Different Stereotypes and Why I Hate Them

Hey guys! So... I'm currently reading a book that I got off NetGalley and it has me extremely frustrated. As I was reading, the author threw in two stereotypes that I didn't see necessary and they quite honestly ticked me off. That's why I decided to make this post because it got me thinking of all the times authors have thrown in useless stereotypes that not a lot of people can relate to. So here we go!


Race


The first stereotype is one of the most common ones that I've come across. In most of the novels I've read, the main characters are always white. This annoys me because I can't believe the world still sees problems with other races or views interracial/differently raced couples as a "wrong" thing. The world is much more diverse than most authors make it out to be and love is the same way.


LGBTQIA+


This brings me to my next point: LGBTQIA+ relationships in books. More often than not, most of the couples in fictitious novels are straight. Authors need to realize that not everyone in the world is straight and that some of their readers may not be able to connect with their characters. If they were more exploratory with what they wrote, that would be really awesome. Granted there are more books being published about gay and lesbian couples nowadays but there aren't many books for the less well-known sexual orientations and sexual/gender identities.


Physical Attractiveness


More often than not, the female protagonist in a book is super slim, tan, gorgeous, blond, has the perfect body and a bubbly personality. The male protagonist is a hunk with a defined six pack, sexy smile, sometimes he's a jerk or a bad boy, and he's almost always into sports. The majority of society is not like this. We come from all different walks of life; we're all different sizes and body types and most of us don't have the money to buy super expensive cars. The way these characters are built up is especially bad for younger readers because they think they have to be super fit or slim and look and act just how they think society "needs" them to be.




Those are just some of the stereotypes that come hand in hand with fictitious novels that I've read and they really annoy the crap out of me. I hope this post didn't seem too rant-y and I'll see you all next Wednesday. Happy reading! 

Into A Million Pieces by Angela V. Cook | Review

Series: TBA

Published: January 27th, 2015 by Red Adept Publishing

Pages: 206

Date Finished: July 5th, 2015

Rating: 5/5

Age Recommendation: 14+

Into A Million Pieces by Angela V. Cook sounded so endearing and interesting when I read the synopsis, so going into it, I had really high hopes... Let me just say that I was not at all disappointed! This book had me gripped and invested in the story from the very first word on the page and there were many times when my mind was utterly blown. The author does a lot of foreshadowing so when big events happen, you can definitely see them coming but that does not lessen the impact of them whatsoever.

Into A Million Pieces is the story about Allison and her sister Jade who are teenage succubi. Jade and Allison are complete polar opposites. Jade lives life on the edge just waiting to see how far she can push her curse and Allison is the more careful twin who is always concerned and looking out for Jade. One day after a date with a boy from their school, things are taken much too far and everything ends up in utter tragedy for Jade. With the help of a dreamy and smart boy who Allison meets at the local library named Ren, Allison is able to somehow deal with her world getting turned upside down but will Allison be able to be with Ren the way she wants to as well as being capable of controlling her urges and needs for him? And is everyone in Allison's life who they say they are or have things been hidden from her in ways no one could have ever imagined?

The one thing I really admired about this book was the way Angela created and built her characters. Each of their lives are painted in the reader's mind with such finesse and none of them conform to stereotypes. It's amazing! 

Allison is not your typical main character. She is labeled a "goth chick" and "freak" at her school for dressing in drab, black clothing and combat boots and wearing black lipstick and eyeliner. The leader of the Snob Mob a.k.a the "popular" girl, is not a prissy cheerleader. Instead, her and her friends are part of the high school tennis team. And lastly, although the love interest, Ren is drop dead gorgeous and sexy, he is not a jock but a nerdy, smart, library type who always gets good grades. It was so refreshing to read about these types of characters. I absolutely loved it and huge props to the author!

This book was amazing! There were so many twists and turns and I was always kept guessing. I will definitely be continuing with this series if Angela chooses to make it into one! Into A Million Pieces was by far one of the best books I've read this year.