Thursday Ramblings is a casual feature/meme here on Josie’s Book Corner where I pick a topic and discuss it with you. This is a casual post, filled with rambling and chatting! So basically, we are simply having a conversation about the topic at hand!
Okay, I’m aware it is Friday today (at least, in Australia) but you know, sometimes life gets in the way of your blogging schedule and sometimes trains decide to break down and leave you standing in line for a bus home for over an hour. Things happen. BUT I did not want to leave you guys for a week without this discussion.
One: because I already told you all on Twitter, and you’re all probably dying with anticipation (just kidding, you’re probably not). And two: because I REALLY LIKE THIS TOPIC. Or at least, I’m passionate about this topic.
Our topic, by the by, is sex in novels. I think this is quite a high topic, especially as of late, as more and more novels are incorporating sexy times into their novels. Honestly, it’s everywhere, AND I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY. I DON’T LIKE IT. As you can tell, I’m very anti-sex-in-novels, unless their are of the erotica genre. Because I don’t read erotica, ha.
Let’s discuss!
Sex in novels. I feel like many people will go against me, or at least shake their heads in disagreement with me when I say, I don’t think we should feature sex within novels, save for the exception of erotica. I understand why people wouldn’t mind it, such as in new adult: I know people argue that it is good to show that awareness of the act, to allow people to familiarize themselves with sex, but I don’t think this is necessary at all, and I don’t think it’s a valid enough argument. I’m sorry to be so strong in opinion and blunt, PLEASE DON’T THROW ROTTEN FOOD AT ME. *sobs*
I really don’t like the idea of featuring sex in novels. We all love a good steamy romance, and steamy love scenes and I must admit, I do swoon a little bit (such as in ACOTAR, HOLY GOODNESS THAT BOOK. SO STEAMY) but the moment that things start moving into sexy times and descriptions and visuals, I start to squirm and get uncomfortable. Is sex really necessary in our novels? I feel as though all New Adult romance fiction revolves around the sex. And featuring sex scenes in Young Adult? I strongly disagree with this for several reasons. We have enough of this in our erotica novels, and even more all over the internet. Why should we start sexualising the pages of our novels?
I don’t read New Adult novels. One of the biggest reasons for this, I suppose, is because almost all of the books in this genre, feature sex. Most specifically, I don’t read New Adult romance because of this reason. A few months ago, I read Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover and my goodness. The entire plotline centered around sex with “no strings attached”. Of course, I knew this when I went into the book, but I wasn’t expecting it to be so centered around it.
All the time, whenever I read a review of a New Adult book, there is almost always the mention of sex within them. Is this seriously necessary? Out of all the life experiences that we could be exploring with the New Adult genre, from university, to mid-life crises, and so much more, we are focusing on sex?
By focusing around this theme, it feels as though all NA romance novels follow along the same kind of plot. No matter what NA romance review I read, I’m almost bored to death because THEY ALL SOUND THE SAME. Am I being too harsh? I just don’t understand it. It makes all the storylines of YA romances so bland. We could be exploring the experiences of young people moving into adulthood and the struggles of dealing with life in a huge world, we could be focusing on mid-life crises and people dealing with the world around them.
Especially to the readers who are emerging out of YA novels and into NA, we are romanticising the idea of being an adult, giving the impression that when you step into the wider world, your experiences with men/women is going to be all about sexy times and this is just as bad as the portrayal of some romances in YA, in my personal opinion.
STAAAAHHHP. With all the sex within New Adult novels and the Erotica genre, we do NOT need to include this theme in Young Adult. This makes me a little sick to my stomach. Now you’re probably grabbing your pitchforks right now and hoping to shut me up. I know, I sound a little outrageous, but come on guys, this is a harmless discussion where we can be free to express our opinions… right?
We have enough to deal with in YA novels. Mental health, growing up, self discovery, and much more. Of course, I suppose you can argue that sex is a part of self-discovery and growing up but I don’t think so, and I really don’t want to promote sex among a teenage audience. Everything in our society today is becoming sexualised: the internet, entertainment, music, movies – IT’S EVERYWHERE. If we can’t even get romance right in YA, how well will we do in portraying sex? Just… no. Please.
We have enough media promoting sex to young people, and I think that including sex in Young Adult novels, is just sending reassurance to young people that it’s normal for them to have sex, being 16, 17, or maybe even younger. This is not something we want to promote. Leave it to our explicit music, and the internet to do that. Leave our precious books alone and untouched. Please.
Sometimes I am shocked when I read about sex scenes in YA. It’s happened twice to me now, I believe. And both times were fairly uncomfortable for me. I am not sure if it’s just me as a person that makes me react this way, but despite all that, I stick to my opinion. We don’t need sex in YA.
You’re all probably sitting in your chairs, or your couch, your bed… (you get what I’m saying), thinking “Josie, why do you think this way about this topic?”. Because sex is a personal experience. It’s a private affair. I believe that it shouldn’t be something we flaunt so unfiltered in the pages of our books. In some cases, there are books what basically are written porn (cough, cough, Fifty Shades of Grey).
Traditionally, sex is a personal experience between two people, coming together in love. But our society has turned it around into a public display. We have enough evidence of that from porn sites all over the internet. If we don’t promote porn as a normal thing, we shouldn’t accept sex in novels. Especially when they are as steamy as graphic as some can be.
In my opinion, this is a topic, a theme, that should be kept private. Not flaunted in books. Unless we are addressing pressing issues that reflect problems in society, such as domestic violence, rape, assault, etc. then I believe sex shouldn’t be something so dominant in novels. Not even New Adult novels.
I’m going to stop now, before I get too passionate and my revolutionary side comes bursting through the protective barrier of my soul. Because once that side of me comes out, there’s no way to stop it until it has completed it’s rant.
Now I give this discussion to you, bookworms! Tell me your thoughts!
What do you think about sex in novels?
Do you think it’s okay to portray it in novels? (I hope not, but no pressure)
It’s just, CAN’T I GET A BOOK ABOUT MAGIC AND DRAGONS WITHOUT IT BEING PORN? I’m sure there are books like that out there, but I’m just scared I’d accidentally pick up the wrong one. Also some readers of YA are too young for sex scenes. I was 12/13 when I read the Twilight series and there were some graphic scenes in it at some point. That was horrifying for little me!
Josies Book Corner 
Tell me your fabulous thoughts, bookworms!