Discussion: Hand Over That Book, Please V

Previous in the series...

• I: Favorite Genres
• II: Favorite Settings
• III: Favorite Male Characters
• IV: Favorite Female Characters

If you don't know what Hand Over That Book, Please is, let me just sum-up. Basically this series is collection of posts in which I share aspects of a book that immediately either a) draws my attention to a book or b) puts that book squarely in my favorites pile. What do those books have to have in order to achieve That Perfect Book status? I answer that in these posts.

This was actually one of my favorites to write, besides the last one, where I talk about what drives me nuts (in a good way) in my most-loved heroines, because it really made me think about this. What plot elements make me go all explosive?

Plot Elements:

Questing

I looove questing, and the destination can be Anywhere, The World and I wouldn't care. I just want to journey through exciting lands and meet interesting people, traveling with a tattered crew as they face perilous challenges and triumph over evil in the end and all that. But, but, there has to be the requisite hottie, who is, preferably, a warrior of some kind. Sword, ax, bow and arrow, magic, don't mean a damn to me as long as they can kill things proficiently with their chosen weapon. There's nothing sexier than a man who can protect the damsel in distress.

(Note: It is more likely that I'll get further engrossed if there's a romance in there somewhere.) Oh, and we've got be looking for something cool, like flaming eyes, or a soul,  or That Big Purple Gem Hidden Under That Dragon's Fat Butt. Whatever. It just needs to be something very important and awesome-looking.

Battling

If you've been around my blog before, you'll know that I'm always Fictional Battle Hungry. Nothing has me tearing through the pages faster than an adrenaline-spiking, intense battle scene. In fact, I've been known to skip over the pre-stuff and just get right into it, I'm so eager. A full-blown, well-written book-battle sends my bookish soul into the throes of a joygasm. I'm not kidding you. Sure, I worry about my characters, but I'm always in need of that high dosage of ACTION. It just gets me going, and really makes whatever the story instantly arresting.

He Loves Me... You get it

Do you remember when Ariel (The Little Mermaid) first spotted Eric, falling into instaluv at first sight, then basically sort of stalking him and singing about it? There's a reason why, when we were little and into the years beyond, we all found it charming and sweet (don't act like you didn't, because it's okay, WE ALL DID). It's about first crush then first love; an innocent girl realizes romantic feelings for the first time, and you can't help but sigh wistfully and get all dreamy when those feelings are reciprocated. Sometimes the wondering can be tortuous, but when that seemingly foolish and naive young girl gets her happy ending, we're all like AWWW. Yes, it can get old really quickly, UNLESS DONE RIGHT.

Falling For That Kid You Grew Up With Syndrome

So across the pond is that guy/girl the MC's grown up with - seen through pre-school glue fights and puberty and that craptastic time when his/her mom knitted his/her clothes - and possibly have become great friends with, and he/her starts looking SHARP. And things start getting a little tense and awkward between them. And then the MC realizes, "Holy crapballs! I'm in love with my (best) friend!" That's FFTKYGUW Syndrome. And yes, this is something that can be a bit cliche as well, but the romance is almost always a SLOW BURN and ridiculously sugary-sweet, that you CANNOT, for the life of you, resist. And if you can't, HOW. CAN. I?

I'm Sorry I Broke Your Heart and Peed On It When I *Insert Negative Occurrence Here*, So Please Come Back

Have you ever read Clarity by Kim Harrington? Well, Justin, one of the MC's love-boys, is the MC's ex-boyfriend, who had cheated on her some time before. I vote he's not a jerk-face two-timer, because it was one big mistake/accident he regrets deeply. Does that make things right? I don't know. BUT, this kind of situation does make for a fun and entertaining read, reading as the guy grovels and tries to prove his worth, while the girl spurns him every time, UNTIL she finally gives in, and they rekindle their romance.

 


Forbidden Love

When it's done right, yo:

Sob Story

Try keeping a straight, totally emotionless face when your punched in the gut by Gayle Forman's If I Stay (*wails*), Sarah Ockler's Twenty Boy Summer (*lifts up sopping-wet face*), and Jandy Nelson's The Sky is Everywhere (*brokenly weeps again*). These women have had me crying to sleep, my heart hurt so bad. These stories are emotional and bittersweet and heartwrenching. I do not suggest these or similar books to those of fragile hearts and sensitive souls. You will be scarred. Yet somehow these books are BEAUTIFUL. The kind that makes you wonder how such genius can sometimes go unheard of. If you told me right now that you'd never come across any of these books, my jaw would drop to my knees.*mops face*

Time Traveling

I loooooove time traveling, like it's everybody's business. Seriously. You tell me there's time traveling, I'll surely look it up and will most likely read it. The catch? We have to be journeying back to some place amazeballs. Location DOES matter.  So far I've read a fabulous collection of Historical Fictions that detail beautiful places to traipse through. So far I've been to 16th century Italy, up and down the 20th century, Victorian London, among other places. And I'm always looking for new places to visit!

You'll Never Catch Me Alive

(On the Run)

I don't think I've read an On the Run book yet. It's usually more like a 'race against time' feel. But I've been wrong many times before.  I PLAN to take up Kelley Armstrong's Darkest Powers series, this being ONE of the reasons (Derek - that's his name, right? - is kinda the other *grins sheepishly*). I too want to run from evil scientists, killer aliens, and entire witch/vampire/werewolf clans! It's that dosage of adrenaline I've been missing.

"There is a third option: muuurder."

I think Murder Mysteries are THE SHITE. Especially the ones with a supernatural element to it. But the ones I've read almost always tell some of the story from the psychotic murder's POV, and that is shuddersome and ominous. I like being thrown off track by red herrings and trying to piece together Who Done It. If there can be a bit of humor in it (which I've yet to see since Clue and Scream) and maintain the mystery of the murderer until or near the ending, EVEN BETTER. But there's nothing like feeling smug and gloating, "Yeah. I'm basically brilliant and I told you so." What? I like being right.

And this, my friends, concludes my basic list on all things wonderfully engrossing in YA fiction. Look out for next week's most-loved Paranormals that I would probably go so far as to date in Hand Over That Book, Please VI.

What types of plots can you sink your teeth into?