I've been thinking a lot about the Vampire Academy series today. It's one of those series that you pick up because it sounds entertaining (and let's admit it, trashy) and then you finish all 6 books in the series within two weeks.
I honestly think it takes a lot of talent to be able to write a fast-paced action-packed series where each book delivers the perfect amount of drama. Now, I'm not saying these books are perfect, or literary beacons of excellence, because, let's be honest, they were a little trashy. But suffice to say the series exceeded my expectations.
I think it's interesting to mull over the idea of what makes a series like that so intoxicating. It's not great literature, but yet something about makes you need more. It's hardly the only series I've read where I was dying to get my hands on the next book. But what do all of those series/books have in common? Sure, they're packed with drama, but so are a lot of books that aren't all that great. So what is it?
I've been thinking about this for a while now, if not to help my own literary aspirations then to help me discriminate the entertaining books from the bad, and I think I've come to conclude that their are 5 key elements that make a good trashy-novel.
1. A strong main character
2. A touch of humor
3. Relationships that don't feel forced
4. Dramatic plot twists
5. A common theme that surpasses 'good vs. evil'
Anyhow, that's my list! If anyone happens to read this, comment what you're list looks like!
-Kirby
