Blowing Kisses at an Empty Auditorium

The one definite thing I remember from my teenage years is boys, boys, boys. I mean, we were totally obsessed. This is where I have 'this' book fail. I tried to include a boy with freckles (in fact he's still floating around and needs to be removed), but Sydney wasn't interested and the nearest romance I could conjure up for him was with her dead sister. And even that felt like I had my shoehorn out. So I suspect he'll most definitely have to go...unless he woos me with chocolates.

Then I have a hint of romance between Sydney's friends, Lin and Billy. Problem is, Billy's part should probably be removed from the book as he doesn't appear to do much (other than spend the first part of the book mooning over the evil teacher). There's going to be no one left. Gah!

Then I started worrying that a YA book should have romance. Most of them I've read seem to...not all I guess, but the ones that don't, I think, had younger protagonists.  The wonderful Lisa Mantchev's sequel to Eyes Like Stars seems centred around romance...








...and I look at that trailer and I know I have to read the book. (Okay, reading the first book helped with the want but go with me here).

So I ask myself, is Death/Fairytale/Don't people have to be alive at the end to have a happily ever after (and perhaps they are, but not necessarily in the expected sense) enough when I'm writing for teenage girls/boys. Do the hormones have to be involved?

...But then again, I do believe Thief likes Sydney, it's just the author wasn't aware of that fact for the first hundred or so pages. I suspect this book may take some time to complete.

Anyone have a headache yet? :D

Kind of going off topic here: Another thing I remember about my teenage years is wanting to be Molly Ringwald. I even ordered a hairdresser to turn me into her once (she failed). I have to have this book.