Is Romance in YA Harmful?

Romance has come to be such a prevalent part of YA book culture, and it is so rare to see a book without any.

I also love romantic couples in young adult books. If done right, it can be one of my favorite parts of the book. The meet-cute, the getting together process is very adorable but the thing is, it’s everywhere. And at times it can give such a wrong and harmful idea too the audience YA is generally pandered too–teenagers.

So in this post I’m going to talk about: why this excessive amount of romance in YA books are more harmful then just “cute.”

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Why Romance in YA can do more harm

• This over-the-top portrayal of romance sets up unrealistic expectations for love in the real world – In terms of romance, there is a simple step-by-step recipe that most YA books follow.

1) Meet cute
2) Getting to know each other/flirting stage
3) realizing both parties like each other
4) Some big argument or fight happens
5) They make up and live happily ever after

This is what I personally noticed in almost all of the young adult contemporary and even some fantasy books. It’s very clear cut and simple and usually gives the bogus message that “love is easy”, there is barely any conflict at all. Books, movies, music all talk about how “someone saved them”, and include swoon-worthy and passionate scenes which in the real world doesn’t happen. And everyone (me included) eats it up. I know most people are sensible enough to know that real love doesn’t work that way, but let’s be honest these exaggerated portrayals have influenced your hopes for romance a little bit. Have you ever caught yourself thinking “I need a romance like x and x” after reading a book?

However the truth is, romance is not like that at all. It’s not always filled with these heart-racing, passionate, and dramatic moments. People use these feelings too define love, and when these feelings fade away they think they have fallen out of love and move onto the next person. Both parties have set their expectations for each other, and if one of them don’t seem to meet it, they break up. And that’s of course normal in a relationship, but the problem is the expectations themselves. If they are only based on what people see on books (or mass media in general) then relationships are bound to fail because that’s not how real love works at all.

• Romance is so prominent in YA books it pushes the ideology that romantic love is something teenagers need – Why are teenagers so obsessed with finding boyfriends/girlfriends? Maybe because we see these happy couples everywhere on the internet.
  
  Seeing these fictional people find their “other half” and see how confident and secure they are, can lead people to unconsciously think “I should get an s/o so I could be like that too” and to that I say:

The idea of finding this fairy tale romance is so ingrained because of the media teenagers consume, which leads to teenagers are so obsessed with finding the perfect romantic partner. But this is so unnecessary. We’re going through this period in our lives where we are trying to find out who we are, our brains are literally re-wiring , we have added pressure of school figuring out our correct path in life, and now we have to worry about romance???

Am I condeming teenage romance, and saying that all teenagers shouldn’t date? No of course not! Just keep in mind that unlike what most YA books suggest, you don’t need romance too be considered valid, and it honestly shouldn’t be a top priority. We have our whole lives ahead of us.

• Valuing romantic love over other types of love – A lot of attention is put on romantic love, but what about friendships and family and even your pets? Maybe if YA (or media in general) put a lot of emphasis on family or friends, society would focus on fostering better human connections, and appreciating family rather then being so crazy about love.

This also ties in with aro/ace representation as well. There is little to no representation of ace main characters in YA books. Which once again, pushes the message that romance is an integral part of our lives. You can live a life without romantic love.

What’s the root of the problem?

It’s us! It all comes down to what sells, and romance definitely sells. Unless friendships and family suddenly starts trending out of nowhere, authors are going too include romance because that’s whats popular now.

And I’m not saying don’t buy romance books or any books that have romance. But just really be mindful of what you read, and how you take that in.

So this concludes my post. Keep in mind that this isn’t like a research paper so I didn’t include any concrete links to any research conducted on the effect of social media. This was based on observation, personal experience, and thinking. But this doesn’t make my point any less valid. What do you guys think about the amount of romance in YA literature? Do you think that it contributes to society a lot? Do you agree with my points? Do you disagree? Please let me know!

in my next life I better be born as the teenage daughter of a wealthy businessman who also likes horses. (anna k. book review)

Hello everyone, and welcome to the first book review I have posted in *checks calendar* one whole freaking year!

Yeah obviously time has gotten away from me, but I have risen from my awful book slump to bring you a book review of Anna K by Jenny Lee. And spoiler alert: I freaking loved it.

Also, since I go pretty indepth review, it might be too much for some people so I present a new feature called In Short,

Title: Anna K
Author: Jenny Lee
Blurb (GR): Every happy teenage girl is the same, while every unhappy teenage girl is miserable in her own special way.

Meet Anna K. At seventeen, she is at the top of Manhattan and Greenwich society (even if she prefers the company of her horses and Newfoundland dogs); she has the perfect (if perfectly boring) boyfriend, Alexander W.; and she has always made her Korean-American father proud (even if he can be a little controlling). Meanwhile, Anna’s brother, Steven, and his girlfriend, Lolly, are trying to weather a sexting scandal; Lolly’s little sister, Kimmie, is struggling to recalibrate to normal life after an injury derails her ice dancing career; and Steven’s best friend, Dustin, is madly (and one-sidedly) in love with Kimmie.

