Book boyfriends. They’re gorgeous, dedicated, and often downright frustrating, sarcastic, and annoying. But we can’t get enough of them! Whether it’s a forbidden romance or a hate-to-love story, whether we’re in an apocalyptic landscape or a fantasy world or even an academy, we have to have them.
So, what makes these characters awesome book boyfriends? If they don’t sneak into your bedroom and watch you when you’re sleeping, that’s a plus. Same if they don’t treat you like crap and leave it all to you to fix them. Emotional abuse, anyone?
1: He’s not just a fan…he’s a superfan. Every girl wants to feel like she’s in the spotlight. And the boyfriend who will risk his whole species, class, or country to be with her is some next-level dedication. Even more than sports fans who wave those giant foam hands at stadiums.
2: He’s a rebel. Who doesn’t love a good rebel? Kaylin in Influence falls in love with one and risks her life. Bad boys also fall under the rebel category and do things the rest of us can only dream of doing. Society often sucks. Admit it. We want to see someone breaking the mold and we want to fall in love with him. Oh, and we want to be more like him, too.
3: Falling in love with him is forbidden. Okay, so your dystopian society has a law saying you can’t fall in love because of (insert propaganda here.) And so what if your boyfriend is also from behind enemy lines, a dragon shifter not allowed to date outside his own kind, or a royal above your class. Now we are breaking the rules, and it feels good!
4: He’s a jerkwad…at first. But then we get to see him change and develop into the most awesome boyfriend ever. Hate-to-love stories are popular in YA for a reason. Remember Daniel in Fallen? He flips off Luce when he sees her for the first time, but the rest is history. And jerkwads-at-first are popular in YA urban fantasy, too. They’re sarcastic and entertaining even as the heroine rolls her eyes or keys his car. Of course, these boyfriends won’t stay jerkwads forever. We love that sweet character development.
5: We can help him through his personal tragedy. Okay, nobody likes seeing others go through tragic things like losing their family, but our book boyfriends need our help. And it always feels good to help! At least we’ve figured out why he’s pushing us away, and it usually has nothing to do with us. Clearing the air and making way to our happily ever after is progress!
6: Lastly, he’s the definition of hot. Definitely not a small plus here. Whether he’s pushing us away at first or fighting hordes of demons, perfect abs, amazing eyes, and a wink or two always help! (Fans self…)
So, whether we want a super-dedicated boyfriend, a forbidden hottie, or one we have to fight and tame, there’s no shortage of YA book boyfriends. And that’s why Young Adult books are so popular! Who’s your favorite book boyfriend? You only have 134,289 choices.