Romance in YA: Too Much?

How Much Romance is Too Much?
(Photo: bored-now)

Bookstores are flooded with YA novels where romance is the key ingredient. As we read yet another book where the love interest is the focal point, the stories start to blur. Sure, romance is marketable, but at what cost? What other aspects of life aren't we exploring in YA novels as a result? Which brings us to the question...

Is romance necessary in YA novels?

Today, to explore that question, I have a guest post from fellow author Jessie Peacock. She's currently working on her debut novel, and has a lot of fantastic short stories published. She blogs over at
A Thousand Words, and seriously folks, if you are a reader or writer of YA, you need to check her blog out!

Without further ado, Jessie:

Hold the Romance

Looking at my Facebook and Twitter feeds filled with the posts of YA writers and readers, I get the feeling that I am a misfit, a nonconformist. Well, I already knew that, but how so this time? It’s this: I am a YA writer and reader. And I don’t adore romance. At first glance, it seems like I am alone in that regard.

So much YA entertainment these days hinges on romance as a major element. I don’t have scientific numbers, but the vast majority of YA books I see marketed mention a hot crush—or even two hot crushes. But is that what young audiences crave? My Sociology degree insists that some market research would be helpful. Specifically, does the market demand that there MUST be at least a smidge of romance in every book aimed at teens to be successful? Does there HAVE to be a love interest in every story?

I see the arguments for both sides. The target audience for YA lit is … young adults. These people are, in their real lives, batting hormones, discovering love, figuring out their sexuality, and enjoying (or botching) first kisses. So one could argue that romance is critical because it’s relevant to the reader.

Conversely, one could also argue that young adults experience a heck of a lot more than those things. I think it’s okay not to include romance in every story. Because there is more to life than romance. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think romance is evil or necessarily unhealthy. I chose to fall in love and get married, after all. I even enjoy some fictional romance. But let’s not limit our young readers to one topic when they are so diverse.

Great YA books in which romance is almost nonexistent
(OR in which romance is present but in the background ...off the top of my head):

• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
• Life of Pi by Yann Martel
• Terrier by Tamora Pierce 
• Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
• The Giver by Lois Lowry
• Sabriel by Garth Nix
• Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings 
• The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
  (though I have my own issues with there being virtually no female characters of note in the whole book)

As a reader, my personal preference is toward books that are light on romance.

What about you? Do you prefer romance? How much or how little is your personal preference?

What are your favorite YA books that are romance-light? 

Examples of books that have done romance well?

Jessie Peacock is still working on publishing Her Big Debut Novel.
She has some short publications and can be found at www.jessiepeacock.com

(Full disclosure: my as-yet-unpublished YA fantasy does include romance!)