Is my MC "too" gross?

OpheliaRevived · Jun 4, 2011

I know we've debated edginess in ya to death. This isn't my question, though this book will be all kinds of "edgy".

Here's the thing: In the first part of my wip, Cold Deep, the main male character goes through a physical transformation that's well, kind of gross. I make mention of skin hanging off, blood, etc.... This is only in two of the very first chapters. Through the process of the novel, he becomes more humanized -- at least in the female mc's perspective.

Can a character be "too gross" to market to teenage girls, esecially if he morphs into a love interest later in the plot? My mom described him as "repelling". (I didn't correct her word usage, she IS my mother.) I think she meant repulsive. LOL My sixteen year old stepdaughter, on the other hand, thinks the stalker/gross merman is kind of hot. (She called me on much crap in my last wip. She needs some kind of reward for putting up with this.)

JoNightshade · Jun 4, 2011

I'm not a teen, but I am female and I would personally be okay with this. It might help if you add in a dash of brooding suffering on his part.

OpheliaRevived · Jun 4, 2011

Jo: Oh, he suffers muchly. Muwahahahahahahha.

PoppysInARow · Jun 4, 2011

I'm going to agree with Jo here. I don't think that's too disgusting. Most kinds of transformation I don't think teens would find repulsive. They're pretty okay with things, as long as it pays off.

Kallenie · Jun 4, 2011

I think most teens could handle the gross factor, especially if he's not running around the entire novel with limbs hanging off.

I'm guessing that since it's a transformation he'll stop being gross? As long as they aren't making out while the skin on his lips is falling off I'd say it's fine.

leahzero · Jun 4, 2011

OpheliaRevived said:
My sixteen year old stepdaughter, on the other hand, thinks the stalker/gross merman is kind of hot.

Wait, what?

Yeah, if he's some creepy stalker who's like, got fins and scales and is dripping slime and such...not hot.

I think we need more detail on the "stalker/merman" bit.

OpheliaRevived · Jun 4, 2011

The fins and grossness are gone by chapter four. Only two of those are from his perspective. LOL

cryaegm · Jun 4, 2011

I don't find it gross. Then again, my MC wants to touch dead bodies and their lips. :tongue

And does other things. It takes a LOT to gross me out, even when I was a teen (I was a teen two years ago, so take that as you will).

ceenindee · Jun 4, 2011

I think we could use some more grossness. The monsters these days have it too easy.

froley · Jun 4, 2011

Remember in The Fly when Jeff Goldblum became a lot more attractive after the gross metamorphosis began? That was quite effective. So I'd say, go nuts on the grossness, as long as you have a suitable payoff in the end.

Rhoda Nightingale · Jun 5, 2011

What leahzero said--you had me until "stalker." Gruesome transformations--no problem, go all out. Stalkers, on the other hand, are irredeemable and repulsive.

Well, to me.

Your sixteen-year-old niece, however, is closer to your target audience.

Fruitbat · Jun 5, 2011

Well I guess I have a different opinion, then. If it was for guys then I'd say yes.

Myself though, a female, at any age I would not think graphic description of physical nastiness was intriguing. And several pages of gore could actually just get boring, besides being gross. A glimpse, hinted at, would work better, imo. I think it would also seriously cut down on ever being able to see that character as hot, that's a lot to have to overcome. JMHO

Alouette · Jun 5, 2011

Lots of girls seem to like the Phantom of the Opera despite his disfigurement and there's the whole Beastly thing, though he was good looking before I guess. But too much gore could just be overkill and not very interesting as Fruitbat says. RE the stalker thing, Edward Cullen is as weird and stalker-ish as they get (watching her sleep?!) and girls warmed to him just fine, same with the Phantom so if done right I don't think it will be a problem.

Windcutter · Jun 5, 2011

I'd vote for hot when I was sixteen and I vote for hot now... if he's described as attractive in his other form(s). It's obviously just my opinion, but I've met quite a few readers who shared it. I.e. the more beautiful the YA hero is/will become, the more repulsive stuff he's allowed to do "on screen".

Also, I want to tell you I'd buy a YA book about a badass merman stalker Right Now if I could! So if you ever need more beta readers for it...

Strychnine · Jun 5, 2011

A book I'm reading right now called Warm Bodies has a zombie male protagonist and it's a sort of romance, dead flesh, groaning and all. I think it's fine.

benbradley · Jun 5, 2011

Gross? I'm sure that's fine, just don't make it boring.

But I'm reminded of the the #yasaves tag I'm just now seeing on twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/search?q=#yasaves

I kept scrolling down and discovered these were in response to this Wall Street Journal article that appears to be 'concerned' about modern YA:
Darkness Too Visible
Contemporary fiction for teens is rife with explicit abuse, violence and depravity. Why is this considered a good idea?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303657404576357622592697038.html?mod=e2tw

Here's a blog in response:
http://lareviewofbooks.blogspot.com/2011/06/better-to-light-candle-than-to-curse.html

I don't know if any parents or other adults specifically objected to or worried about "gross" in YA, but if they do you're sure to be on a long and well-read list of YA authors...

Is my MC "too" gross?

OpheliaRevived

Real Men Have Gills

JoNightshade

has finally arrived

OpheliaRevived

Real Men Have Gills

PoppysInARow

Kallenie

leahzero

The colors! THE COLORS!

OpheliaRevived

Real Men Have Gills

cryaegm

Snakecakes

ceenindee

froley

Rhoda Nightingale

Vampire Junkie

Fruitbat

.

Alouette

bad apple

Windcutter

Strychnine

benbradley

It's a doggy dog world