Hi people! Before I dive into this post, I wanted to acknowledge the elation that gives me the fact I have a post to publish that I’m quite motivated to write. I’ve talked lately about how much in a blogging funk I’ve been, so this was kind of a miracle. As of writing this post I’m at my desk at work, and honestly? I’m drowning in stuff to do. But I know if I leave this for later, I’ll either forget the idea, or lose all the creative steam.
What do you mean realistic?
A little context:
I’ve been steadily going through the Throne of Glass series, which has been OK so far. There has been so many positive and negative things I’ve heard about it so I’m really just allowing myself to go with the flow and enjoy whatever I can. Pondering about the story made me think about certain things that just… didn’t make any sense once you REALLY think about it.
For example in Throne of Glass, there’s Chaol. This is a 20-year old guy who is Captain of the Guard of Adarlan. Captain of the effing guard. It makes you wonder when was that title appointed to him. And what rank he held before, and when he even joined the military, and it’s just… He’s still so young! Same with the main character of the books, Celaena. She was practically a child assassin. And it’d be okay if it wasn’t because the more I thought about it, the more I realized almost the entire cast is teenagers!
Now that I think about it, in the Shades of Magic books too, the characters sometimes sound way older than they really are.
It’s easy to forget because they behave like adults, but when you remember… well, it’s weird.
Obviously this discussion was raised based on ages in YA books, but I think it could apply to a lot of things. Some of us are willing to suspend our disbelief, and it works out fine, but others, or with other books it’s not so easy. And maybe that’s when reviews with the words inmature, dumb, unrealistic come up.
But who cares… right?
Right.
Fiction gives us plenty of leeway to bend and sometimes even break the rules, and we enjoy it as long as we can believe it and it’s not offensive. Teenagers going on adventures and taking on the world isn’t a bad thing at all. It’s always been really empowering to read books like that.
I guess my perspective has changed since I’m now 23, and my sister is 18. I’ll always think of her as my baby sister, so you can imagine how freaked out I get when I think about all the things characters her age do in YA books. Sometimes, it’s just weird and funny because she’s so different with how teens are portrayed in books, and how they sound. But others, it’s just plain disturbing because, call me mother bear, but no way I’m going to let her do half the things some YA characters do. For the story’s sake I’ve never minded reading about that, but I imagine having children that age, or in my case, my own sister… it just changes how you see things.
And it is kind of sad that this growing up thing is messing with the stuff I like, but fortunately, it’s also made me consider how valuable these stories were for me growing up. I wouldn’t want to take that away from others who need it.
Things like sex scenes, mature sounding teens, and etc… Even though some people are wary about it, and some of it isn’t exactly realistic, personally, it’s helped me cope with my own reality. Normalize sexuality for example. Sex isn’t a bad word and books have helped me see that. Yeah, my country is quite conservative.
When I was a teen, contemporary books with normal teens going through normal teen problems were so relatable! So real and raw and exactly what I needed. But I also really enjoyed those fantasy stories in which teens where the ones who saved the world and were destined for great things. They made me believe in myself and were the ones that inspired me to write my own stories.
There’s space for everything
Realism in books is very much needed, but fiction was made to explore that reality in many ways. So I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing that some stuff in books wouldn’t fly in real life. That’s the point sometimes!
Meanwhile, I’ll go back to suspending my disbelief with my current read!
[divider]
Speaking about characters’ ages? Do you prefer when they sound their age, or do you find them sometimes immature? Have you also noticed that growing up has caused you to favor some books instead of others you used to like?
I’ve definitely noticed this with many YA books and have chosen to suspend my disbelief. Sometimes I’ve read books where they’ve read more like an adult book with YA-aged characters, though, and I’ll admit that it bugs me a little. The problem is that it’s so hard to put my finger on the difference; there’s just a different feel to adult fantasy and sometimes I get the sense that YA fantasy crosses that line (often when the characters are leading pretty much adult lives). Still, most of the time, I can let that go and just enjoy a book for what it is—fantasy.
Oh, and I can definitely relate to what you say about your sister. I have teenage kids now, and I can tell you that it’s definitely changed my perspective a little bit. Sometimes I cringe a little at the idea of them reading certain things (and certainly at the idea of them acting like certain YA characters). LOL!
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction recently posted this awesome thing…Updating the Blog (a Little) and I Need Your Opinions! Let’s Discuss.
I agree that not everything in fiction is going to be completely realistic, or even appropriately so. The books I’ve read I took realistic issues with were ones hung up on naive adults, gaslighting, romanticizing Stockholm Syndrome, and other problematic themes.
If the author can adequately make their story believable, regardless of the limits of reality, then I don’t have any problems with it. Rather, it’s when their attempts to test the boundaries of reality interfere with my experience as a reader.
Jane recently posted this awesome thing…My biggest struggles as a blogger
Completely agree. If I notice it and it bothers me… then perhaps it’s not the book for me. But there are some things that when they become offensive, it’s really obvious to see why.
For things like the examples you mentioned from Throne of Glass, I really do wish that more books were realistic in that sense. I mean, HOW would all of these teens be doing this stuff? And I have definitely noticed that some YA books have teens talk like idiot/all in lingo or in a super pretentious manner, which is just ridiculous. I think that fault is coming from adult authors having no clue how actual teens talk nowadays. But you’re right that some more dangerous or “out there” plots featuring teens meant so much to me as a kid and I would never want to compromise those stories. But maybe they should be more realistic in certain senses. For example, Riverdale (the show) features 15/16 year olds wandering all around town without any parental supervision, no homework, drinking wine, etc. which makes no sense.
Erin @ The Book Archive recently posted this awesome thing…Books I Want to Reread
Yes! I don’t think I’d mind as much if it felt more real. It doesn’t have to be for me to believe it, but it has to be believable. For example, I always thought someone so young being so strong and skillful was super empowering, but if everyone is suddenly so talented and perfect, it does get old.
Hahaha, yes no adults always bothered me when I read both fantasy and contemporary books, even when I was a teen myself. Because I wanted to believe that could happen to me too, I couldn’t envision it without my parents getting involved so how! But I do feel like it has gotten better now!
You make some great points here. I agree with what you have to say about Throne of Glass. I think my biggest problem with it is that the characters sound their age if they lived within our world, not like people with their experiences.
I do want the characters to sound their age within the context of the world. Sometimes, the characters do sound immature, but I enjoy seeing them grow and mature over the course of the series. One example that worked for me is Fitz from Robin Hobb’s The Farseer Trilogy. Growing up, my reading tastes have changed. I read less young adult than I did in high school and college.
Crystal @ Lost in Storyland recently posted this awesome thing…The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen: Review, Favorite Quotes, & Giveaway
You make a great point! I hadn’t thought of it that way. If I consider all their experiences… It does make sense for them to sound older. Even though in a contemporary setting it’d be pretty weird.
Pamela Nicole recently posted this awesome thing…July 2019 reveries -Ain’t no rest for the wicked