Come on. We all have our own personal pet peeves when it comes
to reading a book. It could be the plot, the characters, maybe the writing. In
the past few years YA literature has blown up amongst people of all ages and
the demand for it has really grown. While I don’t actually hate YA (99% of the
books I read are YA) there are a few things that definitely tick me off when I’m
in the midst of a book, and it seems that more and more writers are falling
into these traps.1. Mary Sue – She’s strong, she’s independent and she’s impossibly gorgeous. Who is this girl? Mary Sue of course.
I’m going to have to start with the biggie. Mary Sues have
plagued our books for years but it appears they are especially prevalent in YA.
She’s perfection. This girl literally
has no real flaws. Not like real people anyway, and the ones she does have
somehow enhance her character. Like a quirky eye colour or being a ‘perfectionist’
(flaw? Come on).
Mary is intelligent,
kind and beautiful but she has a dark secret. She bites her nails.
This is an example (albeit a ridiculous one) of a non-flaw.
If it has no hindrance on her as a character in the story, it’s not a flaw.
Make her real. Maybe she’s bad with weaponry, not traditionally beautiful or not
very personable, just anything interesting. Your classic Mary Sue can save the
world single-handedly and get the guy in the end. The same applies to guys too
so watch out for those Gary Stus.
