In the real world, heroes come in all shapes and sizes. They can save the world, or they can save one person. Heck, they can even just save themselves! But every hero we read about has a different story to tell, a background unlike any other, and most of all, a story to tell.
However, in young adult fiction, heroes aren’t always so diverse. So, here are three heroes I’d like to see more of in YA fiction.
1. Introverted Protagonists
I want to see more Hermiones as the protagonist instead of the sidekick. You know, the kid who reads or observes from the sidelines and saves the day. Think Velma from Scooby Doo. More quiet heroes who save through intellect over throwing punches. Which brings me to my next point…
2. Fight with Brain instead of Fists
I LOVED The Winner’s Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski. Though there was violence, especially in the last book, most of the warfare was puzzles and mysteries and alliances. The characters were often observing rather than fighting, and through trickery or other brainpower fighting tools, they could solve their problems. As much as I love a girl with a sword, I would love to see more brainpower used and less literal violence.
Heroes in YA
3. Bisexual Protagonists
Of course I would love to see protagonists across the entire LGBTQIA spectrum, but I would really love to see more bisexual protagonists, because I think bisexual people are often labeled incorrectly due to who they “choose” in the end. If you’re unfamiliar with this discussion, please read Goodbye, Bad Bi: The Lose-Lose Situation of Bisexual YA. Personally, I LOVED Mark in Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare. Him as the protagonist would be the best.
There are so many different types of heroes I want to see, including heroes with disabilities, heroes across the entire LGBTQIA spectrum, heroes that are people of color, and heroes who come from different religions and backgrounds.
What are some heroes you would like to see?
Who are some of my favorite recent heroes in YA? Grace in See How They Run by Ally Carter, Mercy in Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee, Marguerite in Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray, and Joana from Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys. (Click any links to read my reviews.)
Also, if you have any recommendations, feel free to share!
Honestly, I go through phases where I dread writing. Mainly because I’m stretching myself too thin and/or trying to find my footing in my next project. I think I’m in the middle of both of those issues. I have three completed manuscripts—one of which needs editing—I want to start something new, but I’m also EXHAUSTED. All that being said, I started yet another novel. It’s my second attempt at a contemporary, but again, I. am. struggling. I know I’ll find my footing in one of my projects, but I haven’t hit solid ground yet. Between BFest, Bad Bloods releasing, and my day job, life hasn’t afforded me a lot free time for writing either (which might be part of the problem). Let me put it this way, I only wrote 5,000 words…in June. IN ALL OF JUNE. I need a hug. But I will power through it!
Whenever I reach that inevitable “I dread writing” phase, I do something I dread more to remind me why I love writing. Like the dishes.
A new review is in of November Snow! “Truly, Thompson has done an incredible job here of story weaving. Just wonderful. Don’t underestimate your need for tissues here people, don’t do it. Prepare yourself with tissues and a cuddly stuffed animal.” – Babbling Books (Seriously, listen to her advice. Tissues will come in handy.)
Catelyn’s Story on Wattpad
This week, Catelyn’s Story released on the FREE Bad Bloods Prequel on Wattpad. This is also the first origin story seen from the Southern Flock’s perspective. They formed later than the Northern Flock, so from now on, you’ll see stories flip back and forth between the two flocks. If you ever wondered why the groups of bad bloods are called flocks, this origin story explains why! In Bad Bloods, Catelyn is Serena’s best friend. Here is a preview: The girl was pretty enough for plenty of crimes. Read her story by clicking the link.
Also, because I created three cartoon photos of the first three characters, here are three cartoon versions of the most recent stories: Ryne, Violet, and Catelyn.
Ryne, Violet, Catelyn
The #1lineWed theme was “sky” so here is your weekly preview:
It looked like a thousand stars had broken up over the sky and drifted down to be with us. #1lineWed#BadBloods
I began and finished Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys. Heartbreaking and terrifying, yet informative, Salt to the Sea is an emotional story about the Wilhelm Gustloff, the single greatest tragedy in maritime history. Told from four different perspectives, Sepetys focused on young adults and how World War II was affecting their lives forever. I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially those who wish to learn more about how WWII affected the youth and what happened to the Wilhelm Gustloff. All that being said, this book is not for the light-hearted. Though I still think the light-hearted should read it, Salt to the Sea is graphic. I know there are scenes that will never leave me. But if I can call something graphic and beautifully written in the same breath, this book deserves that statement. You can read my full 5-star review here.
