I'm Getting Kind of Tired of YA.

Why is YA fiction the way it is?

This is especially a problem in YA fiction, and one of the reasons that I’m moving away from the genre. A good part of YA fiction involves the same “chosen one going on a quest” cliche and it’s like, that in itself is bad enough, but every single time, the main characters are just these faint outlines of people. And I realize why this is, I’m not stupid. If you can put yourself in the shoes of the character that you’re reading about, you’re more likely to be interested in what that character is doing, and what they’re going through, theoretically.

But it’s gotten to the point where I can’t tell one main character from another, especially when the plot runs along the “chosen one on a quest” plotline. Why can’t there be any YA fiction about an asshole and his quest for money and power? Why can’t you change up the character development a bit, so Main Character doesn’t become a better person. What if Main Character gets worse? Or stays the same? Why is there always a romantic subplot? Why are characters always straight?

It just feels a little patronizing that there’s this never ending stream of cookie cutter novels written to appease the YA Fiction fanbase in the cheapest way possible.