Topics Taking Flight: Are readers too harsh on YA heroines?

Do we, as readers, expect out YA heroines (and heros) to act too much like adults? Do we expect these protagonists to be perfect?

Don't you ever want to chastise these girls and boys about their bad decision making skills? Aren't the heroines' angst and mood swings aggravating? I know I want to throttle them sometimes, and I am a teenager myself! (Oh, the irony!)

I've read (and written) a lot of reviews that say things such as "She made terrible decisions!" or "She was so selfish!" or "She had no backbone".

People are always inclined to think that the main character should be kicka** but not mean. Nice but not timid. Confident but not bratty. Spunky but not annoying. However, we just can't wipe away the flaws of teenagers. Even adults have flaws! Why do we nitpick at these girls (and boys)?

Well, let's face it, some of these heros and heroines are only 16. Their brains aren't fully developed, and hormones abound.They are sleep-deprived zombies, and most are dealing with an identity crisis. Plus, they are having growth spurts. And, believe me, those are not fun. In fact, teenagers might even deserve a small bit of sympathy!

I'm not saying that there aren't book with terrible main characters. (I've listed a few below!)  Believe me, I've experienced my fair share. However, let's look at what we expect from a YA heroine (or hero). From now on, I just want my YA protagonist too be vivid, realistic, and someone I can root for!!! What about you?

Next time you read a book, think about what you expect out of your main character. Then, remember they are just teenagers! Here is a helpful video about the Teenage Brain and why teenagers can be such annoying, lazy, mood-swinging devils: The Teenage Brain Explained

Flawed Teenagers I LOVED:

Annoying Flawed Teenagers that DID NOT work for me:

Thanks for reading this discussion post! I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on this topic!

Blog Tour: Side Effects May Vary (Review + Giveaway)

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy
Publisher: HarperCollins/ Balzer + Bray
Release Date: March 18th 2014
Rate: 4 Stars

What if you’d been living your life as if you were dying—only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you? 

When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, whom she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that’s as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her arch nemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger and reliving some childhood memories). But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes into remission.

Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she’s said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she done irreparable damage to the people around her, and to the one person who matters most? 

Side Effects May Vary was a wonderful book. After seeing mixed ratings, I was hesitant when approaching the story. However, I really enjoyed this book!!! It was intense, with flawed but realistic and memorable characters. 

The book is separated into "Then" and "Now" chapters. I really enjoyed both of the forms. The "Now" chapters were, to me, the most emotional and unpredictable parts of the book. However, the "Then" chapter gave me lots of gimme-more backstory on the characters. Also, it was really interesting to see how Alice, the main character, dealt with cancer in the "Then" chapters.

I am going to shock a lot of people and say that I loved Alice's character. Would I want to be her friend? No. Does she deserve Harvey? Definitely not in some parts of the book. However, people in real life are not perfect, especially a teen who thought she only had a few months to live. Alice was a fresh character and I couldn't help but like her. She is occasionally mean and quite controlling, yet you can tell she really cares for Harvey and others. 

Harvey was a really sweet guy. That said, he let Alice completely walk all over him. In the beginning, I kind of wanted him to to just stand up for himself! That said, his niceness was part of his charm, and I loved his chapters almost as much as Alice's.

Overall, this book was gripping and totally fresh. Fans of heavy contemporary will not want to put this novel down. I know I couldn't take my eyes of my kindle! The story and characters will stay with me for a long time.

*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.*

4/5 Stars

“Julie Murphy weaves together a tender and funny tale of love, friendship, heartache, and redemption. SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY explodes with brutal honesty, brilliant wit, and unflinching heart.” (John Corey Whaley, winner of the Michael L. Printz Award for WHERE THINGS COME BACK)

“Julie Murphy’s SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY is a funny, heartfelt, honest look at the beauty and the risk of getting a second chance. An inspiring novel about all the things worth living for. I adored this debut!” (Siobhan Vivian, author of THE LIST)

“A funny and touching novel about a strong-willed heroine who finds facing death simple, but facing life heart-wrenchingly complicated. A real original.” (Jennifer Echols, author of GOING TOO FAR)

 Click on the banner or here, to follow the FFBC Blog Tour

Julie lives in North Texas with her husband who loves her, her dog who adores her, and her cat who tolerates her. When she's not writing or trying to catch stray cats, she works at an academic library. Side Effects May Vary is Julie's debut novel.