As her friends struggle with the pitfalls of ordinary teenage life, Anna always seems to be able to sail gracefully above it all. That is…until the night she meets Alexia “Count” Vronsky at Grand Central. A notorious playboy who has bounced around boarding schools and who lives for his own pleasure, Alexia is everything Anna is not. But he has never been in love until he meets Anna, and maybe she hasn’t, either. As Alexia and Anna are pulled irresistibly together, she has to decide how much of her life she is willing to let go for the chance to be with him. And when a shocking revelation threatens to shatter their relationship, she is forced to question if she has ever known herself at all.

Dazzlingly opulent and emotionally riveting, Anna K.: A Love Story is a brilliant reimagining of Leo Tolstoy’s timeless love story, Anna Karenina―but above all, it is a novel about the dizzying, glorious, heart-stopping experience of first love and first heartbreak.

• So this book has been widely labeled as the young adult “Crazy Rich Asians and Gossip Girl” crossover everyone and their mother has been waiting for. To be honest, I think the “Crazy Rich Asians” portion was a bit of a stretch considering that only two of the main characters were half Korean, and it didn’t really have *that* magic I fell in love with in CRA, but the Gossip Girl portion was spot on. Actually it was like Gossip Girl.

• This book is about the lives of a whole bunch of characters, but the main six are Anna, Steven, Dustin, Kimmie, Alexia, and Lolly. They’re all (except Dustin) sons and daughters of affluent, and wealthy families and reside in NY. This book follows these characters as they deal with scandals, young love, shitty friends, and even shittier parents. This is also a retelling of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, so I do recommend doing a quick skim on Sparknotes before reading this. I haven’t read the original book, and I don’t see myself reading it in the future because I had enough of 19th century books, and the mere thought of them makes me want to bang my head on the nearest wall (thanks ap lit summer assignment!)

basically me struggling too do my homework.

• The story is very entertaining. If you are looking for something that is filled with drama, and has a bunch of reckless teenagers navigating the world around them, then this is for you! I was immersed in the lives of these people, and it was very amusing and exciting too watch them grow.
  
  
• This book also has the main theme that “not all that glitters is gold.” Despite this being about the lives of the uber wealthy, I still found myself being able too relate too some of the events and themes going on. It was also very interesting too see that underneath all the wealth, and glitzy aspects, these characters are just as messed up as we normal people are.
  
  
• Also deals with racism and classism. Anna and Steven are both half Korean, and white, while Dustin is black, Jewish, and adopted. I really liked how it dealt with casual/subtle racism. A lot of people make such offhand, racist comments and they don’t even realize it’s wrong because it’s just so ingrained in society.
  
• I loved, loved, the setting and premise of this book. I am obsessed with the whole rich kids aesthetic! The prep schools, uniforms, the wild over the top parties, the private jets etc… And the fact that it took place in New York City just made it better. It was a lot easier too picture what was going on, and being in the city made the whole aesthetic even more glamorous. (I swear being a New Yorker isn’t my only personality traits)

CONS

• Problematic relationships – There is a whole lot of cheating going on. Like a whole lot of. And very messy relationships.
• Also in terms of romance, I honestly thought it was too insta love for Anna and Vronsky. Especially for Vronsky because he is characterized as the playboy type, so he should be used too super pretty girls. But the minute he saw Anna, he was all “I think I’m in love with her” But I did think it was super cute! Just needed a bit more development, but still cute!

For me characters make or break a book. If I can’t relate or like the characters at all, I probably don’t even like the book. Which is why Anna K was such a delight to read! I loved the diverse array of characters and how they were all fleshed out and fun. With a cast as big as the one in Anna K, you would think some characters would turn out to be bland, but this was far from the case.

Anna K – Anna is just a wholesome bean who likes horse-riding, reading books, and her dogs. I really enjoyed Anna’s soft and honest character and it was a nice break from the rest of her crazy friends. Also, I loved how she supported and uplifted the rest of the girls around her like Kemmie, and Lolly. And she still likes too party and put on makeup, which I thought was great because she’s not one-dimensional.

However, I did get tired of the constant battle in her head over Alexander and Vronsky. I wanted too yell at her too hurry up and make a decision.

Steven – I honestly detested Steven at first, but he proved too be one of my favorite characters in the story! His character development was crazy good, and his personality grew on me. Reading in his perspective was so my favorite parts because it was so funny! I found it so sweet that he cares so much for his sister Anna, and was willing too do anything for her. It made me a tiny bit sad that I didn’t have a cool older brother and instead stuck with two annoying sisters (jk love ya sis).

me @ steven and anna 24/7

Dustin – Personally his story was my favorite. Dustin is down to earth, sweet, smart, and overall A Very Nice Kid. At first I wasn’t down with his whole Kemmie Obsession thing, but reading in his p.o.v was relaxing and I understood him a lot better. Also this kid gave up his college fund, and three grand just for his brother, and I thought it was so sweet.

Kemmie – Kemmie was great, I really enjoyed her character development. Her struggle with depression did seem a bit unrealistic (as in she got over it pretty quickly). She seemed really sweet, and if I met her IRL I’m pretty sure I would’ve gotten along with her more than anyone else on the list.

Lolly – At times I found myself relating too Lolly a lot, especially her big sister moments. She did seem a bit superficial, almost shallow at time though, but at the end she made up for it. She’s actually a great person overall, but even a better friend.

Vronsky – Last but not least, Alexia Vronsky. To be honest, I didn’t learn much from him except that he is madly in love with Anna, he’s a playboy, he likes sex, he’s madly in love with Anna, and *checks notes* he’s madly in love with Anna. I still liked him when he acted all soft around Anna though that was cute, but that’s about it.

