Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, where we book lovers make lists about a different topic every week! Every week, it’s hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl! Today’s topic is Unpopular Bookish Opinions. Ouch. I hope I don’t make too many unfriends today, but I’m going to tell you what I think? So here goes:
1. I’m Not a Fan of Katniss and Peeta
So I’m starting off with an easy one. I don’t really ship Katniss and Peeta. I thought Peeta was too weak for her. I would have preferred that she ended up with Gale. I’m not of the opinion that she should have ended up alone, but maybe she could have found someone else? Maybe she could have met someone after the games?
2. I Like Alina and Mal
So right now you’re thinking that I probably have , the Darkling was hot, but he was evil. and Alina and Mal were best friends since they were children. I just think with that backstory, they were really sweet together.
3. I Think People Should Be Able to Write What They Want
Now I suppose I’m really showing myself for the monster that I am. Ouch. But I think people should be able to write about the things they love without being shamed for it. If you’re white and have always been fascinated by the tale of Mulan… okay. If you’re black and want to write about mostly white people (like my husband) that should be okay too.
I get the #OwnVoices thing (and feel we need those too) and realize that publishers can only publish so many books per season. Historically, there has been bias against people of color and publishing can do better in that area. But I don’t think we should put people into boxes. Black people shouldn’t be told that their stories “aren’t black enough.” We don’t know how a person grew up. My (black) husband likes to listen to Disney and Amy Grant.
That being said, if a book is disrespectful to people or has bad representation, by all means, book bloggers and Goodreads reviewers should let people know that. But judge a story on its own merits, not by who wrote it (unless the author is a complete ass or something like that, but that’s a different topic).
4. People Should Be Able to Read Whatever Book They Want
I don’t know if this is an unpopular opinion or not? At any rate, by this I’m not talking about piracy (bad) or selling ARCs (also bad). I’m talking about how countries license their content in certain countries, and it’s almost impossible to get them in other countries.
The world has become a much smaller place, and people are in contact from people that live in other countries every day. Perhaps books should be more portable too? I realize that there are translation/country rights and it’s convoluted, but I think publishers can do better here. It shouldn’t cost me $60 to buy a used copy of the Russian edition of Insurgent (or $582 if I want a new copy).
5. I’m not a big fan of Illuminae
I know lots of people love this book, but although there were things that I really loved about this book, I’m not a big fan. Part of it might have been that I read it on the Kindle (it was so hard to read!). However, the book really annoyed me in the middle when the computer was lying. It really pissed me off and I almost put down the book in frustration. I googled the ending to see if it would be worth finishing, and even then, I went to bed and didn’t finish it until the next day.
6. I Think It’s Okay to Assign Kids Books to Read
It seems to be popular right now to just let kids read whatever they want, and while I think that the majority of what a kid reads should be up to them, I also think it’s okay to assign kids to read a book. There are plenty of reasons why you might want to assign a book: perhaps the class is studying a related historical subject, or maybe they need something to challenge them. I used to tell my boy that he could check out so many Minecraft books, as long as he got another kind of book too.
7. I Don’t Like the Covers to Most Romance Books
I guess this would be an unpopular opinion, because if people didn’t like the covers, they’d do something else? They just seem to be so generic to me most of the time. They usually have some sort of theme of 1) a guy without his shirt on, 2) a couple making out, 3) a girl in a bonnet, or 4) a girl in a fancy dress. It doesn’t really tell me much about the story.
8. YA Books Aren’t Exactly Children’s Books
It’s right there in the category. Young adult. Certainly Sarah J. Maas books aren’t children’s books? I don’t think so. Teens are the main demographic for YA books (again, perhaps Sarah J. Maas books shouldn’t be here) but I wouldn’t exactly classify them as children either.
9. There Should be Younger and Older YA Categories
YA in general spans a pretty broad range of life experiences. My boy is right at the edge of Middle Grade and YA. He loves Lauren Magaziner (MG) but at the same time he also loved the Warcross duology (YA) and the Legend Graphic Novels (YA). Would he enjoy A Court of Mist and Fury? I don’t particularly think that book would be appropriate for him.
I’m reminded of a review I saw once of A Weight of Feathers. The boy writing the review thought it was inappropriate for the female MC to swim in front of her love interest without a top on, and thought her excuse that she didn’t have anything to match the mermaid bottoms was a flimsy excuse. There’s a lot of YA books that would be too mature for a young teen like this, yet they’re all lumped into the same broad YA umbrella.
