YA Romance: In the Books vs. In Real Life

Who says Young Adult Romance books are all about love? This genre is somewhat the punching bag of literature, looked down upon by those who think that romance does little to no contribution to an individual’s intellect. But contrary to popular belief, books under this genre are not all about overtly sweet lovers and overused plots. In this blog article, I share meaningful sentences from YA romance books I’ve read: I state their implications in the books first and then give my own interpretations about them concerning real-life situations.

Tweet Cute

Hundreds and hundreds of hours and sweat and chlorine-bleached hair and occasional tears, all reduced to a few printed words.

In the book, this referred to the fact that high school students get into their swimming team, train, and compete which all trickle down to one thing: a line or a few lines they can put in their college applications.

In real life, this applies to every student—not just those who engage in extracurricular activities for extra credits. Students spend sleepless nights and study countless hours to achieve good grades. All these boil down to a piece of paper, their report cards with a few printed numbers. Of course, studying hard is valuable and the lessons learned can be useful in the future. But sadly, there are students who prioritize their academic performance over their well-being. They lose sight of the fact that nurturing their emotional, social, and psychological well-being is just as important as their intellectual endeavors. In simpler terms, students must learn to put their health first and have a good balance of things in their lives.

Today Tonight Tomorrow

The things that mattered to us for the past four years will shift and evolve, and I imagine they’ll keep doing that forever. It’s terrifying.

In the book, Rowan just graduated high school and realizes that life won’t be the same as it has been for the past few years. At first, she is saddened by things she didn’t achieve such as becoming a salutatorian instead of valedictorian. But later on, she is faced with the truth that those things that mattered to her for so long would no longer be. The thought of change was daunting— she knew things would keep on changing, and it scared her.

In real life, we say ‘that’s life’ and ‘there’s nothing permanent in this world but change’. Navigating our lives that constantly experience change is difficult, especially if we find ourselves attached to specific things that we suddenly have to let go of. Change can be terrifying. But life will be not as bad and hard as we make it to be if we learn to embrace change. It’s best if we become accepting of what constitutes our “now” and treasure it when it becomes our “then”. Life will be okay as long as we learn to enjoy ourselves.

By the Book

Remorse forces us to take a hard look at ourselves. It gives us the strength to grow, and the courage to do the right thing next time—or at least try.

In the book, Mary makes the mistake of allowing her friends to think that she was coerced by Alex in the kiss they shared. She has always labeled herself as a book-smart person and was wary of committing the stupid things that people are not supposed to do. Hence, she feels the absolute worst about the situation and talks to her parents about it. Her mom shared the brilliant words stated above, and it tells Mary as well as the readers that the feeling of guilt makes us reflect on ourselves. Consequently, repentance strengthens us to improve and allows us to become brave enough to not make the same mistake the next time. Or well, maybe, to do our utmost in trying not to do so.

In real life, humans make mistakes all the time. It’s the nature of our existence, to err. No matter how hard we plan and wish to, we cannot live faultless lives. What we need to do is to face our fallibility and own up to our mistakes when we make them. If we admit to ourselves that we are in the wrong, it will help us to examine ourselves which is essential for our personality development. After ruminating over our mistakes, we establish the drive to do what is right. The cycle of committing mistakes and regretting them will happen repeatedly, all we can do is learn from each one and do our best in not committing them twice.


I Deleted a Song

I can no longer dance to that song
As my body is no longer capable
Of making those silly moves
We hilariously yet confidently executed
Oh, it belonged to us
It was to be forever ours
But ahead of you
Is a broad array of songs
Waiting to be loved that way
And you felt responsible for them
So I waited as you move around
Cherishing them one by one
Because I only had that one song

I remained patient
Watching from the side
Wishing that you will play it again
And thankfully you did
Yet only to be skipped
Repeatedly, deliberately
That even I
Have forgotten the moves
I cried then tried to remember
And cried again
For my effort was in vain
Why couldn’t I?
Then I looked at you

I laughed at what was in front of me
Seeing you reminded me
Of my long-standing foolishness
You never let our song reach its end
For you’ve grown accustomed to loud songs
That you can no longer hear
The low volume of ours
Then what was the purpose of a song
Making feel frustrated when I hear it
And as for you, inaudible
I’ve been hurt and tired
And you, only bothered
I deleted that song, solely for me

Some may say it’s pathetic, stupid, and immature
But I refuse to someday be lost in the sea
You call playlist.


