Do you remember how you used to curl up in your room with a high school romance novel in hand? Do you remember how after finishing a love story in one sitting, you close the book with that giddy, ‘kilig’ feeling and a winsome smile on your face? Do you remember these?
How Sweet Dreams inspired our high school imagination!
Here’s missing Jessica and Elizabeth of the Sweet Valley High series…do you remember your favorite?
Don’t you miss these high school reads?
In high school, we excitedly traded novels with our classmates, wanting to read every single title of the series. We imagined how the hero is all dashing and handsome according to our “type.” We had our favorite titles.
My daughter is not much of a reader but lately, I notice how she would spend hours reading these…
Are these the “Sweet Dreams” of today’s generation?
I scanned through the books and found that it was indeed today’s version of yesterday’s high school romance novels. She is now in the phase of being introduced to the world of romance. I remember learning a lot about love and heartbreak through these stories. I know that Frances is about to experience the same.
Here are a few fast facts on today’s romance novels that your might find your daughter reading:
These books are called ‘Pop Fiction’ books. The more popular carrier of these is Summit Media. A lot of the stories are made popular by Wattpad, a social platform where people share stories. Some titles were first known and made popular in this platform. Publishers like Summit Media has brought it to paperback. The major difference today is technology. Where as before, we waited for stocks straight from the US to hit National Bookstore or Goodwill Bookstore, romance novels are so accessible today for our daughters.
The book covers display Japanese anime-themed characters. This does not appeal to me but it seems to be a hit with today’s generation. My daughter even buys Manga illustration books in her attempt to draw these anime-inspired heroines.
These titles are available online and traditional bookstores. Paperback copies are priced from Php 175.00 – Php 250.00 while online editions are priced higher. For instance a title at Amazon fetches at $15.00. Some titles used to be free in story sharing sites but has been copyrighted since it signaled marketability thus its price tag.
Title authors come from all walks of life. I found out that some titles were written by unknown, young novelists. That really impressed me. Before, we knew of the names Francine Pascal (of Sweet Valley High) or Janet Quinn Harkin (of Sweet Dreams). Today, there are a lot of authors given that much-needed break.
Because authors are Filipinos, the books are a mix of English and Filipino language. I was surprised at this because I was used to reading books using straight English but I saw the importance of incorporating the Filipino language. It makes the experience more real.
Titles are potentially transformed into pop movies. Think, “Diary ng Panget, The Movie.” (Frances and I saw this together. I’ll soon write about it.) These full-length commercial films are top-billed by today’s mainstream pop icons. Think Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo.
My princess is now growing her collection. I appreciate that she now reads voraciously, even if these books are easy reads. It helps in my attempt to inspire her appreciation for reading. I was hoping she would read more “relevant” reading materials but this may be the start. If during her childhood, she didn’t get there. She might just appreciate reading this time. My homework is now to read at least one pop fiction book. I have a feeling reading one will help me know my daughter better. Also, I need to satisfy my curiosity…to what extent are the kissing scenes go? What is the context of today’s high school love stories? I’ll make sure to share it here, as soon as I find out.
The Madrasta Blog 