Romance
· First relationships and sexuality two topics that are of extreme interest to teens and tweens- this is new territory that they are about to explore-
· Romance books are popular because teens want to know what it feels like to experience love and romance, how to behave with boys. They are able to experience the first date and kiss through vicariously through the characters.
· It is hard to find a YA book that does not touch upon the two issues but they are probably not classified as a romance
· To be classified a romance the book must: Have a central love story that emphasizes the experience of love, sexual feelings, and/or sexual acts, such as kissing and/or intercourse
· This includes the range from crushes, first love, first sexual encounters and heartbreak
· Unlike adult romance books, YA books do not have to have a optimistic ending
· Contemporary romance may have a plot may revolve around social issues like homosexuality, rape, AIDS, pregnancy, abortion, death, racial or religious prejudice
· Mostly girls do read romance- I am noticing a few more books in guy/ lad lit category
· Like most genre, readers want to read about characters a little older than they are
· Teens seek out characters that they identify with-sexual orientation, ethnicity
· Rocked by Romance is a comprehensive guide that breaks the genre down by: classic romance, contemporary, humorous, Christian, historical fiction and alternative reality. Includes a nice chapter on the history of romance stories.
http://www.tanyastone.com/assets/files/pdfs/VOYA200602AuthorTalk.pdf
I found this article to be extremely relevant and interesting in regards to sexual content in books. I agree that books should not exploit sex, but rather, use it if necessary to the story. I feel most readers enjoy the topic of sex in books because it isn't something that is taboo anymore. Authors are acknowledging the fact that teens are sexually active more so today than ever before. I believe that having authors talk about sex helps teens to learn about situations from the characters that are experiencing them. This allows the reader to empathize with a character and see the situation from an outside perspective.
ReplyDelete