What I’m Listening To:
Wounded Rhymes album by Lykke Li. I was driving between cities a lot this week, and this was my soundtrack for the week.
What I’m Watching:
I saw Death Note for the first time! (I know. I know. Crazy, right?) I LOVE anime, but I’ve never seen Death Note despite the crazy big fan base. (Perhaps that’s why I haven’t seen it?) I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I LOVED it from episode 1. I have about 10 episodes left, but I think it’s fantastic. And I definitely think the shinigami are adorable.
I also watched 10 Cloverfield Lane, which I have mixed feelings about. I actually remember seeing Cloverfield in the theatre when I was 16, so seeing this kind-of-sequel-but-not-a-sequel of Cloverfield, was interesting. I think I had a more uncommon opinion by actually liking the first half more than the second half. I thought it was more psychological suspense at first, and then, it turned into a crazy sci-fi battle. The genre mashing didn’t feel very smooth, but it was an entertaining movie!
What I’m Baking, Making, and Drinking:
I baked stuffed peppers this week, and they were awesome! I’ve never made them before, so it was a plus that the recipe was easy. No desserts this week, but I promise they are coming.
What I’m Wearing:
I took new author photos this week, so look out for that! I wore two different outfits—one pink one, one blue one—and I’m excited to change my look. I saw a preview, and the photographer is awesome.
What I’m Wanting:
Tallulah! That movie looks awesome. Why oh why was the release date July 29 and not June 29???
The Turncoat’s Tambit by Andrea Cremer
Also, I LOVE The Inventor’s Secret by Andrea Cremer (and the sequel, The Conjurer’s Riddle). They are some of my favorite reads, so I cannot WAIT until November when book 3 of the trilogy releases. The Turncoat’s Gambit looks fantastic! November cannot come fast enough. Click the links if you wish to read my reviews of the first two books. I highly recommend this steampunk series.
What I’m Dreaming Of:
So, I became the first American to become the Queen of England. (Don’t ask me why or how or even if I understand why I had this dream…I mean, I do stalk the Queen’s corgis.) But, yes, I was “voted” in to become the next Queen of England, and everyone was—naturally—very put off by this. Even I was like, “Are you sure? I don’t know about this. Seems strange.” But everyone who voted was like, “You MUST!” So, I had to accept during this party, which was, apparently, only on the other side of the castle, but I had to go through all these secret passageways to get there, and there were assassins around every corner trying to kill me. They never killed me, but they did trap me, and it took me three hours to get out, but I got to the party…and everyone had left. The big surprise was that the Queen owned a Wheel of Fortune game that every Queen has to play in order to become Queen? But of course I was too late, so I didn’t get to play or become Queen. But I did get to play with her corgis.
What Else Is Going On:
I did a podcast interview this week. I look forward to sharing it, since the podcast focuses on Kansas City writers!
I’m not going to lie. Between BFest, moving my office, and working my day job (that is also keeping me crazy busy right now), I wasn’t able to write as much as I wished to this week. That being said, I mainly worked on editing Dreammare some more, and I prepped Violet’s story, which you’ll read more about below. That being said, I did write a new script for my YouTube Channel – Coffee & Cats – and I released the newest video! That’s right, Coffee & Cats is back. This month, we discussed Romantic Female Tropes…We Hate. Next month, I’ll talk about male tropes, but let me know what tropes you’d like to see changed in fiction.
What I’m Publishing:
For those of you who missed out, Violet’s story released on the Bad Bloods Prequel via Wattpad. Why is Violet’s story particularly special? Well, Violet is directly connected to The Timely Death Trilogy, and you can now read how and why. You might also figure out why I never wrote an epilogue for The Timely Death Trilogy. Despite many requesting a happily ever after scene, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. The more and more I analyzed what would happen to Jessica and Eric after Death Before Daylight, the more I realized their lives would only continue to get more and more complicated. Even a wedding would’ve been a political sway. So, you might hate me. You might hate Violet’s story. But it is true to her. And I just had to share it, so when you read Bad Bloods, you will understand what she is. For those of you who read it way back when it was originally published in 2007, Violet was originally named Kati.
