Welcome back to YA Cafe, where book lovers can gather and chat about teen literature. I’m your barista, along with Gabriela from iggi&gabi. Each Friday we pick from a menu of topics and share our thoughts on our respective blogs.

We’ve also got plans brewing for interviews, events and even some exciting giveaways, so stay tuned! Join the discussion by responding in the comments, on your own blogs or on twitter using the hash tag #yacafe.

Today’s Special: Villains and Antagonists in YA

If you read a lot of YA, you can probably come up with a list of your favorite villains: Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter, President Snow from the Hunger Games Trilogy, Death in The Book Thief, etc. But what about the YA books that don’t have a clear villain? The ones where the antagonist is the main character him/herself, or the situation they’re in?

Not sure what I mean? Here are a few examples:

Past Perfect by Leila Sales

A few coworkers get on Chelsea’s nerves but the real antagonist in this story is the War between the two historical reenactment villages–the Essex Historical Colonial Village and the Civil War Village. The war causes all sorts of problems for Chelsea.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

The enemy here isn’t a person but rather a disease–anorexia. It killed Lia’s best friend Cassie and is close to killing her too.

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Grief is Lennie’s villain. She struggles with her sister’s death throughout the story and makes bad decisions because of it.

My contemporary YA WIP doesn’t have a clear antagonist either. I’m drawn to these types of stories because they seem more realistic. Sure, I’ve had run-ins with my own villains. But most of the time, the conflicts I deal with aren’t caused by one bad guy.

Who are your favorite YA villains? Gabi shares her thoughts on her blog so check it out!