Jenny Lee is a screenwriter and you can tell from reading this book. But I had no problems with the writing style. It was told in third p.o.v so it made the story flow really well. Also, the dialogue was great. There was easy and flowing conversations between the character, and it really made each personality shine through.

However, the teen slang was a bit too much at times especially when reading in Steven p.o.v. I have never seen a person use “lit” as much as Steven does.

This book was a great book! Yes it does have a few downsides that will definitely push some people away, but I think you should still give it a try. Also a little off topic, but I am seething at how low quality WordPress made the header for this post look like. Anyways, now I want to hear your thoughts. Would you pick up this book? Have you picked up this book? What were your thoughts? And what do you think of my review?

Unlikable Character Tropes That I Refuse To Read About Anymore

It’s pretty much a given on how important characters are to a story.

Characters are wonderful, they shape literally the WHOLE story.

It’s also a given that some authors manage too mess up characters who have the POTENTIAL to be GREAT characters. In this post I’m discussing character tropes that are undeniably my least favorite. These are btw my opinions, and not facts. so don’t attack me if you don’t agree please.

Also, if the timing of this post in weird don’t mind it. I’m experimenting with different times too see when my followers are most active. Wow I am such a #businessmogul

“Bad-ass” female protagonists who are emotionally unavailable and asshole-ish.

These characters are really underdeveloped, and basically have no personality aside from being good at kicking peoples ass. And they get super over-hyped too which just leads me to get excited over nothing. There is nothing wrong with girls who can fight, but the thing is I don’t really see how they are strong in other aspects of life. How do they deal with things like stress, trauma, relationships etc… I feel like the way people respond to those things are really what makes us different human beings. Adding in their vulnerable side, or their irrational side could help me connect with the character better, and create entertaining characters overall.

Also, this sort of creates the “I’m not like other girls” trope which is super not healthy too young girls growing up in this day and age. Characters like this shows that only being able to fight, not liking makeup or boys, and overall being what society perceives as “masculine” is what a cool, quirky girl can be. Which is not the case at all. You can like sports, and fashion at the same time. I personally relate to this because growing up I was a tomboy, and refused to go near anything close to pink, and hated fashion. I forced myself too like and play basketball (never again will I go near those orange colored demons) and all these other things because I thought this made me… “one of the boys” or “not like other girls”.

Emotionally abusive bad boys

Not only are these boys so annoying, they also show that abuse is okay and the girl should put up with it (it also can go both ways btw!). Which of course, not acceptable. Somehow by the end of the story though, he becomes a stable and emotional, heroic guy and all thanks too the girl who taught him how to be vulnerable or whatever.

Yeah I don’t think so.

SAY IT WITH ME YA’LL : NO TWO PEOPLE IN A RELATIONSHIP SHOULD DEAL WITH EACH OTHERS TOXICITY, AND IT’S NOT ANYONE’S ROLE/JOB TO “FIX” A STRUGGLING PERSON. SEND THEM A THERAPIST’S NUMBER AND THAT’S IT.

These type of relationships are so prominent in the real world as well, but when you have a choice you shouldn’t add those types of romance to a book. It’s not in the least bit cute.

She doesn’t know she’s beautiful

“I tie up my long brown wavy hair into a messy bun, and put on a plain gray tee over my curvy body. I gaze at the mirror with my starling big blue eyes. I sigh. I’m so ugly”

Sometimes when I’m reading sentences like these I can’t help but think “is this some kind of Wattpad fan-fiction??”

next thing you know she goes downstairs and finds out she got sold to One Direction 

Authors make characters place so much emphasis on their looks for no reason, and it’s not even a pivotal plot to the story. And the way the author writes out the character’s descriptions YOU KNOW that this person can be considered pretty in real life.

This also usually leads to a romance with another character saying the iconic lines of “you don’t even know your beauty” or “you’re not like other girls” or some other BS variation.

Being clumsy is a character trait.

Not being able to kick a ball without falling on your butt does not give you a personality, sorry but I think we’ve all been there.

This usually happens when an author just can’t seem to know how to write  three dimensional flawed characters so they think being clumsy is a “cute” and “quirky” sort of way too make the character seem more realistic. And these authors will probably go to the extra mile to make these characters seem clumsy. Like leave-your-sim-alone-in-a-kitchen extra clumsy.

I don’t find clumsy characters funny, in fact I will just spend half the time worrying they will  trip on a pencil and suffer a long, and painful concussion.

Teenage prodigy in one second/ the chosen one

I know firsthand as a teenager, AND AS AN ACTUAL HUMAN BEING, it will take more then one freaking day to get extremely good at something. In a lot YA fantasy books, you have a teen (14/15/16) who at first is this skinny, wimp, but then is like a freaking GOD when it comes to fighting/casting magic/etc… These are skills that probably take lifetimes too prefect, and now all of a sudden you can blast fire out of your hands in one day.

Which then you find out the character is some kind of “Chosen One” hero. I’m not super annoyed  with this kind of trope, but after seeing it in a number of fantasy books it starts too get repetitive, and then boring.

