What are some cliches in YA that really make you grind your teeth and why? I'm wondering because I know cliches that really make me angry so I won't write them in my novel but I also want it from an editor's point of view.
"A lone, single tear runs down her cheek."
Probably read this half a dozen times a chapter in a YA series recently. It's usually more prominent in YA books but it's such a cliche thing, to say like.. "Oh, look at her trying to hold back her tears and she'ss so strong but that single one escapes so she's not heartless."
Yeah, I would kill for there to be a story with a girl who is pretty and popular yet not a total bitch.
Also, what's with 'unpopular' being such a popular characteristic? I guess there's the writerly reason of cutting down on background characters to keep track of, and sometimes it's explained in a way that makes sense, but more often than not it seems to just be that way for no good reason.
Dead parents. I am finding a lot of YA books where the parents are dead.
Is the cliche to have one parent dead or both?
Yeah, that's a big one. I also hate all teen romance in general, and how it sends the message to young girls that sleeping around is acceptable or emotionally healthy.