They are the mandatory elements of the genre, but what happens when YA tropes turn toxic? Are we offering impressionable readers healthy goals, ambitions and role-models? Or are there better paths for young minds and hearts to follow?
Let’s dissect a few.
The Chosen One/Prophecy
Our protagonist is uniquely gifted or burdened by destiny. It’s all in their bloodline or their totally unearned super-power. This elitist clap-trap promotes a class system on one side, eugenics on the other. It’s no longer enough to be ‘ordinary.’
Absent/Inept Parents
It’s a rule for children’s and YA fiction. Adequate adult supervision destroys plot. You have to get the adults out of the way so the kids can put themselves into mortal danger. Therefore, any adults who remain must be useless, inept, selfish and closed-minded. Three adult archetypes exist: coward, corruptor or sacrificial cannon-fodder.
But this promotes the idea that all adults are useless and should be ignored in favor of reckless, desperate and dangerous risk-taking. As we all know, a teenager’s gut instinct is far more reliable than decades of wisdom, experience and the ability to foresee consequences.
“Insta-Love”
By Chapter Three the protagonists profess their undying love-eternal. From zero to soul-mates in a matter of minutes. Why else risk death and damnation for someone you met three hours ago? ‘Soul-mate’ in this case means a perfect packages of abs, glutes, ink, hair and smouldering glances that ‘pierce right through your soul.’ More like a short-sighted gym-bunny with an IQ you can count on one hand.
The Love Triangle
The three-way tussle supplies pages and pages of angsty dithering over which one our protagonist should choose. The answer should be neither. The ‘nice boy’ is a control freak and the ‘bad boy’ is a domestic abuser. Or maybe it’s the other way around? ‘Hotness’ aside, neither has the emotional capacity to keep a hamster, much less maintain a healthy relationship with our main character.
The “Bad Boy” Romance
Outwardly he’s a ‘Bad Boy,’ but underneath he’s ‘sensitive.’ No, he’s toxic, abusive, manipulative, and controlling. A rage-filled powder-keg of violent retribution. But the protagonist decides she can ‘fix’ him. This convinces young women to stick around real-life abusive partners until they change. That’s delusional. There are no miracle-makeovers for male egos this damaged.
“Not Like Other Girls”
Apparently only hyper-intelligent, empathetic, independent, rebellious and ruthlessly ambitious girls have any status in the worlds of YA. Everyone else is just dull, ordinary, and completely worthless.
Dystopian/Apocalyptic Worlds
Ordinary life is hide-bound and dull. We need an environment where all laws, regulations and customs are thrown in the dumpster, so that extreme life-and-death scenarios become the new normal. The people stuck in war-zones and failed states across the world will tell you just how much fun they have every day.
Unparalleled Combat/Magic
Three days ago, she couldn’t tie her shoelaces without falling over. Now she can take out the entire Mage’s Council, Assassins’ Guild, and King’s Guard. Then resurrect the Fae Queen long dead for a thousand years. Whilst looking fabulous. Never mind the study, the training and the years of hard practice, you just have to snap your fingers and… instant Girl-boss. Heaven forbid she actually has to try.
The “Quirky” Best Friend
To be fair, this exists in many genres to add a little color, humor and unpredictability. The Quirky Best Friend (sometimes the Manic Pixie Dream Girl) makes the protagonist look like a paragon of reason and patience. She provides those inspired ‘out-of-the-box’ solutions to insurmountable problems that no one else can solve. She’s Phoebe Buffet, Luna Lovegood and a Golden Retriever rolled into one. Who needs emotional stability? Or a regular job?
The High-profile Public Reveal
This is the masquerade ball, the King’s Council meeting, the coronation, royal wedding, christening, or coming-of-age ceremony. Formerly the klutz who broke the Queen’s priceless vase, our protagonist is revealed as the One True Heir, the Chosen One, the bride-to-be. Maybe all of them. You must have a big show in front of a big crowd, because it’s not significant without the public adulation of thousands of followers…
Danger, danger
This is a small selection of toxic tropes from YA novels of the last decade and beyond. These represent values and behaviors that seep into the consciousness of readers not old enough or perceptive enough to know better. Do we advocate for censorship? No. Do we need warning stickers on book covers? Maybe.