This trope also kind of sets a bad example for real-live kids who have to put in time and effort to be good at anything.

like me lol

Manic Pixie Dream Girl/Guy

These type of characters are usually paired with another boring, shy, melancholy character. And the MPDG starts too teach them about life, and love, and wonder blah blah blah. This trope is a) super cliche b) totally boring c) not at all realistic. It’s also kind of problematic. It reminds me of the relationship in the emotional abusive bad boy trope, where you sort of depend on the romantic int rest to “fix” you and your problems. Not okay at all.

A good example of this is Alaska from Looking for Alaska. She has a unusual name, an infatuation with daisies, smokes, and has every girl/guy on her heel. She draws out the main character from his shell, and she is definitely Quirky with a capital q.

So that was my super long rant on character tropes I really dislike. I really think I ranted a bit too much, but I! Am! Tired! of these tropes. I know I put “THAT I REFUSE TO READ ABOUT” in capital letters in the title, but I really don’t mean it. Because let’s be honest, I would then have to stop reading all together. That’s how common some of these can be. What about you guys? Do you agree or disagree with some of them? What are some additional tropes you can’t stand? Can you add on too the list? Have a beautiful day! ❤

 

 

 

 

how to spot a problematic book, and what to do with it

the bookish community is considered golden in my eyes. it’s such a strong community that binds people of all race, sexuality, and gender through just books. and the bookish community is most definitely not afraid to voice out opinions on something problematic.

but i’m sure it has crossed all our minds once or twice, what makes a problematic book so problematic? whats the difference between books that are just bad, and books that should definitely be avoided? i had my fair share of books being problematic, especially concerning diversity.  and since there was so much discussion about the realistic representation in books, of course problematic books were mentioned.

signs of a PB 

• using a diverse character as a plot device – this is basically when a diverse character is just placed in the book too just further the plot. and not in a more impact/important way. it’s like they’re just there to provide help to a protagonist quest/journey. and they usually die early on. this is absolute BS because why make the diverse character seem so irrelevant, and unworthy.  this can sort of be seen in most movies today using a black person as the one with sass, and attitude.
• cultural appropriation – the act of using one cultures, and representing it in a way that does not show or respect said culture in anyway. like say, a white girl with dreads, or having a character named Jin, but does not fit the charestics of a jin (*looks at Rebel of the Sands*)
• stereotypes –  might be the easiest one to look for. a book that has stereotypes like “all Asians are smart”, and “all Asians have tiger-strict parents”, as well as “the gay best friend”. these irk me to no end, because they’re not true!! i think i’d prefer a non-diverse book than a book that has diverse characters, but representing them inaccurately.
• “____ is Asian” – 

me every single time i read “____ was asian,” 

allow me to bring up a map of Asia.

 

i even pulled up the kids version

how am i supposed to know how this character looks like if there are more than 40 countries in Asia. Are they Bengali, Indian, Korean, Japanese? most people typically believe that the largest continent is made up of THREE COUNTRIES.

 

• “____ is pretty for a ___” – what is that supposed to mean? they’re pretty regardless of their race/ethnic group. they are pretty PERIOD.
• using wrong pronouns – stop. when it comes to transgender, gender-fluid, or non-binary YOU MUST RESPECT THE PRONOUNS THEY ARE COMFORTABLE WITH. don’t simpily choose it based on the genitals they were born with. this is so, so, so important because of the lack of representation concerning LGBT community.  if you haven’t already noticed the recurring theme in this post, it’s to REPRESENT ACCURATELY.  
• degrading ethnic group/race/sexuality – big red alert here! this can be anything from the use of slurs (which should never be used), to using them as villains in a book (Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth)
• _______ is suffering from [insert disability] – i honestly never likes that term because of the word suffering. it makes it seem like disability is such a bad, and “weird” thing. authors should write other alternatives such as “______ has been diagnosed with [insert disability] when she was X years old”.
• adjectives such as “exotic” to describe people – an example of this is when people describe Asian woman exotic. factually, this is wrong considering, that Asia has 48 countries. there are more of Asians than white’s, so technically, white people are the exotic one. and also, why exotic?? we are not some rare fruit, or spice. we are people!!
• ” ______ is Desi” – it’s almost like point 4, but i just want to point out that Desi is a  political term that not everyone from South Asia refers themselves to. Desi doesn’t mean South Asian, it’s not interchangeable and so people should say South Asian if that’s what they mean.

how to deal with it

Spread the word, but provide backup – first put you review up on twitter, or goodreads, and then add evidence of how this book was being problematic. you can add direct quotes from the book, and explain why that was so problematic. paste your review in almost every platform available.  And do not recommend this book at all.

IF YOU ARE AN AUTHOR DO YOUR RESEARCH – there are plenty of resources available. the library,  schools, other people! try not to spread messages of of sexism, racism etc…, and closely evaluate your work. this might be a taboo opinon, but i feel like if you’re (meaning the authors) not sure about your topic, and don’t feel like you have done adequate research, i don’t recommend to include it in your story. this is better than hurting, and misrepresenting other people. but as long as you have researched well enough, it’s okay!!  *shields myself from rocks*

 

so that my frend is how you spot a PB book! what are some problematic books you have read in the past? what are some other sings you can spot in a problematic book? also what are some good dark fantasy reads, because i just finished the cruel prince, and it jUST SET ME IN A MOOD 

 

When Dimple Met Rishi Book Review // HUGE rant on how everything about this book sucked, except for the rep

