history/politics wouldn't hurt. Come to think of it, I was roaming Chapters a few hours ago (because that's what I do on my Sundays) especially the adult section and I was thinking about how much more detailed adult literature is. I wouldn't mind some of that leaking over to YA!


What do you think?

11 comments:

  1. Found this because of the mention of QUICKSILVER (thank you!) but commenting to mention that the brand-new YA novel THE STORY OF OWEN by E.K. Johnston is set in Huron County, Ontario, features a bunch of cool stuff from Canadian social and political history (but not at all in a boring info-dumpy way) and, incidentally, also has dragons (but not at all in the typical fantasy way -- it's more like a contemporary high school novel set in a Canada where carbon emission-eating dragons are an ever-present threat).

    That was fairly incoherent and used far too many parentheses, but THE STORY OF OWEN is a really good book and I recommend it. (It's also had four starred reviews from PW, Kirkus and the like so far, so I know it's not just me.)

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    1. Thanks for the comment!

      The Story of Owen definitely sounds pretty interesting. I love the idea of carbon emission-eating dragons. I'll be sure to check this one out!

      -P.E.

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  2. Oh yes, I definitely would like to see more YA novels about (professional) athletes. I'd be especially happy to find some with skaters/skiers (since those two are the only sports I'm actually good at it ;) And I want less books with quarterbacks.
    "want diversity in books" Me too. Me too. And you should check out the Adaptation series by Malinda Lo, if you haven't before. Also, Master and Margarita if you want another good Russian novel. And Gives Light by Rose Christo for some fantastic Indian teens. And okay, I'll shut up now :P

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    1. No, don't stop, I love recs! Since the Olympics, I've been an enormous fan of skating so I'm totally in favour of more YA books about that. I don't mind books about quarterbacks because I haven't really read many, and the ones I have read focus way more on the romance than the sport. I just want a book about sports: I read Jersey Tomatoes Are The Best which was about tennis and ballet, and it was brilliant.

      I haven't read any of the rec's you gave, so I'll take look at them. :p

      -P.E.

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  3. I really wish there were more Young Adult books set in another country, especially those not really much known/are unpopular, like the Philippines, India, China, Vietnam, etc. Aside from the change of scenery, I think it would be educational as well. We always experience the story through the MC's eyes, and I think (or rather, I hope) with a book set in another country, we would experience that country as well. Of course, things like this can easily be handled badly, but a well-researched one would always result to a positive experience. Example would be Ink by Amanda Sun, that's set in Japan.

    Faye @ The Social Potato Reviews

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    1. I would like that too. I think that's why I want so badly to have YA books by authors that live in those countries translated to English. I already see the world through a western perspective, and I'm curious about the way of life for those that don't. So countries like the ones you mentioned, and the Middle East too, seem extremely fascinating.

      -P.E.

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  4. I'm adding The Story of Owen to the TBR list for sure!
    I agree that more diversity is needed in YA, and that there's a wide variety of themes unexplored that could be great in YA, what I'm not sure is if the publishing houses would be receptive to those themes and would be keen on publishing authors that would take the risk.

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    1. I hope they would. I think they're always looking for the next big thing, and if a story is well written and just good, I would hope they would like it. I feel like it's only a good thing for them if YA becomes more diverse because it will attract new readers and give more credibility to YA (I don't care about that last part, but I know some people might).

      -P.E.

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  5. omigosh after i watched the olympics i was dying for a romantic contemporary romance about two ice dancers (**cough a very meryl & charlie-esque couple cough**) and i looked it on goodreads but i couldn't find any. sigh.

    I'd love to read YA set in other countries and have the culture be felt in the novel. once i read a book set in sweden or ireland (or another european country...i don't quite remember) but it still felt like it was set in Small Town, USA. Saying a story is set in Ireland does not make it so. The setting has to be uniquely felt as much as the characters.

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    1. OMG I agree! (But Tessa & Scott forever!!). I actually found out they have a book that's not really a YA but a memoir type thing and I'm dying to read it. (P.S. check out their tv show if you're interested in ice dancing in general).

      I definitely agree that it has to be genuine. And personally, I would much rather have a book that has a diverse setting that is just an element of the story, not THE story. I don't want diversity to be a trend; I want it to be the norm. :)

      -P.E.

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  6. Right on, ladies! We are tired of reading the same old, same old. Give us something fresh, give us something foreign, give us something non "bookish"!

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What do you think?