The young adult category has grown exponentially in popularity. With many novels written in this category, there’s bound to be a repetition of themes or devices, otherwise known as tropes.
The repeated use of these tropes can make young adult novels seem generic and formulaic. While some tropes are still useful and can be made original, there are others I wish would stop appearing.
The “chosen one” trope is one that still has value because it satisfies wish-fulfillment in an enjoyable manner. The trope is most commonly associated with the “Harry Potter” series. Many other novels have replicated the trope, such as “The Lightning Thief,” “The Girl of Fire and Thorns” and “Shadowshaper.”
With this trope, people can live vicariously through the character to feel special because they believe they have a great destiny ahead of them. No matter how many times I see this trope played, the idea of being the “chosen one” never stops being appealing. It also allows the author to create a lot of character growth for the protagonist to grow into the person they’re destined to be.
Unlike the “chosen one” trope, the love triangle does not add value to the story. Examples of stories with love triangles include “Twilight,” “The Hunger Games” and “City of Bones.”
While I understand why people love the idea of having two people romantically interested in them, it often gets dragged on in books because the protagonist typically has a clear preference, so we know who is going to end up together. There’s also not many ways to execute the love triangle with originality.
In dystopian novels, there’s a recurring theme of a teenage girl overthrowing a government as seen in “The Hunger Games,” “The Darkest Minds” and “Divergent.” The trend has died out recently and is not a favorite of mine, but it can inspire teen activism. Reading these stories, girls can feel empowered to make a difference and feel they are capable of making change.
In terms of female empowerment, the trope of “I’m not like other girls” actually works against girls because it demeans the more traditionally feminine qualities. The trope of “I’m not like other girls” is best explained when a female character, usually the protagonist, is not girly, doesn’t wear makeup or dresses and criticizes other girls for conforming to feminine stereotypes.
An example of this would be Clary Fray in “City of Bones.”
In having this trope, is it implied that only one type of girl is acceptable. The girl that is more of a tomboy is the best type of girl. The other female characters who exhibit more feminine qualities are portrayed as shallow and inferior.
It’s poor writing and characterization on the writer’s part. There’s no need to make every other female character other than the protagonist be a bad person. It does not make the main character more likable or special. It is also an incredibly problematic message for teenage girls because there’s nothing wrong with being feminine.
In young adult novels, the characters are teenagers around the ages of 15 to 18. A teenager around this age usually lives at home with their parents. However, in most books, the parents are absent or dead. In order to move the plot along, it’s easier on the writer’s part if the character doesn’t have to worry about their parents.
The absence of parents in many stories causes a lot of potential to go untapped. It would be nice to see healthy family dynamics. It also makes the story feel more realistic because parents are involved in the average teenager’s life.
These are just five common tropes that I’ve encountered in young adult literature. There are undoubtedly many more. While certain tropes can be done with nuance, there are some that can’t be, and perhaps it’s time to do away with those in order to make room for new, better material.
Very interesting article!