Title: When Dimple Met Rishi

Author: Sandhya Menon

Rating: 1 star

Blurb (GR): Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

extreme rant ahead, and minor spoiler

PRO’S ✨

• really great rep – i lived for the all the Indian culture references. like Shah Rukh Khan, Dance Pe Chance (!!), all the Indian phrases/sayings, the clothing, and the FOOD! rishi had a lot of Indian food in the story, and it made me so hungry. the author did a wonderful job with Dimple, and Rishi as Indian protagonists.  i’m not Indian, but i am really familiar with it’s culture, and every time there was an Indian reference i just laughed manically, because that was some good rep.
• FAMILY DYNAMICS – i was really happy with the parents in this book. they weren’t tiger-strict like parents are portrayed in almost every book with an Asian rep. yes, rishi, and his dad had different opinions about what rishi wanted to pursue for his future, but they talked it out peacefully, and there wasn’t any disowning, or dissapointed stares, or anything. rishi’s parents were so nice <3, and dimple’s parents were so sweet, but Dimple’s mom did kind of get on my nerves.
• friend dynamics – as annoying as dimple was (which i will get onto later), i can admit that she is a great friend. she supported, and welcomed celia with open arms, even after she decided to treat dimple like poop. and overall, it was just a wonderful, and cozy friendship.

CONS ✨ 

• was there even a plot?? – so i was really excited when i learnedabout dimple being in a STEM major, because yay diverse females in STEM!!! and then there was an app contest, and all sounded pretty good. but then there was a talent show, that seemed like it was more important than the competition???? it had way more screen time than the competition, which dimple’s family payed thousand of dollars for. it was more of just a filler for rishi’s, and dimple’s “love” to blossom or whatever
• romance was just…ugh – there were cute moments, but honestly dimple, and rishi weren’t super cute. i felt like there romance was just super rushed, and rishi had a severe case of insta-love. and a big thing that really irked me was the sex. it wasn’t graphic, and the author sorts of fades out while things get really going., but i don’t think it was needed, and it was pretty unrealistic. rishi brings up the whole “sex before marriage taboo”, and i think it implies that he’s a virgin, but he’s not in the least nervous?? i’m not saying that if you’re a virgin, you have to be nervous about your first time. i’m saying that i did just read 200+ pages about him, and about half of them rishi is just blushing every time dimple is within 2 feet radius, it would be a bit more realistic if he was a bit nervous.

Dimple- get ready for a huge-ass rant rn

reasons why dimple made me want to scream in the void 

• this all started in the beginning of the book when she threw, a perfectly good ice coffee at rishi’s face when they first met because rishi said “hello future wife”
• and the reasoning for that statement was “she’d been accosted by a predator” (page 29)
• let’s take a minute to see what a predator, and accosted meant in her context

• did rishi say/do anything that makes it seem like wants to do this?? did he try to initiate anything?? did rishi even act aggressive??? the big answer is no he didn’t, and therefore, dimple had no right no accuse rishi of being a predator, and/or throw ice coffee at him. any normal person would’ve probably ignore him by walking away/ or ask him if he’s good.
• second she was a pretty abusive person. she still kept on hitting rishi, even after rishi showed signs, and out rightly showed that it was hurting him. and she doesn’t let rishi do anything during the talent show, or ask him about HIS idea for the app. she seemed pretty controlling
• third she was just so damn annoying. i normally find determination a very appealing quality in a protagonist. but dimple only used it mostly to show that she wasn’t “like other girls”. she was just so negative about almost everyone, and everything. another indian guy in the book told her the way he wants his name to be pronounced (which was sort of like the american version), but dimple has the audacity to say “but it’s not is it?”
• like what is that supposed to mean?? maybe he doesn’t like people confusing up his name so he settled for something simpler??? idk, but if a person wants her/his name to be pronounced in a certain way for their own personal reasons, you don’t have a right to object.

so all in all, i hated dimple shah, and thought she was more annoying than dumb teenagers eating tide pods on pizza.

Rishi – pure ball of fluff, and he was a really strong character, and i did relate too him about the pressure obtained from some South Asian parents. but i did think he was pretty such a suck-up to dimple.

i’m just going to say this: 5th grade me could’ve done better.

 

this book honestly reminds me of my grades. very disappointing. this was such a let down for a book hat has been so hyped up. what did you think of this book? have you read this book yet? did you agree/disagree with my review?? 

Zodiac Signs as Bibliophiles // i try to be an “astrologist”

So this was totally random! I used to be a huge fan of astrology, and zodiac signs (I’m a scorpio!!) back when I was younger. I remember going on Pintrest as typing in “scorpio traits”, and gasp at everything that was true, and everything else that wasn’t true would just go over my head.

Now that I’ve grown out of my little phase, I thought it would be fun to make a little post about the signs, cause I have been on tumblr way too much.

