I'm pretty I'm not the only one perturbed by the lack of normal boys (if such a thing exists) in recent releases. It seems that every love interest is OMG SO HOT as well as a werewolf/vampire/creatureofthenight/fallenangel/fairy/zombie/wizard/
dangerousmonsterthing. Now, I'm all for the imaginary creatures. In fact, they rock my world. I love comparing different authors' take on how their creatures behave, and how the worlds they live in differ. So why, you may ask, do I have a problem with the main male character in a novel being one of said fictitious beings?
dangerousmonsterthing. Now, I'm all for the imaginary creatures. In fact, they rock my world. I love comparing different authors' take on how their creatures behave, and how the worlds they live in differ. So why, you may ask, do I have a problem with the main male character in a novel being one of said fictitious beings?
Because they're all the SAME.
They may have different names and ages, physical characteristics and love interests, but when it all boils down they follow the same equation.
superhotboy + superhuman quality + dark past + current problem linked with dark past + girl (obviously obsessed with said boy, and CAN'T live without him) whom he can never be with because of current problem linked with dark past that is in turn linked to his superhuman quality + a side of stalkerish tendencies = too many books!
Now, I'm not knocking every author who chooses to have a male protagonist who happens to be a mutant or some other thing. I'm just saying that these creepy dudes* keep popping up everywhere. The sad part is that most of these novels bring messages of self-degrading, female weakness, and verbally abusive relationships. Let's evaluate some of these characters, shall we?
First up, is Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick:
In this story, we meet Patch a fallen angel who is trying to kill the girl he falls for to return to his former angeldom. Sounds harmless enough, until you actually read the book. Throughout the novel, the protagonist, Nora, basically thinks Patch is a scary weirdo who may or may not be following her. She tries to distance herself like a smart girl but is shut down as 'overreacting.' Then she miraculously decides, 'Hey, maybe this dude's not so bad!' Even after he admits that he's been attempting to KILL HER. Our smart girl just lost a good amount of IQ points. *facepalm*
The next example is the most famous of them all, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer:
This one doesn't need nearly as much explanation. Boy wants to, again, KILL HER. Oh, but Bella's so in love, she's willing to risk her life just to be with Edward. This example gives me an excuse to post this video: (WARNING: Strong language and even stronger opinions, watch at own risk!)
Alex also pulls in another part of the equation I missed earlier. The girl is terribly boring and has no personality or hobbies whatsoever.
So, I guess I should get onto the main point, right? Well, I could continue to give examples until my fingers turn to stubs, but right now I'll just get on with it.
Cliche characters seem to be popping up more and more frequently nowadays, and I don't particularly like the direction some books are heading. With messages I know I don't want to read about, and the same formula. So, what do I get out of this rant? Well, besides venting, I want to hear your thoughts on the subject. Do you think I'm overreacting and these are just random coincidences? Do you like reading about the mythical bad boy? Do you not? I value all of your opinions, and would love to hear them!
*At least I think they are. *shudders*
Don't be a cliche,
Cara
