1. Which of the novels that we've read so far had a character you found most likeable? What are the traits that drew you to that character?
H.F., from Finding H.F., was my absolute favorite character from any book I've read in a while. She reminded me a lot of my friend Teresa from high school... very upfront and funny about her sexuality and personal style. It was also so sweet to read her and Bo's hilarious exchanges. It made me wish I had friends that funny, or that I was that funny. Yes, she misunderstands Wendy's intentions, but in general I feel that she is a good role model in the book.
2. What do you think you are discovering about the world of literature written for young readers, i.e., what do you know now that you did not know when the course began?
I didn't realize how important genres were (historical fiction like Crispin, poetry like Make lemonade, the bildungsromans). In fact, one of the things that drew me to the course was my belief that YA Lit lacked the same big barriers between genres. However, I suppose that what I may have been thinking of when I took the class was the fact that many YA Lit novels are coming-of-age stories that maybe would not fit into an adult genre. (The only possible exception I can note is the Chick Lit - "woman goes through divorce/death, meets new friends, cheats on somebody, learns something" category).
P.S. Katy I'm sorry I'm posting this late, I'm trying to get caught up in all my classes.
Taylor,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your assessment of H.F. being a great character -- she was who I wrote about! She, too, reminded me of a friend I had at Agnes Scott so I was immediately drawn to the character. Her humor and story telling is admirable and compared to other archetypes in high school, I do agree that H.F. is a good role model.
YA books also cover many different genres though they all represent coming-of-age stories. This marketing designation allows for different expressions of this story -- whether it's through historical fiction or verse.
Kati