I was so happy to receive my first book review of the Bad Bloods duology from Crazy Beautiful Reads! (She included some of her favorite quotes, too!) I’ll share them in the near future, but you should check out what she said:
“The best duology I’ve ever read! Action packed. Fast paced. Heartbreaking. The ending brought me to tears and made my heart melt.”
If you’re interested in reviewing Bad Bloods on your book blog, send me an email at shannonathompson@aol.com!
The #1lineWed theme was “page 6, 16, or 160” so here is your weekly preview: (from page 16)
“Are you all right?”
“I am,” I managed. “Physically, I mean.”
“You’ll be all right, you know,” he said. “Mentally, I mean.”#1lineWed
Like my writing section, my personal reading time was also shot this week. But I’m in a bit of a reading tornado. I’m currently in the middle of Genesis Girl by Jennifer Bardsley, Thief of Lies by Brenda Drake, and Sea of Stars by Amy A. Bartol. AND I just bought Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee, The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater, and Salt of the Sea by Ruta Sepetys during Barnes & Noble 3 for $30 sale on YA books. Save my wallet from me. All on top of the AWESOME sneak peeks Barnes & Noble handed out during BFest. UGH. So much to read, so little time.
I watched A Girl Like Her on Netflix, which is a mock-documentary about a girl who is bullied then attempts suicide because of it. The film slowly unravels why and how everyone is involved in her life. While the film has received a lot of criticism over the cliché plot—the popular girl/shy girl situation—I think the cliché allowed the film to concentrate on the emotions of such a serious situation, because a cliché allowed it to be everyone rather than one specific character’s story. I really enjoyed it in an uncomfortable, emotional way. Definitely recommended, but could probably be triggering for some since it is shot, at times, from a first POV style of the girl being bullied.
I also watched a few episodes of The Hunt with John Walsh. He is one of my heroes. How he handled such a tragedy and set out to help the world because of it is beyond me. I’ve been watching him since America’s Most Wanted, and before that, I loved Unsolved Mysteries. (I used to get in so much trouble for watching Unsolved Mysteries in secret and would then have nightmares…because, you know, I was five and not even allowed to watch TV. But that’s another story for another day.) If you’re interested in crime mysteries still needing to be solved, I definitely recommend this show as well.
What I’m Baking, Making, and Drinking:
I’ve been making my little library. Okay. So I know I normally use this section for food, but I spent almost all week organizing my new library in my house…and it’s everything this author dreamed of. You see, when I went to college, I couldn’t afford to keep the books I had to buy for my English classes, so I’ve always wanted to get my collection back…but in 18th and 19th century editions. Two wonderful people surprised me with a HUGE collection I could never express my never-ending gratitude for. And they added a new kitten picture to my wall décor. I am in cat-book heaven.
What I’m Wearing:
Heels! And my feet feel it.
What I’m Wanting:
Thirteen Reasons Why is a life-shattering novel. If you haven’t read it, trust me, read it now, especially before the 13-part Netflix series releases! This week Kate Walph signed on to Thirteen Reasons Why Adaptation, and I cannot wait.
What I’m Dreaming Of:
A lot of dreams about bobcats and book signings. I’ll have to consult the dream experts on this one.
What Else Is Going On:
I hosted an author’s panel and book signing at TWO Barnes & Noble stores in the Kansas City area for BFest, and it was a blast! Special thanks goes out to the Barnes & Noble staff in Oak Park Mall of Overland Park, KS, and to those in Zona Rosa of Kansas City, MO.
For those of you who missed out, 
I’ve been making my little library. Okay. So I know I normally use this section for food, but I spent almost all week organizing my new library in my house…and it’s everything this author dreamed of. You see, when I went to college, I couldn’t afford to keep the books I had to buy for my English classes, so I’ve always wanted to get my collection back…but in 18th and 19th century editions. Two wonderful people surprised me with a HUGE collection I could never express my never-ending gratitude for. And they added a new kitten picture to my wall décor. I am in cat-book heaven.
Shannon A Thompson 