I recently listened to the audio version of The Accidental by Ali Smith. I enjoyed the novel, but I found the stories of some of the characters more interesting than others.
The novel tells the story of a family on vacation, (well, technically, they’re “on holiday” since they are British) when a mysterious woman shows up in their lives and has a profound effect on each member of the family: a teenage son and daughter, a mom and the stepfather. The audio employs different readers to tell the story of each of the characters.
When it was either the son or the daughter’s turn in the spotlight I found myself interested in the story, but when it was either of the adult characters I found myself more likely to zone out. At least in this novel, the young people were more interesting.
I read a lot of young adult fiction because I enjoy it, and perhaps because I find the characters more interesting than some grown-up characters. What are your thoughts on young characters vs. old characters in books? What, to you, makes a character interesting and a story compelling?
My Books
I read a lot of YA, too, and do love the characterization. I think what makes a story compelling to me is a combination of how much I care about the MC, what is at stake, and if it is written in a way that I can suspend disbelief.
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Paul: What’s at stake is key, though in the right hands even small stakes can be very compelling.
Maybe it’s my age– I am twenty-one after all– but I gravitate towards novels with young protagonists. Even the non-YA I read has them, notably My Sister’s Keeper. Maybe it’s the tendency towards abrupt decisions, the spark life has for them, or their awe in things. Adult characters are too world-weary sometimes.
I love both YA and adult fantasy, paranormal, horror, ect. It doesn’t matter to me what the age of the character is as long as the author makes them compelling. I’m guessing the author of THE ACCIDENTAL was probably more interested in their younger characters as well!
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