Win (1) finished copy of Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy (US Only)

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Question of the Day: What emotions would you feel if you were prepared to die but then suddenly and unexpectedly learned you would live?

Tour: Shattered Veil

Check out the Tour Schedule!

Shattered Veil by Tracy E. Banghart

Publication Date: February 28th, 2014

Amazon/Barnes and Noble

For Aris, a talented wingjet pilot, war means sacrificing everything: her home, her name, her face—and the one promise she swore she’d never break.

In the small village of Lux, everyone flies wingjets, but nobody flies them like Aris Haan. When she’s not dancing through the skies, she’s spending every minute with Calix, whom she’s loved since childhood. They plan to Promise, but instead he is sent to defend their dominion against a bloody invasion. Determined not to lose him, Aris follows, joining an underground network of women inside the male-only military. Using secret technology that allows her to pass as a man, she becomes “Aristos”, a Flyer in a search-and-rescue unit.

As Aris grows stronger on the battlefield and more comfortable in her guise as Aristos, her personal mission becomes less and less clear. When she and her enigmatic commander, Major Vidar, uncover an astonishing conspiracy that could destroy everything, she must make a choice that will determine not only the fate of her heart, but the future of her dominion.

Interview with Tracy E. Banghart 

1. Can you describe Shattered Veil in 3 words?

intense, complex, intriguing

2. What do you do when you are not writing? What are your hobbies?

I have a 15 month old son, so he takes up pretty much every moment that I'm not writing! Not exactly a hobby, but he's the coolest and we have a ton of fun together. :-)

3. How did you choose the genre you write in?

I have always gravitated most towards young adult books. They were the ones that sparked my imagination as a young person, and they're the ones that I still find the most entertaining to read now, as an adult. I feel YA is where my writing style fits best. Of course, within YA, I like to explore different sub-genres. I've written paranormal romance, scifi, and I have a fantasy coming out this summer. 

4. How did you come up with the titles of your books

For some reason I really enjoy two-word titles for my books. Usually I come up with my titles before I start writing (I knew Moon Child's title before I wrote a single word), but sometimes they change as I go along. I'd actually completely forgotten about this, but I was looking at my first draft of Shattered Veil the other day…its original title was "To Find You". Personally, I think Shattered Veil is a much better fit. Veils so often hide things - faces, the truth - and the book has a lot to do with exploring identity/truth and shattering barriers.

5. Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?

My advice is to keep writing. This business can be awfully discouraging, no matter what path you choose towards publication, and it's easy to let the world tell you you're not good enough. The only way to prove the naysayers wrong is to keep writing, keep working on your craft, keeping pushing forward. You never know which of your books will strike a chord with an agent, an editor, or thousands of readers!

6. Do you have any pets?

I do! I have two dogs - Scrabble and Koko - and a cat, Mia. They are all very cuddly and much-loved. Scrabble is our clean-up crew after our son eats his meals. ;-)

7. What are your two favorite colors and why?

Turquoise and hot pink. I'm not sure why they're my favorite, but I love pretty much anything with that color combo. They were even the colors at my wedding! (I had hot pink streaks in my hair and my bridesmaids wore gorgeous turquoise dresses. They looked awesome!)

Giveaway

4 prizes: 

--$50 Amazon gift card (INTL) 

--3x "swag packs" which will include: a notebook, magnet, button, 2 signed bookmarks, and Shattered Veil-themed temporary tattoos - picture below. (US/CAN)

a Rafflecopter giveaway Hope you enjoyed the interview!!!

Top Ten Tuesday #31

Top Ten Most Popular Authors I've Never Read
Hosted by the Broke and the Bookish


1. Victoria Schwaub
I really want to read Vicious and The Archived!

2. Brandon Sanderson
I've heard such great things. Why haven't I read his books before???

3. Ransom Riggs
I will soon remedy this as I bought Miss Pergrine's the other day!

4. Neil Gaiman
I've heard he is a very interesting writer!

5. Lauren DeStefano
I've never had much of a interest surrounding her books, but there has been so much hype!

6. A.S. King
According to her fans, King's books are amazing!

WOW, that is all I can say after extensive (I'm not kidding) research. Seems like I have read all the "Popular YA Authors".

