Breakfast with the Bookie is a semi-weekly feature here @ Badass Bookie which is making a reappearance in 2012. Every other Wednesday morning, let's all grab our teas and coffees to gather and discuss and share our opinions! Everyone is welcome to join and make sure you leave a comment to state your opinion. Don't be shy!
This Week's Topic - Trends in YA Fiction
YA fiction is a very popular, it's also a very broad genre. It's read by a wide range of audience from teenagers to middle aged people. What I want to discuss this week is trends in YA fiction. What things, aspects, plots keep resurfacing? What do readers want more of? What do publishers keep pushing?
A Incomplete List of Trends in YA Fiction
Composed by Badass Bookie
1) Dystopian Fiction - Coming onto the scene in 2010 with international bestseller Matched by Ally Condie, the dystopian boom has taken over YA fiction. Almost knocking Paranormal Romance right off the market, Dystopian fiction now dominates the majority of YA fiction. With more authors coming onto the scene with works of dystopia - just how long until it's gets too old? Will it collapse onto itself like the vampire era?
Trenders - Matched by Ally Condie, Wither by Lauren DeStefano, Delirium by Lauren Oliver, Divergent by Veronica Roth, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
2) Dresses on YA Covers - Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe this trend was started Lauren Kate with her cover of Fallen. It didn't matter what genre it was or whether girls in dresses was even relevant to the contents of the book. It was pretty, it was eye-catching and people were attracted to the book. Hence we have "girls on covers in prom dresses" galore!
Trenders - Wither by Lauren DeStefano, Die For Me by Amy Plum, Starcrossed by Josphine Angelini, Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins, The Selection by Kiera Cass
3) The ( Dreaded) Love Triangle - DAMN YOU TWILIGHT! Not only did Stephanie Meyer's Twilight start a whole army of fan girls and give diehards a whole new meaning. It also made the idea of a "love triangle" popular. The year that followed the Twilight Craze was filled with YA paranormal releases with love triangles, some were good - others weren't so good.
Trenders - Nightshade by Andrea Cremer, Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, Vampire Academy Richelle Mead ( although this was before Twilight - I think), Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers, Matched by Ally Condie
That's a list of three, I know there are plenty more trends but honestly I'm a little tired! Hence, I going to leave the rest of them to you guys! Let's see if we can dig them all up! Let the discussion begin!
Badass Bookie xx
Haha I agree. The 'prom' dress thing definitely gained popularity after Fallen. I like them more when the dress makes an actual appearance in the story :)
ReplyDeleteYou could actually say The Hunger Games started the dystopia trend instead of Matched.
ReplyDeleteI love all the trends. Dystopian are my fave, and i love all the dresses :) I am a cover whore
ReplyDeleteI've noticed a trend where the main character girl is really short with red hair. I feel like every other book I pick up has a short red headed main female. Has anyone else noticed that?!
ReplyDeleteYES KARI! I've noticed that trend! Most recently I read Winter's Light by M.J. Hearle which had a red hair ( and short) protagonist!
Deleteawesome i digg red heads and wanna date one lol
DeleteTEAM WILL. BAHAHAHAHA. But let's hope Jem becomes an immortal! :P
ReplyDeleteI also think that The Hunger Games had a part to play in the whole dystopian trend going on. ;)
ReplyDeleteAND YES. AGREEING WITH CELINE! TEAM WILL. <3
Great list...but I would say the dystopian trend might go all the way back to Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series? Another trend I've noticed is the dying/dead/in a coma girl narrating--books like The Lovely Bones, If I Stay, Before I Fall, Between by Jessica Warman, etc.
ReplyDeleteI really hate love triangle. I'm really enjoying the Dystopian trend right now. I didn't really enjoy the vampire trend but that's the thing about trends, they come and they go.
ReplyDeleteFor realz, those three are all the rage.. I'm really hoping the dystopian genre won't get too burned out. I love them, but there are so many!
ReplyDelete