Paperback's Pondering's is a weekly discussion when I take a topic and well, ponder about it! This week's topic is all about a very well thought over topic in the bookworld: diverse books in YA.
Chances are, if you're a bookworm, you've seen this topic float around once or twice before. Whether it would be the #weneeddiversebooks campaign, or just general people debating over racism, sexuality and gender issues in YA, one could argue that we are the generation who have become more conscious of various issues. So today, I'm going to talk about what I would like to see change in YA. I've read a lot, and I think that there is always room for improvement.
Firstly, I would like to see more Canadian/International YA authors hitting the bestsellers. No offence to the Americans, you guys have some great authors, but there aren't many international authors who are extremely well known/world acclaimed. It's time to let different authors shine and bring pride to the bookworms in their country.
Similarly, I'd love for more YA, particularly contemporaries, to have books that take place in different countries. Besides the fictional worlds of fantasy and dystopia, most contemporaries take place in the United States. But what about Canada? Maybe Italy? Heck, even India! I understand that authors write about settings that are familiar to them, but maybe exploring different backgrounds could be a good thing.
Now to a big debate: feminism. There is A LOT of YA that portrays a strong, kickass female lead who don't need no man. However, this representation is not reflective of ALL females. Girls don't need to be fearless and fierce to be strong, they CAN be girlier, maybe less physically fit, and can use their brains as a weapon as opposed to a gun. THERE'S MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF STRONG WOMAN OUT THERE, PEOPLE.
Sexuality. With LGBTQA books hitting the big time, the world has become more open to different types of love. However most books only contain the L and the G side of things, with the protagonist being either gay or lesbian. But what about a Bi character? Maybe someone who's trans? Or perhaps even create a character who is asexual and just doesn't feel sexually connected to anyone! There's a whole spectrum out there that needs to be explored.
So what I'm trying to get out there is, that diverse books are becoming a bit repetitive. Remember that there is more to diversity than just one gay character or a kickass lead, and perhaps researching lesser known topics can make us all a little less ignorant.
I want to know what you think! Are you happy with the representation of diversity in YA, and what are some of your favourite diverse reads?! I'm looking for your rec's.
Emily @ Paperback Princess
Diversity is one of those touchy topics, but I totally know where you're coming from - there are very few books set in Wales or Scotland or Northern Ireland, for example. There are very few touching on mental health issues. There are *extremely* few books where the teenager/young person/main character in general is a carer - despite the number of carers that are out there. I liked the way Angelfall by Susan Ee had Penryn as a carer, because having been a carer, I totally understood the way she reacted to various situations - the illogical guilt, the way your brain automatically ratchets to protecting the person you're caring for instead of yourself. Not that I didn't have *some* issues with that book, but it was nice to be able to relate that part of my life to a book for once. Wow, this comment is long - sorry!
ReplyDeleteNot long at all, thank you for the insightful comment! I'd personally love to read a book on carer's! You always see books based on the person protecting a nation, but it's never usually one person. Could be a very educational concept!
DeleteObviously in Angelfall there's freaking angels everywhere, so it's not overly realistic ;) - but I just really appreciated that someone had actually made the main character a carer to her mother and little sister; and like I said, the feelings and thought processes seemed really genuine and reflected on what it's actually like to be caring for someone. It always annoys me that carers don't seem to exist in books etc., when there are literally *millions* of carers - according to the Carer's Trust, 1 in 10 people in the UK is a carer; over 200,000 are aged 16-24. It's not easy, instances of mental health problems in carers is very high, and yet you barely see any representations of a carer as a main character, or even a secondary character. Sorry, this is something I feel very strongly about ;)
Deleteit can be frusutrating when only one side of a spectrum is shown! i.e. Mental illnesses. People tend to forget that there is a whole whirlwind of issues out there, and that's when people start to get ignorant. It's great that this is a topic that you feel passionately about!
Deleteha, thanks ;)
DeleteAmazing post as always Emily! I especially agree with the fact that YA should be set in different parts of the world apart from the US. And that other authors internationally should be widely acknowledged more. I absolutely have nothing against US authors, but I would have loved to see more people from different parts of the world write too.
ReplyDeleteJillian @ Jillian's Books
Thanks Jillian! American authors a great and so successful, but I do think that most international authors go unnoticed . How great would it be if we had a world of bestsellers!
DeleteA huge problem I have with lots of books is that they are continually set in the US! I'd love for more diverse books in that regard, definitely! Whenever I hear about a book that's set in a different country, I actually immediately get interested, just because I'm so used to the constant setting of the US!
ReplyDeleteFeminism is really hard for me. I don't overly analyse whether or not there are strong women in the books I read - but yeah I agree, there are different forms of a 'strong woman' and books should reflect that :)
Finally, LGBTQIA+. I don't usually read this genre to be honest, but its shocking to hear that most books are usually only the G and the L! It would be great to see more trans, bi, etc. :)
Great discussion post, Emily - Diversity in YA books is definitely what we need, especially some diversity in the diverse books we already have!
Thanks Geraldine!! I think that more diverse settings could add great interest to a plot as well! I think that with feminism on the rise, it's hard for me to not immediately pay attention to the female characters, as they have the greatest effect on me :)
DeleteYes! I SO agree with this. I love that we're seeing a push for more diverse books, but I'd also love to see more diverse diversity, you know? There are so many countries I don't think I've EVER seen as a setting, and I'd love to learn more about them through fiction.
ReplyDeleteDiverse Diversity, that's a great way to put it! Learning about new countries has always been an interest of mine, so why not incorporate it into something we all love to do?!
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