a realization

[coraa]

One of the things that keeps me reading Diane Duane's Young Wizard books, even though the quality varies some after the (excellent) first couple, is my profound hunger for books featuring protagonists who are responsible and kind.

Comments

[coraa.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to think of situations in books that feature knee-jerk rebellion where the kid does get punished for it, and the only examples I can think of are ones where the punishment is clearly being used as an example of how the person-in-authority is a sadist and/or a power-tripping tyrant. As opposed to, you know, someone who sees a genuine need for some kind of rules and discipline. "Good" authority figures almost always do the I-will-be-briefly-stern-but-you-can-totally-tell-by-my-twinkling-eyes-and-repressed-smile-that-I-think-you-did-the-right-thing thing. (Which always makes me wonder why on earth the character didn't just make the argument and ask permission, if Person In Authority was so reasonable.)

Actually, the one I can think of offhand is Gwendolyn and Cat getting punished in Charmed Life, but that's sort of a reverse example, because Gwendolyn was kind of the exemplar of exactly what was wrong with a very powerful person just doing what she felt like. (Indeed, Cat didn't so much have to start listening to other people, or start rebelling, as stop listening to the wrong people and start listening to the right ones... which honestly is more realistic, since most of us have to answer to somebody for something.)

I was impressed with how quickly Kit and Nita's families found out. Saved a whole lot of dull sneaking around. Because yeah... there are certain setpiece scenes that are so done that something really has to be unique or awesome about them for me to like them.