Friday, 15 February 2019

Features | The Great YA Romance Showdown of 2018


It's the day after Valentine's Day and love, I'm sure, is still in the air. Luckily for us all YA literature is full of swoon-worthy first loves and young romances, perfect for the holiday just been. But today I want to take you back all the way to two months ago. 2018 brought three well-loved YA romances to the big screen (or the... Netflix screen...) and today, of course, in the true spirit of Valentine's Day, I'm going to pit them against each other and make you pick your favourite. That's what Valentine's Day is all about, right?


In the red corner, Willowdean & Bo from Julie Murphy's Dumplin'. Dumplin' is less about Willowdean's love story with Bo and more about her love story with herself, but while Willowdean is learning to live with the loss of her aunt and learning to love every part of herself, Bo is always there, already loving Willowdean just as she is. It isn't just Bo who convinces Willowdean that she's perfect just the way she is but it sure does help that he never doubts it, or her.


In the blue corner (obviously), Simon & Blue (Blue is here represented by Simon's laptop just in case any of you reading this have yet to read the book or watch the film. You're welcome.) from Becky Albertalli's Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Simon and Blue may not know each other's identities for most of their novel but they understand each other and know each other's loves, worries, and secrets. The fact that they communicate anonymously over email means that they're free to tell each other everything they never tell anybody, and it means when they do eventually find out each other's true identities, they're already well on their way to falling in love.


And in... another corner. Green maybe? It's Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky from Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Lara Jean and Peter K's relationship may start on unusual terms but what begins as a way to make Peter's ex jealous and throw Lara Jean's real crush off the scent soon turns into real feelings, creeping up on both of them when they didn't expect it, and when they start to be honest with each other and themselves, that's when the magic really happens.

Now, of course the real aim of this post is to encourage you all to read the books these wonderful films are based on if you haven't already, but also it is definitely to pit these couples against each other and declare one the victor, so vote below for your OTP!


Who is your teenage dream of 2018?

Willowdean & Bo
Simon & Blue
Lara Jean & Peter K
Created with QuizMaker

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