Fed up of dystopias? #VeryRealisticYA takes Twitter by storm
|
Version 0 of 1. Let’s face it, Young Adult literature has never been especially renowned for its realism. Even before dystopias took over, most heroines were either languishing in rotting castles (like Cassandra Mortmain in I Capture The Castle) or so ridiculously perfect that you ended up hating them them (hello, Sweet Valley Twins...). These days, many of us can be found curled up with a copy of The Hunger Games or Divergent, but what’s very clear is that your average teenage girl will probably not end up saving the world from a corrupt dictatorship, like Katniss Everdeen, or be caught in a love triangle between a vampire and a werewolf, like Bella Swan. Tweeter John Hansen (@aboredauthor) was first to comment that perhaps Young Adult characters don’t lead the most realistic lives... Sometimes I spend all day doing homework and then look at YA characters who save worlds and I'm just like, HOW DO THEY FIND THE TIME??? Girl politely declines to be the face of the revolution because it's junior year and she has too much homework. #VeryRealisticYA And, using the hashtag #VeryRealisticYA, Twitter users jumped on the bandwagon to explore several more likely outcomes for YA protagonists. Here are some of our favourites... Send in your realistic YA situations to @GdnChildrensBks using #VeryRealisticYA or, if you’re not on twitter, email childrens.books@theguardian.com and we’ll add them to this blog. "Fine, I volunteer in tribute" she groaned, as she grudgingly got up off the sofa to reset the WiFi #realisticYA Nerdy girl has a crush on a popular boy but assumes he's just a jerk. Finds out that, yeah, he is actually kind of an asshole. #realisticYA Fate of world more dependent on complex socio-economic realities than on band of misfits that can't seem to work together. #VeryRealisticYA Boy and girl become partners in biology. He blows off project, she has to do it by herself. They get a B. No one kisses. #VeryRealisticYA Girl gets a note reading "I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER". She's relieved someone is finally reading her tumblr. #VeryRealisticYA Girl wakes up to hot boy sitting in a dark corner of her room, watching her sleep. She screams and calls the police. #VeryRealisticYA Doesn't do anything all that great until her/his late 20s, because no one should peak in high school. #VeryRealisticYA Kid goes to boarding school and breaks ALL the rules! Kid gets kicked out. #VeryRealisticYA Boy likes girl, but she doesn't notice because she's too busy checking her phone #VeryRealisticYA Teens suspect crime has occurred. Inform parents and police and go back to being teens. #VeryRealisticYA Girl wears glasses and gets straight A's. No one makes fun of her or calls her a loser. In fact, she has a lot of friends. #VeryRealisticYA Introvert goes to a school party. Bonds with no one. Except the hosts cat. #VeryRealisticYA Teens find mysterious board game in attic of old mansion. Decide to play #CandyCrush on their iPhones instead. #VeryRealisticYA |