What's on your list? :)

Blog Tour: Solving for Ex (Review + Giveaway)

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Solving For Ex by Leigh Ann Kopans

Publication Date: February 11th, 2014

Genre: YA Contemporary

Amazon/Barnes and Noble

1 crush on your best friend +
1 gorgeous, scheming new girl +
1 Mathletics competition =
1 big mess

SIMPLIFY.

Ashley Price doesn’t have much in life after being bullied so hard she had to leave her old school to live with her aunt and uncle in Pittsburgh. But the camera she borrowed from her best friend and secret crush Brendan, and her off the charts math abilities, make things a lot more bearable. Plus, since Brendan is the captain, making the school Mathletes team should be easy. 

But when gorgeous new girl Sofia rolls in and steals Brendan, Ashley's place on the team, and her fragile foothold on the Mansfield Park Prep social totem pole, it’s on. Sofia is everything Ashley left her old school to escape. The only thing Ashley didn’t count on is Sofia’s sexy twin brother Vincent.

Vincent is not only the hottest boy in school, he’s charming, sweet, and he’s got his eye on Ashley. He’s also not taking no for an answer. There's no real reason Ashley shouldn't like Vincent, but with the
battle lines being drawn between her and Sofia, Ashley’s not sure which side he’s on. Or which side she wants him to be on.

She does know Sofia is trouble with a capital T, and she’s determined to make Brendan see it.

SOLVING FOR EX is a YA contemporary romance that remixes Mansfield Park as Clueless meets Mean Girls in a crazy mix of high school society, mathletic competition, and teenage romance. 

Praise for SOLVING FOR EX by LeighAnn Kopans

“Amazing! If you like Sarah Dessen you will LOVE this.”

• Emma Pass, author of Acid and The Fearless (Random House)

"Putting a modern spin on a Jane Austen classic, Solving for Ex proves that brains can be sexier than brawn. In this complicated equation of high school drama, mean girls, mathletics, and romance, LeighAnn delivers yet another beautifully written young adult novel that authentically captures teenage emotions while also capturing the reader's heart."

• Nikki Godwin, author of Chasing Forever Down, American Girl on Saturn, and the upcoming Falling from the Sky

“Ashley is the kind of girl you want to root for, smart and capable and self-assured, despite of, or maybe because of, her vulnerabilities. And in Brenden, LeighAnn has crafted a boy worth of such a girl. Through all the heartbreak and angst of high school, their connection is undeniable and pressing. It's elementary, dear readers - Solving for Ex is one must-read romance.”

• Jenny Kaczorowski, author of The Art of Falling (Bloomsbury 2013)

“If you only read one book in 2014, make sure it's Solving For Ex! I sincerely doubt that you'd regret reading it; it's intelligent, hilarious, intense and touching…Honestly one of the most amazing books I have ever read.”

• Luciana Scath, blogger at Figments of our Imagination

Solving Ex was such a fun, cute read! I read this delightful contemporary at just the right time, when I needed something addicting and adorable! All you have to do is look at the cover and you will start to see how fun this book was. 

I loved how Solving for Ex incorporated awesome math into so many pages! While I hate math homework, I am a fan of math itself and it was so refreshing to read about the Ashley’s Mathletes team. 

Also, this book managed to surprise me. Perhaps I am just not a good guesser, but I felt like the author successfully hinted at a false ending. I was pleasantly surprised about the events that unfolded at the end of the book. The ending definitely bumped up my rating of Solving for Ex to four stars!

Ashley was is no way a flawless narrater. She has realistic faults. However, I liked that she loved math. Also, I liked reading from her entertaining viewpoint. There were time I didn’t like Ashley’s decision making skills, but overall I though that Kopans has created a pretty cool main character.

Overall, math fans and people in a contemporary mood will gobble up Solving for Ex. I cannot wait to see what Kopans publishes next!

*I received Solving For Ex for free in exchange for an honest review. I was not bribed with money, a free math tutor, or a fluffy chihuahua.*

4/5 Stars

Giveaway!!!

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