Before I start I have to say it, this is MY opinion. Only that.

I’ve seen many posts about romance unequality and especially that portrayed in YA books and films.

I always suspected that I would come down heavily on the disapproving side.

I mean, we may as well face the truth here; YA just isn’t YA without some form of a romantic undercurrent. I don’t think that I can actually recall a film or book in this category that does not at least touch on a dysfunctional romance at least once.

Don’t get me wrong, I see no reason romance, crushes, whatever you want to call it shouldn’t be included in YA and teen entertainment, but face the facts, I doubt any person over the age of about ten nowadays has not been subjected to some form of sexualised imagery. It is far too readily available on the internet, etc., but more than that, look at a music video or advert and see how sex sells… I could wonder of on a rant here; I won’t because it leads too far off topic, but it may be something you want to consider.

I think there is a thin line between love and lust, and it is not always breached respectfully. That goes for all genres and age groups, but it’s YA I’m speaking about here. It’s important to remember how impressionable that age is. Oh, I know; a million teens are screaming that they’re not stupid, they don’t give into peer pressure, etc. but the fact of the matter is you do. I did. With all my talk of not following crowds and refusal to become little more than a consumer sheep, pressure is still there. And there is a huge amount of pressure on teens when it comes to things of a sexual nature without everything aimed at them confusing the situation further.

Now as far as I’m aware, and I admit that I could be completely wrong here, YA is a relatively new genre.

Let’s jump straight aboard the bandwagon and begin with Twilight shall we.

I doubt there are many who don’t know at least the basic plot.

Now, I’m not a fan of this as it refers to Bella and Edward, I find the characters deplorable, and they wind me up no end. The portrayal of Bella just ceasing to function when left by Edward fuels far too many arguments for me to go into..

BUT

They grow on me. Not so much Bella, I don’t think she ever has much grit as a character but the wishy washy deeply tortured crap that is Edward does. His passion and love, yes love, after all he’s offering her all of eternity, is nice.

So there’s a redeeming point right?

Don’t give in, you might have to wait hundreds of years for the right someone but they’ll show up eventually!

Twilight’s good point: love doesn’t set a rhyme or course. You could fall for someone who is nothing like you ever imagined, so completely different to you. Sometimes you have to fight hard to make it work. you don’t choose who you fall in love with. it can be the person you want, or it can be someone you don’t expect.

New Moon’s good point: sometimes the person you love the most will hurt you. it’s alright to not be alone; you have your friends for support, if you’ll just allow them to be there for you they can help you be happy again. sometimes the things that really hurt most were done with the best intentions.

Eclipse: each choice you make has consequences. not just for you but for people around you, you never know how your decisions are going to alter the lives of those close to you but ultimately you do have to put your happiness first. it’s your life; you are the one who has to live it.

Breaking Dawn: It’s about family. It’s about fighting for your family, to keep them safe. It’s about not judging something just because it’s different from what you know (Renesmee is the prime example here.) Just because it’s not something you have come across before doesn’t mean it’s ok to put an end to it.

The bad points in this serious are obvious.

A girl should give up everything and everyone just to be with her sexy boyfriend

If your boyfriend dumps you: become suicidal

If your boyfriend is seriously controlling and decides what you can and can not do in your its ok, don’t question it, he obviously only has your best interest in mind.

and more..

Oh, just one more point. I see a lot of negative issues online about getting married and having a baby at 18. This isn’t the horror story people make it out to be; everyone’s different. It’s only a modern world that dictates this is wrong, go back a hundred years nd this was the norm.

So mixed reviews. My point, although not always clear is this, is that yes a lot of these films and books aimed at YA have some dysfunctional relationships, but even the worst ones have nice points.

Just because teens are teens doesn’t mean they’re about to go out and immediately intimate what thy see or read, the same could be said for adults. I watched Silence of the lambs not long ago and yet I have not become a cannibal or a murderer. I read Stephen King’s Christine, and yet no demonic car has changed me with some weird possession crap.

Trust people, no matter their age to know right from wrong on their own. Understand that entertainment is exactly that.

Oh and look closer at some of the morals to these that you are maybe not seeing the first time.

I’m not excusing them; I’m not saying the don’t have bad morals and points, I’m just asking you to look a little closer…

So here are a few examples of love in YA romance that I like.

Oh, one further point, my husband and I have been together since I was 17, in a couple of months I turn 30. Proof I think that teen romance can last.