Ok, here's another thing. I want less teens/children who talk like they're way older than they actually are. I always thought John Green was the worst offender of this, but I think I've found one that's actually worse. I'm reading a book where a character says:
"People try and make out there's a greater purpose, a secret meaning, that it means something. And it doesn't. We're a bunch of freaks. That's all there is too it. A big bunch of inconsequential freaks. We don't have to be happy. We don't have to be normal. We don't even have to be alive. We can do whatever we want as long as we don't hurt anyone."
This character is nine, by the way. What kind of nine year old would realistically say this? Did any of you at the age of nine years old know the word "inconsequential"? Let alone using it correctly in a sentence of pretentious philosophical bs? Because I sure didn't.
I'm ready to throw this book out a goddamn window
I feel like the only child characters who would say anything remotely similar to that would be the kids in Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game and subsequent books. At least there's a reason for that: they weren't supposed to be normal kids but above-the-norm.
Above average maturity in children and teens is an uncommon thing that should have light shed upon it but that's just unnecessary…
It's not actually uncommon. I was an extremely mature child.
But I do think it should be situational. It needs to be explained why they are how they are. Not just random.
I feel like the only child characters who would say anything remotely similar to that would be the kids in Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game and subsequent books. At least there's a reason for that: they weren't supposed to be normal kids but above-the-norm.
Love that book.
Have you read the rest of the series? Most, if not all, of the characters are clever with words and think deep thoughts (that aren't brought on by drugs).
That and Speaker for the Dead is all.
Ok, here's another thing. I want less teens/children who talk like they're way older than they actually are. I always thought John Green was the worst offender of this, but I think I've found one that's actually worse. I'm reading a book where a character says:
"People try and make out there's a greater purpose, a secret meaning, that it means something. And it doesn't. We're a bunch of freaks. That's all there is too it. A big bunch of inconsequential freaks. We don't have to be happy. We don't have to be normal. We don't even have to be alive. We can do whatever we want as long as we don't hurt anyone."
This character is nine, by the way. What kind of nine year old would realistically say this? Did any of you at the age of nine years old know the word "inconsequential"? Let alone using it correctly in a sentence of pretentious philosophical bs? Because I sure didn't.
I'm ready to throw this book out a goddamn window
Wow. Like maybe a teenager who reads or watches philosophical stuff would say that, but a nine-year-old for no reason? No. Maybe if they had some sort of powers that make them above average but if they're just a normal one. No.
BAD BOYS IN GENERAL AS SO STEREOTYPICAL
OOH! I FORGOT ABOUT THIS ONE:
THE EIGHT YEAR OLD WHO IS A GENIUS AND IS IN HIGH SCHOOL
IT'S EVEN WORSE IF THEY ATTEND WITH THEIR SIBLING, WHO IS THE AGE YOU'RE 'SUPPOSED' TO BE IN THAT GRADE
That and Speaker for the Dead is all.
If you ever decide to read further, I would suggest bearing off a bit and reading the Shadow series before you continue on with the Ender books. The Shadow series follows the story of Bean, and provides a nice background story for the main series to rest on. If you read straight through Ender's series you wouldn't understand as much if you hadn't yet read Ender's Game and then the whole Shadow series. It's a big commitment, Card is still writing for the Enderverse, but it's rewarding.
OOH! I FORGOT ABOUT THIS ONE:
THE EIGHT YEAR OLD WHO IS A GENIUS AND IS IN HIGH SCHOOL
IT'S EVEN WORSE IF THEY ATTEND WITH THEIR SIBLING, WHO IS THE AGE YOU'RE 'SUPPOSED' TO BE IN THAT GRADE
Ah, yes. "Make me deplore my average-self even more, would you?"
CARD IS STILL ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!
CARD IS STILL ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!
OY! He's 67 going on 68. My sister and I (who love the series) are hoping he'll finish up the series before he has another stroke….just think of having to finish writing one of Card's books after his death. An insurmountable task in my view.
Have you read Kingsmeat?
No, but I just looked it up. Short story, right? Do you recommend it?
Depends. It could be classified as horror. But it's a wonderful tale about morality if you look at it through the right lens.
OOH! I FORGOT ABOUT THIS ONE:
THE EIGHT YEAR OLD WHO IS A GENIUS AND IS IN HIGH SCHOOL
IT'S EVEN WORSE IF THEY ATTEND WITH THEIR SIBLING, WHO IS THE AGE YOU'RE 'SUPPOSED' TO BE IN THAT GRADE
What's wrong with child geniuses? That's…a…real…thing…?
