Spring Break reading (aka “beach reads”) for most members of the female sex consists of fluffy, good-natured and fun stories featuring a happy ending — or at the very least a lesson learned. It is the book version of the chick flick. Usually involving getting a boyfriend/soul-mate, the female character has universally applicable attributes and, as a result, the reader becomes convinced that there is hope out there for unrealistic expectations. (For the movie industry’s role in this, see Walt Disney.)
OK, I’ll admit it — I’m not a huge fan of the Spring Break reads (could you tell?), but once in a while I will give in and sink into their fluffy plots and relatable characters. I usually decide to read one of these books because after a long time of reading an economics textbook, this kind of novel is perfect. “The Year of the Yes” was the novel I chose. This book by Maria Dahvana Headly is no holds barred, a little ridiculous and wonderfully sarcastic.
Maria, a student in New York City, has all but given up on love. But instead of allowing her spirit to be broken by the harsh habitat in which she resides, she resolves to give up her negative spirit and say yes to every person who asks her on a date. She dates a couple cab drivers, her handyman, a few men who speak no English and even a few women. In the end, she finds true love and lives happily ever after. Wow. Those endings do exist after all.
No, I am not a skeptic on the existence of love. I am a perfect example of the average young adult female in this modern age. I am hopelessly romantic, but not optimistic, about the state of love in today’s society. To me, love is not something that is discovered upon first glance. It is something that is built up over time, discovered with the help of dating sites (for some), set-ups through a friend, classmates or that guy who picked up the money that you dropped on the way to pay for your coffee at Starbucks, took you out to lunch and turned out to be a really great guy (honestly, that has never happened to me, but that kind of situation happens a lot apparently). We are skeptics of true love today, and Maria’s character reflects that.
To combat this pessimism, Maria resolves to give love a chance beyond just the cookie-cutter love-at-first-sight that is still being pushed at us in today’s romantic comedies. Kudos to her. Going out with everyone who asks you on a date seems a little fishy. It goes against everything our parents have taught us over time (including “don’t talk to strangers” and “beware of strange men who seem nice because actually all they want is to take advantage of you”). It is true that there are some pretty creepy guys out there. But Maria decided to go the whole nine yards and do it. It is the “Supersize Me” method of making a broad point.
It is unrealistic for us to accept the assumptions behind most Spring Break books (that every woman is able to find her true love on the first or second try, and that when they find them it will all work out). So it is refreshing to find a book that goes at least a little bit contrary to that. Maria Dahvana Headly is funny, and her book definitely has a good point about the state of our minds today. Her point is not to trust all internal beauty; instead, her point is that it exists and that no one is perfect at first glance. Hey, who am I to judge her methods? She is married now...
You can reach this columnist at thescene@theeagleonline.com.