NONE OF THIS IS ACCURATE SO PLEASE DON’T TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!! i probably got like everything wrong because my research was all over the place, please don’t yell at me if anything (which it probably is) is wrong, asdfghjkl i’m sorryyy 

aries

• that one person whose nose is literally stuck in a book
• seems like a super nice, shy, cutie
• but when they fangirl/boy
• THEY GO HARD
• cue excited squeals, hand shaking, yelling, and maybe some spontaneous punching
• likes to read books about badass female characters, and diversity
• they can get pretty mad if you insult them about their favorite fandom
• gets super feisty and sassy
• “Your opinion is equivalent to that garbage can outside”
• Not afraid to venture out, and read new books
• willing to give a try to all the books rated 3 stars or below
• DNF, never heard of it

taurus

• awww such a cute smol bean
• likes oversized sweaters, and a large paperback with their favorite drink
• snorts at punny jokes from the book
• likes contemporary romance more than any other genre
• is pretty patient with annoying characters
• likes classics
• sucker for cute romance
• blushes at the fluffy scenes
• but has a straight face when reading… ya know…  PG13
• really emotional over books
• ugly cries
• when something is funny they don’t just laugh, they literally GUFFAW
• most likely to fall in a reading slump
• likes reading books with their favorite playlist in the background

gemini

• these people are mostly known for their dual personalities, so it’s a little easy to choose their next book
• reads whatever they want
• likes fantasy + sci-fi the most
• if they review a book, their reviews are so eloquent, and so smooth
• but also very witty
• almost everyone knows them, because they are just so good at communicating with someone
• very popular in the book/blogging world
• that one user who has read almost every single book
• literally
• i feel like i’m describing cait @ paperfury
• is she a gemini?

cancer

• VERY OBSESSIVE OVER BOOKS
• like at one point, all bibliophiles have this phase where they bonkers over their book, and like a wolf protecting its cubs
• but cancer is on a whole other level
• has a paper that says every single book on their bookshelf
• but doesn’t really need it because their super smart, and have it all filed in their head
• angry devil when one of their books are gone
• really sympathetic with characters over books
• thinks characters are a super important part of books
• likes to relate to characters emotionally, and spiritually
• cried after reading they both die at the end by adam silvera
• has a whole list of book boyfriends/girlfriends
• LOVES DIVERSITY
• that one blogger WHO USES CAPS ALL THE TIIIIME!!
• and exclamation points!!
• !!

leo

• is that reader is open to all books, whether it’s horror, or romance. has homosexuality, or mental illness.
• very generous person
• is very unpredictable with what books they’ll read
• after reading a super scary horror book, they might go onto some fluffy romance
• or something like that idk
• like i said, very unpredictable
• they rarely update their blog, but has such great content
• and has over 600+ followers
• really well known in the blogosphere
• doesn’t take that long to find out if they are going to like the book or not
• so it saves them a lot of time
• has no emotion whatsoever
• doesn’t cry, laugh, or make a sound when reading
• they could disappear without contact for days
• and when you’re super worried you find out they’ve been hiding out in their room
• with a book
• obviously

virgo

• the really forgetful reader
• “what page was i on??”
• “where’s my book?”
• “who is this??”
• if a book is too long, they’ll forget about it
• scared of books 300+ long
• hardly blogs
• but super popular because of the great content
• really analyzes books, and could figure out what all the confusing methaphors mean
• favorite book is probably The Outsiders
• REALLY really really shy, and very cute
• but loves, loves, loves, talking about books
• “FAVORITE BOOKS DON’T EXIST”

libra

• the very aesthetic™ bibliophile
• very easygoing, and sociable
• the only person who has their bookshelves organized
• has a super cute bookmark
• has fairy lights, fuzzy carpets, and fuzzy socks, with a drink from starbucks
• oversized sweaters!!!
• likes reading books about adventure, and romance mostly
• has a very nice blog design,
• probably made it theirselves
• because they are so aesthetic
• experiences the most feelings when reading books
• once they start reading, they get very immersed in a book
• so be careful trying to get them out

scorpio

• hates love triangles
• hates anyone trying to talk to them while reading
• loves fantasy
• lives for any kind of diverse rep
• really, extreme fangirl
• likes to eat while reading
• likes the villain the most
• like huge 500+ angsty, fantasy books
• could literally read anywhere
• likes puns
• has a case of resting bitch face when reading
• NO ONE TOUCH THEIR BOOKS
• especially the signed ones
• is a expert in solving mysteries in books
• (although when it comes to real life, they are completely lost, i know that from personal experience)
• has a really minimalist, clean, and sleek blog
• looks really intimidating when reading

sagittarius

• loves funny books
• JOKE BOOKS
• generally a nice person to approach
• but not when they are reading
• has a love/hate relationship with love triangles
• because SO MUCH DRAMAAA, ASDFGHJKL
• and also a lot of crying when the guy/girl they wanted didn’t end up with who they wanted
• very straightforward when it comes to books
• if you are reading book, and they would like it they would probably spoil everything.
• “ugh, that book was so dumb because in the ending…”
• never keeps a straight face when reading
• won’t be to afraid to cry in the middle of the street because of their book
• always keeps a pack of tissues (lol)
• really humorous, and jolly
• really, really, really EXTREME FANGIRL
• i’m not kidding
• they will get TrIgGeRed if they hear their favorite fandom
• will also argue back if you are calling the fandom trash
• maybe even fight you
• sniffles at the mention of harry potter
• super outgoing, and popular in the blogging world
• woooow, i wrote so much for Sagittarius and that’s not even my sign???

