As an English major (especially with an emphasis on writing), I am expected to have an appreciation for ancient texts and the classics. While I do appreciate and love many classic stories and authors, I am still a teenage girl. As a teenage girl of this day and age, I’ve had my fair share of experiences with Young Adult (YA) fiction. The term young adult can sometimes convey a feeling of maturity, but other than the occasional profane and explicit language, YA novels are nothing more than teenage mushy love stories. That is, if you don’t know how to find the good ones. Teenage mushy love stories are popular, so they are easier to find. But if you look hard enough, the YA genre has its share of gems. Follow these steps to avoid the mushiness and find the adventure (take note that genders are always interchangeable):

• If you see phrases like, “she always knew she was different”: be prepared for a young girl who goes on an adventure of self-discovery after she learns she has some unique ability or trait that leads her into a world where one (possibly two) boys battle for her love. There, now you don’t have to read it.
• If the setting is a future world, and the main character is poor and isolated: prepare yourself for a rude, yet attractive, boy who acts coldly to the innocent girl until he falls in love for her and becomes protective as they fight the corrupted government.
• Speaking of corrupted government: Hunger Games was thrilling, and Divergent was creative, but at this point the stories are the same. It often starts with a poor, young girl who takes care of siblings, or maybe a pet, and is ultimately selfless. Everything changes when they are forced into a position that opposes the government. Luckily, a strong, skilled, young man will come into her life and help her defeat the evil powers that be. Once again, I’ve saved the you the time you would have wasted reading the book itself.
• If a love interest is described as “dark” or “brooding” or has a mysterious or broken past: the story before you will not be an original one. To be perfectly honest, a love interest with a broken past doesn’t give in so easily to a small, innocent soul with plain features and hazel eyes in real life.
• This one is opinion based, but love triangles are awfully common. And when I say awful, I mean it. It might be an enticing story, but they aren’t very realistic and WAY too common. If you want something creative, stay away from book covers with two guys and a girl, especially if one is dark and mysterious.

I assure you, these aren’t the only red flags, but they are the majority. Finding original, unique stories is difficult nowadays. This doesn’t mean authors are at fault. It’s harder to write stories that haven’t already been thought of. I don’t want anyone to be offended. A lot of the mushy teenage love stories are well written and enjoyable to read. I am not blaming anyone or intentionally judging contemporary authors, but I would encourage lovers of fantasy and romance to look harder in the YA sections. There are plenty of good stories on those shelves, but make sure you aren’t fooled by book covers just trying to sell.

This article is a result of not only my opinion, but also the input of my dear friend Lesley Walker. Between the two of us, we have experienced all corners of the YA realm.