The solution was supposed to be New Adult, but that ended up with a terrible reputation. I hope things change in this area, because as it stands, we seem to have a lot of edgier YA books at the moment that are appropriate for older teens and adults, and fewer books that are appropriate for younger teens that might want something beyond middle grade.
10. I Hate Most Prologues
Maybe this isn’t an unpopular opinion, but I had trouble coming up with a tenth item. I don’t like most prologues. They’re usually unnecessary and add little to the story. I read them, but if I’m not enjoying a story and I’m still on the prologue, I figure the book will get better once I get the prologue over with. Usually I’m right.
So there’s ten items for this week! Do you agree with any of the above, or disagree? Next week, we’re going to focus on what I’m looking forward to at the end of the year!
It is fun reading all the bookish opinions this week. Many propose ideas I’ve never thought of before like your idea to have younger and older YA categories. My TTT Bookish Opinions
So far I’m surprised at the variety of unpopular opinions!
I hear you about the covers to most romance books… That was on my list this week too! If I never see a guy’s abs on a book cover again, it will be TOO SOON!
Glad I’m not the only one! I love the covers to books like The Kiss Quotient and When Dimple Met Rishi. They have so much more personality!
Hallo, Hallo Brooke!
Ooh my gosh – a person after my own heart!! *big hug, soul sister!* Seriously – I *call out!* YA all the time for this infraction!! Esp as I’m a Prospective Adoptive Mum (who will be adopting out of foster care in the future) — so I’m not just reading MG & YA because I found a new passion for the stories and am re-discovering the section of lit I loved as a kid myself (which wasn’t nearly as expansive as it became post-mid90s) — I’m also looking at it from the stand-point of a future Mum!
There are many, many times where I questioned the merit of the classification as MG or YA – especially as it is like you said – they don’t discuss (or very few do, readers & publishers alike!) if this is traditional YA (what you called Younger YA) and Upper YA (what you called Older YA). The same is now true for Middle Grade unfortunately! I called those books out because of a) graphic violence is just a no-no for traditional YA and if its inclusive of Upper YA I really think there should be trigger warnings because a) not all teens emotionally mature at the same rate of speed and b) everything you’ve just mentioned on your post – not every book is good for every reader irregardless of age! Don’t even get me started on the choices in words and how vulgarity is now a mainstay which makes routing myself through YA a bit trickier but pays off in the end as I’ve found some really #awesomesauce stories no one else is finding — in other words, I champion a lot of under-read stories!!
I know you said a lot of things I also agree with — but this! This is why I had to leave a note!! I have been trying to openly discuss this on my blog for each review it applies too and I get mixed feedback. Generally the authors in question don’t get it and some readers think I’m quirky or too particular — but! you’ve just stated the same preferences yourself and that gives me hope I’m not the only person in the rowboat now! Top cheers!!
PS: I’m in the camp who believes every writer should be allowed to write the stories they truly believe in and the stories which represent the world in which a) they live and b) they were raised and c) the environment in which they see round them. I get really discouraged when everyone is now saying anyone who is European cannot write about people of different cultures, religions and ethnicities because that’s not their ‘own personal life’s experience’ and yet, they are missing the fact that a LOT of us grew up in multicultural cities and have multicultural friends. Do they not recognise the world is a melting pot and to strictly write our own world-view or impressions would then be limiting the world-view of the stories? None of that makes sense – in fact, if you think on it, they are asking to go against their own principles because they want the world IRL to be better represented in books – you can’t do that if you are now limiting every writer’s worldview without as you said understanding their life’s history and their own unique experiences therein.
— secondly, I tagged Ms Busse’s review because it was one of the wickedest best covers for SF/F I’ve come across recently!!
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I didn’t realize it was moving into Middle Grade as well. The other day I saw someone asking about the content of Spin the Dawn, and when someone asked if there was cursing in the story, one of the commenters suggested Dr. Seuss. Not helpful.
My family is interracial and my main character is biracial. There are very few books with non-white elves and magic and castles… I don’t see why I can’t write a story where people like my daughter are the main characters.
Ooh I love your list!
I hope that New Adult has a resurgence too, hopefully Ninth House can help with that in the way that ACOTAR seemed to at first.
Cora | http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/
Cora @ Tea Party Princess recently posted…Ten Unpopular Bookish Opinions
It’s almost like there’s a stigma to that category at the moment. Even Ninth House is being classified as “adult,” not NA. SJM books should not be shelved in the “children’s” section, I’m sorry.
I agree. The YA category should definitely be more clearly separated into different age groups.
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I’m not sure why it’s not. When it was first started decades ago, it didn’t really need it, but in the last 5 years especially, there have been more YA books that are geared more to 16+ that are too mature for younger YA readers.