OOH! I FORGOT ABOUT THIS ONE:
THE EIGHT YEAR OLD WHO IS A GENIUS AND IS IN HIGH SCHOOL
IT'S EVEN WORSE IF THEY ATTEND WITH THEIR SIBLING, WHO IS THE AGE YOU'RE 'SUPPOSED' TO BE IN THAT GRADE
What's wrong with child geniuses? That's…a…real…thing…?
Yeah, but they aren't as prevalent as authors write them to be. Not every child is a genius, but the amount of times authors write children to be geniuses suggests that every child is a genius. Also, what are some books with the "child genius" trope in them? I can't think of any
I've literally never read a novel where the author portrayed a child as a genius….but okay.
But that's a very believable story line.
OOH! I FORGOT ABOUT THIS ONE:
THE EIGHT YEAR OLD WHO IS A GENIUS AND IS IN HIGH SCHOOL
IT'S EVEN WORSE IF THEY ATTEND WITH THEIR SIBLING, WHO IS THE AGE YOU'RE 'SUPPOSED' TO BE IN THAT GRADE
…young sheldon?
I've only ever seen this in a TV show, not a book, and it's only one, so…
Depends. It could be classified as horror. But it's a wonderful tale about morality if you look at it through the right lens.
I'm good with horror, but Card's views on morality, and his views on other things, I'm not as 'okay' with. But I'll give Kingsmeat a shot.
Try to figure out who is in the right and who is in the wrong. That is the adventure after the horror sinks in.
It's not actually uncommon. I was an extremely mature child.
But I do think it should be situational. It needs to be explained why they are how they are. Not just random.
I feel like I need to elaborate more on this character that I mentioned in my previous post, just for context. I know that some kids can be super smart, and mature for their age but this character just doesn't feel realistic to me. I haven't really met a lot of child geniuses, but the people that I have known who were smart for their age would still talk like most people would at that age. That's kind of why that bit of dialogue that I shared felt so weird to me. I have a hard time believing that a nine year old, regardless of how smart they are, would say that. And it was totally unprompted too? Like she just said that.
IMO, she's just a poorly written character. She wouldn't be the only that's poorly written in this book. In addition to basically being Socrates trapped inside the body of a nine year old British girl, she's also good at everything, the most perfect child. It's kind of been established that this character is really smart. It was mentioned at one point that she was learning "simple algebra" at age 4 which sounds fake but ok. Since other people have mentioned it, no explanation has been given so far (Unless you want to accept the fact that she's being homeschooled as an explanation, but why are you teaching a 4 year old algebra?) It's also a realistic fiction novel so there's no magic or anything like that involved.
Oh and she's "not like most girls," because she doesn't like pretty/ girly clothing.
Btw, while we're on topic, if you're going to tell me that a character isn't like most girls, it better be followed up with something truly outrageous. Half the time it's just like "I'm not like most girls because I READ BOOKs and I DON'T WEAR MAKEUP!!1!" Like yeah, you and and millions of other girls out there. You're not that special.
tldr; I'm reading a book with a 9 year old Mary Sue character and I don't like it.
Edit: Neglected to mention that 150 pages in, we've yet to hear anything remotely negative about this character.
BAD BOYS IN GENERAL AS SO STEREOTYPICAL
YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm fine with characters who have issues and stuff, but….can they deal with them like normal people and not by punching walls and abusing their love interests?? Please???
Ok, here's another thing. I want less teens/children who talk like they're way older than they actually are. I always thought John Green was the worst offender of this, but I think I've found one that's actually worse. I'm reading a book where a character says:
"People try and make out there's a greater purpose, a secret meaning, that it means something. And it doesn't. We're a bunch of freaks. That's all there is too it. A big bunch of inconsequential freaks. We don't have to be happy. We don't have to be normal. We don't even have to be alive. We can do whatever we want as long as we don't hurt anyone."
This character is nine, by the way. What kind of nine year old would realistically say this? Did any of you at the age of nine years old know the word "inconsequential"? Let alone using it correctly in a sentence of pretentious philosophical bs? Because I sure didn't.
I'm ready to throw this book out a goddamn window
I agree. I mean, I'd consider myself a fairly intelligent and mature teenager, and I'll admit that I do speak and usually type in a very pretentious matter. So having one or two characters that are like this is fine to me, but when the whole cast seems like they belong in an Elizabethian court or chilling with Socrates, it gets annoying. Like yeah, I get it, there are kids out there who are smart, and who read classic literature with more flowery language and it rubs off on them a bit or maybe that's just me being weird but they're still gonna use slang, quotes, and pop culture references.