capricorn

• jesus this is so looong
• anyway capricorns are super soft
• they have such a pure, and smol heart
• so they pretty much cry at every sad book they come across
• or if like a cat die
• i would cry too because heLLO THAT’S A CAT, AND CATS ARE IMPORTANT, ‘KAY
• but they love, love, love books with soft, and happy endings
• likes to read fairy tale retelling the most
• hates plot twists
• especially the bad ones
• like where Snape was actually good, and ended up dying
• probably the only one who doesn’t read late into the night
• because capricorns need their beauty sleep ya’ll
• but this could change if a book is REALLY GOOD
• doesn’t have really high expectations for books
• unless it’s really hyped
• can be pessimistic at times, but likes to be proven wrong (because like i said, they love happy endings)

aquarius

• loyal to their fandom
• and ship
• have no choice to fight you if you disagree
• gets really attached to fake boys/girls in books but who doesn’t? 
• has really high expectations for books (and people)
• 5 stars doesn’t exists to them
• or 4.5
• reads books in class, but has top-notch grades
• can’t deal with dumb main characters, and will change the book
• also very attached too books
• very dangerous to lend books
• if they really liked it, they won’t let it go, and proceed to yell it at everyone’s face
• if they don’t, than R.I.P that book
• as well as the rest of the fandom
• not easily fooled
• can see plot twists from a mile away
• reads books super fast
• doesn’t review books, because it takes too long

pisces

• last one!!!
• loves, loves, loves fantasy books
• really compassionate, and cries whenever something remotely sad happens
• likes too listen to music while reading
• and candles
• very aesthetic
• reads books to ignore the horrible responsibilities of the world
• master procrastinator
• over-analyzes EVERYTHING
• likes murder mysteries
• probably liked reading Nancy Drew when they were little
• really sarcastic in their posts
• cries about a death in a book, but won’t be afraid to shove humans.
• has very little favorite books
• will love a book to the end, no matter how much it destroyed them
• will knock you out with a book if you bother them
• and will have 0 regrets

so that took forever, and resulted in a post that’s all over the place, and is 1k+ words!!! wooow 1K that’s more than all the words i have ever said in my life, combined.  SO DON’T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY, PLEASE!! i am just a broke student, not an astrologist. it’s just for fun, and whatever. Soo how do you like this post? which sign are you? which sign fits you the most??

The Difference Between YA and NA // A Post to Clear Things Up

My blog is all about one big, fat genre: YA (young adult). I read it, I write it, I live it. And I also used to be one of those people who confuse it with another big genre. New Adult. Both have many common elements, but there is overall a HUGE difference. That’s why they are two different genres. 

And in this post, I’m sharing how to distinguish YA from NA.

why do people get them confused?

There could be different reasons for different people, but the common ones are:

• well there is adult in both of the names
• there are so many common elements story wise
• and the voice can be pretty similar at times.

• Younger character age – YA books are about teenagers who are in the 14-17 age. They are also dependent on someone, like their parents, grandparents, relatives, even the government. The main protagonist is at a point in his/her life where they need someone for support. 
• Mostly about coming of age – Most YA books are about teenagers trying to become who they are. One of my favorite books Girl Overboard by Justina Chen, is about Syrah trying to get herself, and her life together after a snowboarding accident. She doesn’t know who she is. Some rich mans daughter or snowboarding queen? 
• Setting – Most of the drama, and action takes place in high school. 
• Teenage audience – I agree, many adult read YA (and that’s totally fine too!), but it’s main target is teenagers. 
• Language – The language, and writing style is much different than a New Adult book. There is swearing involved, but it is less then a NA  book. And it definitely more care-free because they are not adults yet. 

• More mature age – New Adult main characters are aged between 18-25. 
• More mature setting – You won’t see an NA book near an high school. It will most likely be a college or even a household. 
• Mostly about being or becoming an adult – The main theme or so, in New Adult is about becoming an adult, or the struggles of an adult, or becoming an adult, but you don’t want to be an adult. Just a lot of adult-ish themes around. 
• Adult audience – Of course a teenager will pick up an NA (like me), but it’s obviously intended for a bigger audience. 

That’s MY way of distinguishing NA, and YA. I decided to write this post after seeing Paper Princess shelved as “NA”. While it does have graphic themes, and almost rape (it was written by 2  erotic authors), it is most definitely not YA. What are your way of telling yourself “this is a ya/na book”? Which genre do you prefer? Do you agree/disagree?

4 Unique Tropes I Need To See More of!

A few weeks ago I wrote a post talking about 5 tropes that I was tired of. Now I decided to the opposite (with a little twist). Today I’m going to talk about tropes that are underrated, and need to see more of.

1) Change of Heart

I love this type of romance, because it’s so cute! It’s so amusing to see our hero and heroine go from hating each other guts, to falling in love. The journey is usually filled with so much laughs, and cute scenes!

I really haven’t seen or read too many books revolving around this trope. I heard When Dimple Met Rishi, but like most hyped books I haven’t gotten around to read it yet. Do you guys have any recs with this trope?

2.) Villanoius Crush

This would be a such a cool, and exciting romance story if a villain, and a hero fell in love. But in the world they are it’s like very shameful, and then they have a child, and OMG I think I have good book idea right now…

But seriously, it would be awesome to see this in a YA fantasy novel/series. I only heard of these in like fan-fictions.

3.) Healthy Sibling Relationships

Name at least 5 or more books (that are YA) that have a super goals worthy sibling relationship.

