Magan talks about a theme in YA she loves - good girl/bad boy literary couples...
My favorite YA novel theme, or really any novel theme is the good girl and bad boy hook up. This is a theme that is not only prevalent in so many young adult novels, but it's a theme that can be seen in almost every aspect of pop culture. So in celebration of that theme, I wanted to pay homage to my top five favorite bad boy/ good girl literary couples.
5.) Edward Cullen & Bella Swan (Twilight) - This is one I am a little bit reluctant to list. Though, yes, I did read the series it's not like I am a huge Twi-hard. I do believe though that since this relationship has such a big following, that Bella and Edward are worth mentioning. The new girl plus the high school heart throb will always be a classic literary love.
4.) Annabel and Owen (Just Listen) - The teenage model with a secret and the brooding music snob. It's like a match made in literary heaven. I had a girl once say that she loved Sarah Dessen's novels because it was always the same premise: a girl with a messed up family and a boy with issues and they find something to bond over. It may be the same themes repeated, but it's one that can suck me in like a vortex over and over.
3.) Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett (Pride and Predjudice) - The classic bad boy, Mr. Darcy. True story: When you google "Literary Bad Boy," Mr. Darcy is the first name to come up. I do believe that Elizabeth and Darcy give hope to every person with unrequited love, and therefore can make any girl feverously turn the pages of this classic novel.
2.) Landon Carter & Jamie Sullivan (A Walk to Remember) - I cannot lie. I am a huge sucker for Nicholas Sparks. I don't know if Landon Carter could really be qualified as the quintessential bad boy even though the movie tried to make him out to be one. Either way, the brooding Landon with the emotional issues and Jamie Sullivan with her down home roots and bible in hand make for a great couple to root for.
1.) Jessica Darling and Marcus Flutie (The Jessica Darling series) - Marcus Flutie is the boy with sexual numbers that rival Will Chamberlain and Jessica Darling is the over achieving track star. But when Marcus asks Jessica to pee in a cup for him all bets are off and it's the beginning of my favorite bad boy/good girl literary relationship. Through five books I hung on every word of this novel and half the time would even forget that I actually didn't know Jessica and Marcus…and that people would think I was crazy for talking about a couple that I only knew from reading a book.
So why does the bad boy/good girl relationship seem to work so well for novels? I honestly couldn't tell you why this formula seems to work so well, or even why I chose to use this theme when I wrote my novel. But what I can tell you is that no matter how many times I see this theme in novels, I still love it.
5.) Edward Cullen & Bella Swan (Twilight) - This is one I am a little bit reluctant to list. Though, yes, I did read the series it's not like I am a huge Twi-hard. I do believe though that since this relationship has such a big following, that Bella and Edward are worth mentioning. The new girl plus the high school heart throb will always be a classic literary love.
4.) Annabel and Owen (Just Listen) - The teenage model with a secret and the brooding music snob. It's like a match made in literary heaven. I had a girl once say that she loved Sarah Dessen's novels because it was always the same premise: a girl with a messed up family and a boy with issues and they find something to bond over. It may be the same themes repeated, but it's one that can suck me in like a vortex over and over.
3.) Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett (Pride and Predjudice) - The classic bad boy, Mr. Darcy. True story: When you google "Literary Bad Boy," Mr. Darcy is the first name to come up. I do believe that Elizabeth and Darcy give hope to every person with unrequited love, and therefore can make any girl feverously turn the pages of this classic novel.
2.) Landon Carter & Jamie Sullivan (A Walk to Remember) - I cannot lie. I am a huge sucker for Nicholas Sparks. I don't know if Landon Carter could really be qualified as the quintessential bad boy even though the movie tried to make him out to be one. Either way, the brooding Landon with the emotional issues and Jamie Sullivan with her down home roots and bible in hand make for a great couple to root for.
1.) Jessica Darling and Marcus Flutie (The Jessica Darling series) - Marcus Flutie is the boy with sexual numbers that rival Will Chamberlain and Jessica Darling is the over achieving track star. But when Marcus asks Jessica to pee in a cup for him all bets are off and it's the beginning of my favorite bad boy/good girl literary relationship. Through five books I hung on every word of this novel and half the time would even forget that I actually didn't know Jessica and Marcus…and that people would think I was crazy for talking about a couple that I only knew from reading a book.
So why does the bad boy/good girl relationship seem to work so well for novels? I honestly couldn't tell you why this formula seems to work so well, or even why I chose to use this theme when I wrote my novel. But what I can tell you is that no matter how many times I see this theme in novels, I still love it.
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Magan is an aspiring YA writer who is currently stuck in Bloomington, IL working in Insurance. Her first novel, My Own Summer, is still lurking around in cyber space searching for an agent, and being submitted in just about every writing contest under the sun including Textnovel. Besides writing Magan enjoys watching bromance movies, eating coffee flavored ice cream, and trying to bake her way into being a southern belle. Magan also has promised that the first agent to offer her representation will get a batch of homemade lasagna. Follow Magan on Twitter!
Who's your favourite good girl/bad boy YA literary couples? Is it a trend you like, or not?
