A young girl stands with a gun, ready to shoot. Her best friend Will walks towards her, another gun outstretched. She begs him to get out of it. But Will can't hear it, he's being controlled. She shoots, letting the bullet pass through her head. She flees the area crying. Fortunately, it's not real. This is a scene from the book Divergent, by Veronica Roth. This is one of the popular new book series in the Young Adult Literature genre. Young women look up to heroines like Tris, described above. We know this because the Hunger Games series alone has sold over 65 million copies. These heroines are presented as strong-willed, persistent and intelligent role models for young women around the world. In fact, I'm going to argue that young adult heroin literature is the most influential source of entertainment for young women today. I will argue this by showing that our literary heroines make intelligent and influential decisions, that they do not worry about their outward appearance like many women do, and that they changed our world in a few simple days. Additionally, our world has been influenced by heroines. Adults, writers, and young women have many different ways in which heroines have impacted our lives throughout history. The heroine was fully developed in the late 1500s and early 1600s by William Shakespeare. During the 1700s and 1800s, it was the reign of Queen Victoria and women were beginning to be recognized. Most of Shakespeare's plays and stories were about women. At that time, his works were read and watched by everyone. Shakespeare's women were endowed with the best virtues, they always did what they were supposed to do. At least, that's what you're supposed to think. Women of ...... middle of paper ...... ts, because books are the most influential thing I've ever seen. Works Cited Collins, Suzanne and Phil Falco. “Chapter 1.” The hunger games. New York: Scholastic, 2008. 6. Print. “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library” San Jose State University Library. Internet. May 27, 2014. “From Hinton to Hamlet.” Google Books. Internet. May 27, 2014.Green, John. “Chapter 7.” The fault in our stars. New York: Penguin Group, 2012. 106. Print “High School Main Page.” Teenagers. Internet. May 27, 2014. “It’s Women’s History Month!” Introduce your daughter to these inspiring role models. » IVillage. Internet. May 27, 2014. “Popular Books About Female Protagonists.” » Popular books about female protagonists. Internet. May 27, 2014. Roth, Veronica. Divergent. New York: HarperCollins Children's, 2012. 78. Print.Stamper, Julie S. Female Characters as Role Models in Young Adult Literature. University of Tennessee.