I love YA fantasy books as much as the next adult, but there are some tried tropes in this genre that are fair game to poke fun at. Things that would be very scary if they happened in real life. (For more YA book gushing, check out my blog here).
Because if young adult fantasy books were real....
1. Teenagers would be responsible for saving the world.
Nothing against the youth of today, but... aren't there some adults with real world experience who could, you know, jump in with the whole saving humanity thing?
Guess not. They must be too busy being lame with their 9-to-5 jobs.
Despite their serious lack of maturity and hireable skills, teenagers in young adult books often know how to fight the powers that be to do incredible things. In these stories and in real life, this holds true: don't tell teens no; they'll just do it anyway.
Great books with teens who attempt to beat the odds:
- Shatter Me by Taherah Mafi
- Rush by Eve Silver
- The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
2. Everyone's relationship status would change to "It's Complicated."
If you thought your love life was a bit dicey now, just WAIT until every YA book comes true. Multiple boys will be fighting over you, and your mind will change by the second about which one is your real true love.
Not to mention the jealousy and hater friends along the way who make everything so much more dramatic. "It's complicated" will be the biggest understatement of the year.
Great books with deliciously crazy love triangles:
- The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan
- Born of Illusion by Teri Brown
- The Elite by Kiera Cass
3. Parents would be totally MIA.
Parents get in the way of so much. They stop illicit parties, put the brakes on sneaking out of the house and look for opportunities in preach their "it's time to grow up" speech. Fortunately for you, if YA books were real, parents wouldn't be around to do any of that.
It's not true of every young adult novel, but in a good number of books, parents (and their buzz-killing ways) are conveniently absent. You'd think in the midst of saving the world, a little parental support would be helpful!
Great books where parents are a bit scarce:
- The Collector by Victoria Scott
- Delirium by Lauren Oliver
- Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger
4. Aliens, angels, ghosts and genetically altered humans are hiding among us.
Not only do paranormal beings live next door, but they're extremely attractive, and your heart will be in trouble of melting in the flames of their hotness. No human stands a chance.
Sadly, the beings who are fighting their instinct to kill and destroy the world as we know it are also battling their feelings for you (because it's protecting you of course). Don't worry though, we all know how this will play out...
Great books where the paranormal is hiding in plain sight:
- The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
- Altered by Jennifer Rush
- The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
If YA fantasy was real, what would you be worried about?