*crickets*

This trope is so under-used, and barely visible in the bookish community. But why? I honestly don’t know, because it’s not even that hard to write about. It’s basically a brother or sister who is supportive to our protagonist. I have seen so many books with so many healthy friend relationships, it’s time  for siblings to steal the limelight. 🙊

4.) Characters That Have a Personality

Have you ever read a book in which the plot is super amazing, and awesome, but then you realize you know nothing about the character?

I think it happened to me one to many times. That’s why characters that have an interest, or a personality are super important when it comes to a story.  Lately, I think authors are working on this. I can never forget the PJO series because of their unique characters.

I have been on hiatus lately because So what do you think of my list? What tropes do you want to see more of in books? And what tropes would you want to see less? Do you agree with my list? Do you disagree? 

5 Tropes I’m Tired Of Seeing

I love books, you love books, we all love books (and if you don’t you love them, you do now), but there are some tropes in a book that I can’t stand! When I read about them I kind of want to this.

So today, I’m going to talk about 5 tropes that is so repetitive, and annoying, and tiring that show up in YA novels. These are mostly from a mix of the fantasy, and contemporary genre.

1.) The Broken Family Trope

I read many books in which there is a “broken family” trope. This is basically when there is an absent parent, or there is a step-parent that makes hell for the main character. This shows up in a lot of books to the point where it’s becoming unrealistic, and tiring. I know there are a range of different types of families, but I feel like the best books have great supportive parents. Because there is such thing as that.

2.) Love Triangles

I really dislike this plot-device, and I know many other people too. There is even a blog name that has a name called “Love Is Not A Triangle” (fab blog, btw). And there is soo many reasons why this is so annoying.

• It drags out the story hella long, and it makes you feel like banging your head against the wall
• Super annoying when the heroine/hero can’t choose between each one of the characters, when it’s kind of obvious who she should pick.
• When it’s really obvious who the main character should pick, even though a love triangle is not supposed to that.
• Making any of the guys/girls possessive of the girl (like Jacob and Edward from Twilight)  

I’m not saying that we should definitely  stop writing love triangles, but it’s becoming more of a cliché, and more annoying. So how about we tone it down a bit?

3.) Chosen-One Trope

A very common trope in fantasy novels. When you hear “chosen one” you probably think Harry Potter, or Percy Jackson, or fantasy novels. At first I really didn’t mid this trope, but it did become really repetitive, and it made me think: what was so great about it in the first place? Why couldn’t the character use hard work, and determination to defeat his/her enemies. Why have the whole future planned out because of this one guy? It makes us not-so-special beans feel a little bit bad about ourselves.

4.) Love Trumps EVERYTHING!

I know the saying “love trumps all” is a very popular saying, but some books are taking it too far.

I find it unrealistic that love can suddenly cure cancer.  I know it provides a happy ending, and all, but I would prefer it if that character would die from the disease. #sorrynotsorry.

5.) Bad-ass Girl

Okay, please hear me out first.

I’m not saying that girls who are strong are bad, and that they shouldn’t be in stories any more. I’m saying that why is she called badass because she can wield a sword. What is so important about that? Because some authors think that this is feminism. She is a woman who can fight, so therefore she is like man, right?

NO.

I would rather an MC girl who has brains, someone who can be admired not for something physical. Give us a personality that does not resemble a robot, or a super human. To me, equality between the genders is NOT defined by our strength.  

And that concludes my little rant of the tropes in the bookish world. I was really nervous about writing the last one, and wasn’t sure if what I was saying made sense, lol. But please, tell me your thoughts! What are some tropes that you want to see less of? Do you agree with my points? Do you disagree? 

Why I Would DNF A Book.

I am not one of  those people who finish every book, they read.

I wish I was, but I’m simply not. And I kind of envy those who do.  I rarely DNF a book, but today I’m going to talk about why I DNF books.

• Slow start – I hate it when books take forever to drag on. I’m usually a jump-to-action type of girl, and when a book doesn’t intrest me from the start, I’m prone to DNF-ing. I usually want something interesting happening around the 30 page mark or so. Sometimes, I do still read on, but if nothing interesting happens by page 70, I’m out.
• Dense Writing – Have you ever read a book, that has a writing style that is just so dense, you don’t feel like reading it at all? I have,  many times. And it’s soo boring. Most of these books are classics, and one of the many reasons why I won’t read one.
• Bad Characters – Characters are important to a novel (obviously), so if I don’t like a character why should I even read it?
• Stereotypes – I am tired of seeing common stereotypes in the YA universe. These include (but definitely not limited too): The popular mean girl clique, the chosen one trope, or the bad-boy-but-golden-heart trope (I totally made up these names)  
• Horrible Hero – In some books there are some male characters that act REALLY HORRIBLE, but most readers pass that off as ‘attractive’. That thing strikes me as really stupid, because no one should pass that type of behavior as ‘attractive’. Examples: Jace Herondale

Should I Feel Guilty?

Nope. Not at all. As a reader, I have a right to choose what I want to review, or read (unless it’s an ARC, but I don’t get too many of those). DNF’ing books is just a thing I do. I don’t encourage it, but if you really have to, you should. No reader/blogger should ever feel pressured to read something they don’t want.

Soo that’s most of my DNF list! What makes you DNF a book? What are some books that you DNF’ed, because of  a certain reason? Do you disagree/agree with my list? Would you add more?