On "All Girls Want Bad Boys"

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Labels: , , , , · Posted by Anonymous at
I’ve long been fascinated by the concept/trope that “All Girls Want Bad Boys.” (Also known as Draco in Leather Pants, for you Tropers.) I’ve seen it myself in fandom so often, and quite frankly experienced it myself - characters who, to put it nicely, aren’t the best of people, amass huge followings of fangirls. Never mind the fact that many of them would make absolutely terrible boyfriends in real life, if they even wanted to date you in the first place.

Sadly, this "desire," I suppose we can call it, can carry over into real life, as there are countless stories of women staying with their abusive husbands because they want to “change” them.

There have been several scientific theories posed as to why this phenomenon exists, with most coming to the conclusion that a "stronger" man is more desirable evolutionarily so he can help protect the woman and her offspring, as well as provide her with healthy offspring. Understanding this phenomenon is important, but what’s more important is that it does happen, oftentimes with tragic consequences.

That all being said, I’m going to say that I have a big issue with either implying or outright telling girls and women that they shouldn’t attempt to help someone just because that person “can’t change.” People change. Perhaps not as easily or magically as they do in fiction, but people can change and they can grow into stronger, better people. I’d even go so far as to say that a supporting partner can easily be one of the main causes for a human being to live a more emotionally fulfilled and happy life than they would have otherwise. Because, in my experience, the vast majority of people simply want to be understood and supported.

This is NOT to say, however, that I think ANYONE should stay in an abusive relationship, no matter how much you "love" them. And I’m not saying all or even most "Bad Boys" would make good boyfriends. (I think the core of the matter lies in our largely apparent inability to teach our girls to value themselves, but that's a discussion for another time)

What I am saying is that people need to be supported, understood, and loved, no matter what stage they are in life. And discouraging people from doing that, from feeling compassion for others and acting on that compassion, I think, is one of the many things that is wrong with this world.

Book Review - Mouseheart

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Labels: , , , · Posted by Anonymous at
Cover art courtesy of Barnes and Noble.
Title: Mouseheart
Author: Lisa Fiedler
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: May 2015
Version I Read: Paperback

Rating: 4/5

Man, I’m just on a children’s book kick recently, aren’t I? The most recent book I’ve completed that I feel I need to write a review on is Lisa Fielder’s Mouseheart.

Animal fantasy seems to be really in right now, what with the success of the Warriors series and the myriad of similar series that have followed it. Mouseheart appears to be kind of on the same track, and in many ways it’s rather typical for its genre. But I think this book goes to show there’s really nothing wrong with that. And because I like mice and rats in real life (I've owned many), I always appreciate when an animal fantasy story focuses on them (Rats of NIMH is one of my favorites, perhaps obviously.)

I wouldn’t call the plot of Mouseheart particularly spectacular or original. What does stand out is the characters. They all have well-defined personalities and motivations, and nearly all are at least somewhat sympathetic. Hopper is a relatable hero, his sister Pinky is an unapologetic badass, Zucker is a nice guy stuck in the pretty bad situation of having to betray his own father in order to save lives, Firren is an awesome revolutionary lady rat, and Titus, horrible as he is, shows some signs of regret and "doing what he has to do." And the idea of the main villain being a prissy housecat that got tossed out on the streets and then clawed her way up is pretty cool too.

One big criticism of the book I have is Zucker’s speech patterns. Perhaps it’s because he’s trying to seem less princely around Hopper, but his attempts at sounding like the “cool big bro” didn’t do much for me at all, and I felt it detracted severely from the writing and the story, and didn’t present Zucker as the kind of character the author was intending.

Either way, I’ve found myself pretty drawn into this world and I’ll definitely be picking up the sequel.

The Verdict: A fun book with a lot of good characters, barring some dialogue issues and unoriginality. I think parents and kids will enjoy it.

Neither Karen Lofgren nor Loyalty Press has any affiliation with the author or publisher. This review constitutes Fair Use.
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