Let go when needed, don’t make happiness wait for you.

Sober Madness

She is that proper, hardworking student
Who feels like she’ll die if she doesn’t pass an assignment
She values education after her family
Absence not in her vocabulary

She has a definite plan set her in mind
A boy cannot fit in her timeline
She knows what she wants
No one is to stop her

But she’s been around
In this guy’s mind for a long time
Her simplicity’s a sanctity for him
In shameless audacity, he soon destroys her

It is out of sober madness
When she saw a white bead in the darkness
She held onto it
And climbed the stairs blindfolded

Befuddled she was when she loved him
Never questioned the veracities of his lies
She gave him a precious flower
While he didn’t have the same power

One day, a seed presented itself
As she was hoping it wouldn’t
And when she told him,
Ridding of it was his immediate suggestion

Her conscience couldn’t allow that
Yet her pleadings were futile
For he didn’t disguise his apathy
And disappeared immediately

He was a hawthorn and pricked her
She both bled and cried thereafter
Now alone in the labyrinth garden
She found that the ground was sodden

With no idea on how to start her escape
The weight of the seed increases
She must defeat the somber desertion
In this sober madness, she cannot be drunk dazed.

Seeping Sadness

Seeping Sadness

The sun may fade, but it’s not gone
Wakes up again like everyone
They both bring life a yellow light
A tight embrace; makes us alright

Like strings attached to each other
People together are stronger
But one grows weak and leaves one day
Sadness sprout, soar, and even stay

Two yesterdays, my mind’s a mess
Both of my friends put through the test
The trees they loved turned into logs
The lonely, cold air stood with fogs

A dull whistle to the sad heart
Dust in the eyes and is rampant
Soft, silent cries flapped in the wind
Thinking back, realized they sinned

Melancholy saddled to them
They both have lost a precious gem
It smelt theirs, but the whiff is faint
Inside their souls, a heavy weight

The words they said rang in my head
Thoughts and tears while I lay in bed
Saddened, deaths dripped into my heart
Towards regrets, I’ll be apart.


This is a poem about death, it reflects the loss of my two old friends. I am not proud nor satisfied with this piece, it is a topic that I cannot quite grasp and craft well about. I accept death as a part of our existence but sometimes, it is truly hard to embrace. It is a reflection of a realization; I hope that somehow it is reflected.

Compilation of Poems (1)

Blank Verse

Deflecting Bridges

Someone here does not travel on bridges.
That pines for lethal ventures all the time,
And stroll on deadly alleys in the world.


Free Verse

On My Own

I like walking alone all the time.

It is a a wonderful adventure for me, it brings me peace.

People think I’m draped with a blanket of sadness, that my world is dull.

Sometimes I feel them looking at me, thoughts are running wild inside their minds.

I do not really care, being alone doesn’t mean I’m lonely.

I find tranquility on my own.
That doesn’t mean I’m unhappy.


Limerick

Allow her to walk through,
Let her bid adieu
Though she’s like an ice;
She has been nice
Don’t let her drown in blue.


Free Verse

Crestfallen

I see no sunlight.
I’m not ready for combat, dear comrade,
My accomplice who patronizes me,
Has uncovered his atrocious heart,
Lenient escapades dissipated from your mind
In the night, ashes and hawthorn, thrown in my bed
Obsidian, the spitting image of my comrade,
I’m crestfallen as I mourn for you.


Tanaga

pagmamahal ay tagos
lakas ay ibinuhos
ngunit ika’y sumuko
pangako ay napako

Translation:

the love is penetrating
strength was emanated
but you surrendered
promise was trampled