Great list! I agree, I’m also not a fan of most Romance covers, I don’t like Katniss and Peeta together romantically and I preferred Alina with Mal. Alina’s another character I would have quite liked to have seen end up alone because I personally feel like she spent a lot of the trilogy being defined by who was kissing her, but I definitely don’t get the love for the Darkling at all.
Jess @ Jessticulates recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday | Popular books I didn’t like
I understand her interest in boys, but she was too sweet for The Darkling.
There should definitely be more of a split in YA, it’s such a broad age category that books across the category won’t necessarily appeal to people on both the higher and lower end. In the UK, we used to have “Teen” and “Young Adult” as separate categories, with Teen being the younger end and YA being the older end, but that seems to have been done away with now.
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That would make more sense.
I wrote something very similar in my post this week about people being able to write whatever they want. Agreed.
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I hope that’s a trend that eventually goes away. Not #ownvoices, but someone being expected to have certain demographic credentials to write a certain kind of story.
I wish there were older and younger YA books as well. I have a nephew who is fourteen and it’s so hard to find books geared toward him. MG feels too young and YA too old.
There are a lot of teens complaining about adult’s interest in YA crowding their space right now. If there was a better designation between books appropriate for young teens and those that weren’t, perhaps there would be less to complain about.
I’m not big on Katniss/ Peeta either. And I agree on #4. Also, 8 and 9. So true.
Greg recently posted…Top Ten Unpopular Bookish Opinions
🙂
I think I would have preferred Katniss end up with Gale or someone else as well. #3 is huge and I totally agree with everything you said! #4 is also a huge issue that I hope can be rectified somehow in the future. I agree that YA totally ranges in content age, and that it can be okay to assign books for kids to read– it helps to keep them more widely read as well, which is always a good thing.
I hate most prologues, too! Like, intensely hate them, haha. I read them, but it’s very begrudgingly.
I liked Gale too. It could have been a friends to lovers story.
I’m not a big Katniss/Peeta fan either. I also don’t really like most romance covers either. There are a few I like, like The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test, but mainly just because they’re so different from what I usually see.
Suzanne @ The Bookish Libra recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Unpopular Bookish Opinions
I like those. Or The Unhoneymooners. Maybe the traditional covers are why romance novels are considered “trashy” by many.
I like prologues, but honestly, most of the time I forget about them as I’m reading!
Sometimes I forget about them too.
I agree on assigning kids books but only like you said- if they have choices on books to read. Reading should be fun but they never know what they might discover if they try something out of their comfort zone or something they’ll learn from. There should be a balance
Balance is the key.
I agree with so much of your list. And now I understand why you may seek out spoilers! I haven’t read that book. It’s been on my TBR list forever but I keep waffling. Hmmm.
Illuminae? If you read it, get a print version. Most books are fine on a Kindle; that one was not. If I ever get around to reading the sequels, it will be a print edition.
I just finished Ruin and Rising and I love Alina and Mal too!
Loved your list. I also wasn’t a fan of Katniss and Peeta. Thought she would end up with Gale.
A healthy balance between assigned books and reader’s choices is good.
I struggle with what to do with YA books when I blog. I have a children’s book blog that I used to include all types of YA in, but some of the content wasn’t the right fit. Now, I have it as going up to clean YA. Things with older content are on my other blog.
I’m actually a fan of prologues, but not ones that are multiple pages.
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I liked Gale better too. It’s funny, I’m planning a prologue for book 2 of the story I’m working on. It’s one page.
I agree that people should be able to write what they want as long as it’s not disrespectful or harmful or offensive.
While prologues do sometimes have a place, I also think most of them are unnecessary and boring. Half the time it’s a scene from later in the book or the POV of some background character that doesn’t contribute anything.
And yeah, YA is such a wide range. I try to mention it in my reviews if I read a YA that’s more on the mature side.
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I try to do that too if there’s lots of mature content. Although with some authors, it’s well-known that their books are more mature.
I haven’t read “Illuminae,” but it doesn’t sound like my kinda’ read. I like your thought that authors should be able to write what they want. With this I agree. It’s almost as if they don’t write what they “should,” there’s a kind of criticism. (This is an issue in other pop culture, I think too.) That to me, seems counter-intuitive to their messages.
Thanks so much for visiting Finding Wonderland last week!! Sorry for the delay in getting over here.
Thanks for visiting back! The book Pendulum kinda talks about this “we” phenomenon where people tend to think of themselves as groups, and how this sort of thing tends to go in cycles.