Do you believe that people can truly
change for the better?
For many people the idea of redemption
is integral to religion or personal philosophy. In the context of
novels, however, I'm becoming convinced that a book's flavor depends
a lot on whether the author has an underlying belief in redemption.
Based on their books I would guess that
some authors don't subscribe to that philosophy. I would say they are
probably more of the mind that people do change, frequently, but not
necessarily for good or ill. They simply become a different version
of themselves through age and circumstance. And I understand the
thought behind that idea. All of us face choices every day; sometimes
we make good decisions and sometimes not. Nobody is always good or
always bad.
But other authors, whether they realize
it or not, very clearly do believe in redemption. Any story about
"the power of love" or about a hero whose internal
convictions overcome negative circumstance is, in my view, a story of
positive change. Obviously any tale of a villain seeing the error of
his ways and making a change is a redemption story. (And now all I
can think of is Despicable Me.)
Personally I'm a sucker for redemption
stories. I love to watch someone who is flawed become less flawed
through the conflicts that arise in a story. I love to see that
internal struggle as an anti-hero recognizes his shortcomings and
determines to change.
This is one of the reasons I'm loving
the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor. It is, in
essence, about two people who desperately seek redemption, but whose
circumstances constantly make that goal harder and harder to reach.
It's a long, painful road to redemption, and they don't always make
the right choices. Their ultimate success is not guaranteed (and with
the series still in progress, it's impossible to know for certain
what will happen). And yet they are trying, and there is hope.
It's difficult to say what exactly the
books are about without giving away too much of the story. I can say
this much: they're about a blue-haired girl living in Prague who is
an art student on the surface, but who has a secret life collecting
teeth on the side for the monsters who raised her. Intrigued? Just
wait. There's so much more to the story.
It's a totally fascinating series, with
a gripping plot and characters who feel very tangible. It's creative
and stunning and beautiful. Best of all, it explores this in-depth
struggle for redemption in ways which I've seen few other YA books
do.
So what about you? Do you like
redemption stories? What are your favorites?
