Ok, so. I love YA fiction. I think I love it for similar reasons to why I love k(et al) dramas. With YA fiction, they have to get you, grab and keep your attention right from the very beginning. Adult fiction its like that Goldfinch book (terribly boring, btw)–they think that they have 800+ pages to pan out. Teens aren’t going to hang in there for 800 pages hoping that eventually you’ll get good. Be good now or its on to the next book. Be good in season 1. Don’t expect me to come back for season 2 if your first season sucked (odds are THERE IS NO SEASON 2).
So many adults refuse to give YA a chance because its written for teens. I read an article once where this person said that they would rather sit next to a person on an airplane watching porn than next to someone reading Twilight. I mean, Twilight is a pretty garbage book (that I was obsessed with and wrote fanfiction for. Don’t care) but come on, dude, really? You’d rather sit next to someone watching porn simmer tf down, sally.
My point.
Here’s what I love about reading. It changes a person. A book can and does and should influence what you think and why you think and tell you to think. But the lessons are in stories. Some of them are hit you over the head obvious. Others aren’t.
I just finished Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen and it was so good. You guys, y’all, beanhomies. It was so good. I tend to love a story about dreamers and dreams and this had that. And romance. And such a hard and honest conversation about racism in America that if you’ve never experienced racism in America you should read this book for that conversation alone. And if you have experienced racism in America (come on, black woman in America. I’ve got stories) they grip your heart.
This book review is to say:
I’m not ever watching anything that comes with the caveat, “start with season 2, though, because season 1….” BE GOOD FROM THE BEGINNING. THAT IS ALL.
And also: yay books
and finally: y’all should take yourselves a little gander at this book.
And also finally, nothing to do with nothing: I don’t need a season 2 of Another Oh Hae Young or anything, but I would love it if I could just have a special. Whats the haps, gang? Are OHY and DK still married? Are they happy? Are they in ALL the counseling? Because she can get violent when she’s not happy is all I’m saying. What about SK and JS? I’m assuming that Hoon dropped the ever-useless An-Na and hooked up with the woman who was reading his script. She was super sexy! And…not a child. So POSITIVES. Did his movie ever get made? Legit questions that could all be answered in a one hour catch me up special. While I’m requesting things, I would also like a special about The Package did Ma Ru and So So make it work? Did she move back to France? Did she get her PhD? Did he sue the pants off his company? What about the unhappy couple. Are they super happy now? Did he invest in his own company (can you invest in your own company?)?

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    I would also like a one hour catch me up special on Bring it On Ghost because I basically think that they started dating because hes the only person she could talk to as a ghost and since he knew that she was in love with him already it gave him the courage to interact with her in non-ghost form. So. Now that she’s not a ghost and can interact with everyone—did those two crazy kids make it work? Still dating and in love?

    There are a few other rapid updates I would like. But for now, I need to decide whats next on my rewatch schedule. Chicago Typewriter and a SIG something….I Hear Your Voice maybe. But the PMY/Wookie lover in me is aching to rewatch Healer…

    I seriously don’t sleep anymore. Its starting to concern me. Ha! I’m cracking up. Its cool.

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    I typically stay away from YA books. But that’s because I’ve read so many of them and learned that there are very few I actually like. I have dropped so many YA books after the 1st book (or sooner) because I just didn’t have a desire to go on. Too many of them I just don’t like the main characters. A lot of the MC are written as these stubborn, I know better than everyone narcissists who have very little compassion for others and believe they know better than everyone. I’ve not completely written off YA as there are a few I do really like but I am very picky in my choices now.

    But the whole thing about not sitting next to person reading Twilight is ridiculous. I have no problem with people loving YA books because people loving them doesn’t affect me at all. Some people are just full of unneeded hate.

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      To each their own, I say! Why would their be so many books and authors if we all read the same thing? I read a decent enough variety that I can honestly say that I read most everything. But I think its true about writers for adults and writers for kids/teens. Adults think you’re going to give them so many pages/ chapters and they take their time building the story whereas ya fiction they are tying to hook you from the first sentence.

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    Oh, I have that book in my tbr. I need to move it up. Just started The Bookish Life of Nina Hill.

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    More YA novels you’d recommend? I might find them as an ebook from my local library (I prefer actual books but library is closed 🙁 )

    It’s been a long time since I’ve read novels just coz I don’t have the time and patience anywhere. I’ve read a lot of picture books instead because of my job.

    One YA novel I’ve read before really stuck with me though. It’s called Boo by Neil Smith.

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      Oh, thats me all day long. I haven’t actually been reading that much these last few years because of all of the time I spend watching dramas. But I really like books all the same so when we went into shelter in place order I had dozens of books that I checked out from the library with the intention of reading them “….one day….” In the last month that I’ve been not physically going to work I’ve read 5 books! Oh, 6 books now! None of them are YAs though.
      I’ve never even heard of Neil Smith, I’ll see if thats somewhere online.
      I’ll take a look through my reading history at the library and see if there’s anything that I feel in love with in YA land. With this book, it was the realistic depiction of a relationship between a teen girl and her parents paired with snippets of thoughts on immigration and finally that conversation between just the teen characters about racism and whether to stand or turn away that lead me to recommending it. I feel like if I read anything recently that had me dancing in my seat from joy I probably mentioned it on my wall.

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        HAHAHAHAHA That “one day” pile of books. Maybe I should start reading mine before getting distracted. My pile’s been in the shelf for years now.

        Boo is quite dark despite it’s setting, a heaven for 13-year-olds, but I enjoyed it so much. Maybe because I work with kids and it talked about struggles of our young ones in school and their environment.

        I found Loveboat, Taipei online! Got the ebook on hold now but there are 4 people in line before me. It might take a while.

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    The one YA series I read all the way through (Harry Potter doesn’t count right?) is Shadow Hunters. I even read one of the side series too. Hmmm, maybe I’ll re-read them. Only thing is I only actually have the last book. I read the others online.

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