Although reading is one of my favorite hobbies and I almost always read only for pleasure there are a few red flags I look out for even in my leisure time. I personally try to be careful in the media I consume as well as who I support with my money and time. Although we are all free to read whatever we want and I don't believe in censoring literature it is important to be aware of the harm that these red flags can have. Whether you like to read the classics or paranormal romance there is always something to think about and learn from a book.
Problematic Authors
There are a few things to consider before you even read a book, the most common being the author. Authors are people as well and carry their own personal beliefs. Each author has a slant or a lens through which they write. Although you don't have to agree with an author's beliefs to love their stories, their biases should be taken into consideration. As well as authors writing with a slant they may also actively lobby for something which comes into contradiction with your personal morals. As writing is a career, by purchasing a book you may be funding this author. Avoiding problematic authors can be thought of as boycotting a business. If you are looking to avoid purchasing from an author I recommend purchasing their books second hand or borrowing them from the library. I also love to have fan memorabilia for my favorite books and a way to show your support (or lack there of in this case) would be to buy from independent artists inspired by the novel. For free options I recommend not recommending the books to friends and avoiding reviewing the book. Both of these conversations are free advertising for an author.
Where Your Money Goes
As I stated in the previous paragraph, spending your money with a company is supporting them, and this is also true for who you're buying your books from. I will always recommend purchasing from your local bookstore. If money is a worry for you, checking out your local library may be the best option.
Internalized Misogyny
One trope that I have found in many popular young adult novels is the "I'm not like other girls" trope. Although we are moving away from this trope with many badass women all dolled up it is still prevalent and harmful for young women. This will usually be manifested in books by women being cold or closed off as well as having a tom boy attitude. Although being tom boy is not bad it also should be noted that women can be just as powerful and feminists while still being feminine. Internalized misogyny usually is shown as femininity being bad and a woman's caring nature being a sign of weakness. Though it should be noted that women or girls dressing masculine in a novel to avoid being sexualized or to avoid misogyny is a great way of addressing sexism within a book. Always before making a judgement look into the context of the character. Some authors may add internalized misogyny in as a character flaw and others may be struggling with it themselves.
Toxic Relationships
I have found this red flag in every form of media there is. Although many readers know that toxic relationships aren't something to be romanticized, there are always young readers who may see these relationships and expect it to be normal. It is always worth noting when recommending or reviewing a book if there is a toxic relationship. Real healthy relationships can be boring to an outsider making it harder to write about. Often authors will know a relationship is toxic within their novel yet include it for entertainment and drama. Although I find this may not have the most damaging effects to consumers as many of us know the relationship is there for entertainment purposes only if someone is uneducated on the matter it may have traumatic consequences for the reader. There is no shame in enjoying these dramatic tales (I'm a huge sucker for enemies to lovers trope) but awareness and education is a must.
Misrepresentation/White Saviorism
As the amount of diverse representation in media increases (as it should) the amount of misrepresentation also goes up. Many authors who have never written minority characters are trying for the first time and although it's important as readers we need to be aware of misrepresentation. Misrepresentation usually looks like an author writing a character based on stereotypes rather than fact. By writing this way authors can spread false and harmful ideas to their readers.
White saviorism is also a harmful trend that authors can unknowingly write about. White saviorism has representation of minorities in minor character only, who exist to be saved by the white main character. This could look like the white main character saving a character of color from a hate crime only for the character to never be mentioned again. This is often a Band-Aid the author includes in a book to try and show their support for people of color rather than actually making time to include and research proper representation. For more information check out No White Saviors
The last idea I would like to mention along the lines of misrepresentation is token minority. This will usually go along with a white saviorism plot. A minority character will be included in the novel or story either only to be killed off to further the white character's plot line or they will be a flat character without a independent plot line.
Although representation is a good thing these forms of representation miss the point of having a diverse cast. An author who is making an effort and research diversity will understand the value accurate representation has to readers. By including diverse characters in every role it shows that anyone can do anything they want. Diversity also includes the LGBTQ+ and disabled community. Accurate representation can educate the masses of problems that may not normally affect them, teach the damages of stereotyping, and through seeing representation in all roles help prevent imposter syndrome within minority communities.
Reading has the potential to educate others by stimulating empathy, but it also has the potential to spread damaging ideologies. Be thoughtful of the media you consume and how you are obtaining it.
“Let us pick up our books and pencils. They are our most powerful weapon.” Malala Yousafzai
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