Reviewers' Roundtable- Bad Boys

So this is a discussion feature that we've been doing for a while now... but we've decided to change it up a little bit.  We're now discussing a topic every Thursday and opening it up to anyone else who wants to make a post and discuss these bookish topics with us.  So just add your info to the Linky below and link back to either me or Emily and we'll stop by and chat with ya!


The Hosts:

Emily at Read Your Bookcase

Michelle at Pink Polka Dot Book Blog

Bad Boys: Thoughts on the bad boy trend in YA/NA.   When is a bad boy hot and when is it too much?

So there's quite a trend in YA and NA for "bad boys".  And I'm all for a hot bad boy... sometimes.  First of all I think the whole "damaged, but sexy" and "a-hole who deep down does have feelings" is getting so cliche'd.  Does every dumb female main character HAVE to fall for a guy that needs fixing??  It gets on my nerves quite a bit.  So here and my do's and don't's of Bad Boys:

• I LIKE a Bad Boy like Noah Hutchins of Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry.  But was he really bad?  He was upset about the situation with his brothers and was rumored to hook up with a lot of girls... but he didn't really have a bad bone in his body otherwise.  I found him to be super caring and not bad at all.
• I am OVER the tattoo cliche.  Why is it that tattoos automatically = trouble.  It's annoying and a little lazy for authors to just rely on tattoos and piercings to build a character.  Can someone tell me about a Bad Boy from YA that DOESN'T have tattoos?
• SOMETIMES I can believe in transformation... but it depends.  If the guy is too mean, selfish, controlling, etc. in the beginning, then NO.  I'm never going buy that a douche control freak will change.
• Can we talk about TRAVIS MADDOX??  He's "covered in tattoos", makes his living in "underground fighting" and has a jealousy problem.  How is this sexy???  I'm sorry but being jealous and psycho is NEVER sexy to me.  NEVER!  I don't care if he changes in the end (which he doesn't), this is NOT SEXY!!!!
• Can we talk about CHRISTIAN GREY???  It is NOT SEXY to want to possess someone.  To want to own them.  “I want you sore, baby,” he murmurs, and he continues his sweet, leisurely torment, backward, forward. “Every time you move tomorrow, I want you to be reminded that I’ve been here. Only me. You are mine.”  That is fucking gross!  And offends me to no end.
• Can we talk about EDWARD CULLEN???  No actually, I just can't with him. (Technically I wouldn't classify him as a Bad Boy, but he's super possessive so...)
• So obviously there are a lot of people out there that can look at these disgusting controlling guys and find it hot.  The only way I can reason it is they've never actually dated someone who had problems like that.  Let me tell you, it's NOT romantic.  I had a boyfriend who told me what I could wear, when I could wear makeup, and was jealous that I had ever even talked to a guy before I met him.  Guys like him need help.  And they do NOT need to be romanticized.
• This is pretty much why I've stayed away from the entire NA genre.  Every time I read a synopsis for a Contemporary NA it's like: "Girl just wants to put certain sad events behind her and move on with her life.  The last thing she's looking for is a guy.  But then Bad Boy/Rocker Boy walks into her life.  She knows she shouldnt be into him, but he seems to change his womanizing ways after meeting such a sweet and innocent girl.  He practically NEEDS her to be able to breathe.  And he has secrets too!"  BLAHHHHH!!!  NO!  NO MORE!  Come up with something else.... PLEASE!!!
• So when is the Bad Boy a good thing?  Well as I said in Pushing the Limits.  Also Stephen Crashinsky from Crash and Burn is the kind of Bad Boy I can deal with.  He likes to break rules and have fun.  He uses girls at times, but he's not flat out disrespectful and he's not psycho.  Beau Vincent of The Vincent Boys is another one.  He likes to skip school and he gets into fights sometimes.  When it comes to girls he's fine.

The Kind of Bad Boys I Like:

So yeah I the whole Bad Boy balance is something I haven't 100% figured out for myself either.  I like guys who live on the edge a little... ones that are described as muscular and sexy... ones that maybe are a little damaged inside.  I don't like ones that are controlling towards a girl or just become obsessed with the girl.  I think the main issue I have is I don't like the message of "You should want a strong guy who can protect you and can't live without you at the same time."  I like a gal to be able to take care of herself and I like a guy who can make a transformation without 100% needing a girl "fixing" him.

Final Verdict: I think I'm more of a Cricket from Lola and the Boy Next Door or Jase from My Life Next Door kind of girl. 

So what about you???  What do you like from your Bad Boys??  I've heard a lot about books like Hush, Hush, Perfect Chemistry, and Obsidian.... what are those boys like??  Did you ever read about a Bad Boy where you just got totally turned off?

Oh yeah and link up if you want :)