Let’s face it, Young Adult literature has never been especially renowned for its realism. Even before dystopias took over, most heroines were either languishing in rotting castles (like Cassandra Mortmain in I Capture The Castle) or so ridiculously perfect that you ended up hating them them (hello, Sweet Valley Twins...).
These days, many of us can be found curled up with a copy of The Hunger Games or Divergent, but what’s very clear is that your average teenage girl will probably not end up saving the world from a corrupt dictatorship, like Katniss Everdeen, or be caught in a love triangle between a vampire and a werewolf, like Bella Swan.
Tweeter John Hansen (@aboredauthor) was first to comment that perhaps Young Adult characters don’t lead the most realistic lives...
Sometimes I spend all day doing homework and then look at YA characters who save worlds and I'm just like, HOW DO THEY FIND THE TIME???
— John Hansen (@ABoredAuthor) March 28, 2015
Girl politely declines to be the face of the revolution because it's junior year and she has too much homework. #VeryRealisticYA
— John Hansen (@ABoredAuthor) March 29, 2015
And, using the hashtag #VeryRealisticYA, Twitter users jumped on the bandwagon to explore several more likely outcomes for YA protagonists. Here are some of our favourites...
Send in your realistic YA situations to @GdnChildrensBks using #VeryRealisticYA or, if you’re not on twitter, email childrens.books@theguardian.com and we’ll add them to this blog.
"Fine, I volunteer in tribute" she groaned, as she grudgingly got up off the sofa to reset the WiFi #realisticYA
— Ravenstone (@RavenstonePress) March 30, 2015
Nerdy girl has a crush on a popular boy but assumes he's just a jerk. Finds out that, yeah, he is actually kind of an asshole. #realisticYA
— secretly a robot (@r0botguts) March 29, 2015
Fate of world more dependent on complex socio-economic realities than on band of misfits that can't seem to work together. #VeryRealisticYA
— Rich Burlew (@RichBurlew) March 30, 2015
Boy and girl become partners in biology. He blows off project, she has to do it by herself. They get a B. No one kisses. #VeryRealisticYA
— Justina Ireland (@tehawesomersace) March 29, 2015
Girl gets a note reading "I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER". She's relieved someone is finally reading her tumblr. #VeryRealisticYA
— TheBloggess (@TheBloggess) March 29, 2015
Girl wakes up to hot boy sitting in a dark corner of her room, watching her sleep. She screams and calls the police. #VeryRealisticYA
— Ava Jae (@Ava_Jae) March 29, 2015
Doesn't do anything all that great until her/his late 20s, because no one should peak in high school. #VeryRealisticYA
— Chris Serico (@ChrisSerico) March 29, 2015
Kid goes to boarding school and breaks ALL the rules! Kid gets kicked out. #VeryRealisticYA
— Mara Wilson (@MaraWritesStuff) March 29, 2015
Boy likes girl, but she doesn't notice because she's too busy checking her phone #VeryRealisticYA
— Kenna Blaylock (@KennaBlaylock) March 31, 2015
Teens suspect crime has occurred. Inform parents and police and go back to being teens. #VeryRealisticYA
— Scott Westerfeld (@ScottWesterfeld) March 29, 2015
Girl wears glasses and gets straight A's. No one makes fun of her or calls her a loser. In fact, she has a lot of friends. #VeryRealisticYA
— Meredith Tate (@mltate24) March 30, 2015
Introvert goes to a school party. Bonds with no one. Except the hosts cat. #VeryRealisticYA
— Emily M. (@EmiWHEEEEEEEEEE) March 31, 2015
Teens find mysterious board game in attic of old mansion. Decide to play #CandyCrush on their iPhones instead. #VeryRealisticYA
— Alisa Williams (@AWWritesStories) March 31, 2015
