Tragic Muses

I've written about this before but I just read a glowing review of Bridge to Terabithia, and so now I'm writing about it again.

There is a certain genre of Young Adult or Kids book that I have never liked, and am never going to like.  Let's call these books the Tragic Muse books.

In these books a young person (always male) who has buried artistic tendencies and is in danger of becoming conformist because of either a) lack of inspiration or b) social pressure, meets another young person (always female) who inspires and intrigues him.  Young Man is drawn out of his shell / inspired to create art / develops a better understanding of humanity through his interaction with Young Woman.  Then Young Woman tragically disappears or dies.  Young Man is left to ponder the meaning of his existence and make his nice artworks, inspired by the memory of dear departed Young Woman.

Books that fit this plot:
Bridge to Terabithia (won a Newbery)
Stargirl (very popular and recommended to me all the time)
Looking for Alaska (won a Printz award)

I think that my objections to this plot would be instantly withdrawn if a book about a young, conformist, artistic girl who meets a mysterious fey young guy who inspires her and then disappears or dies should win an award.  But as I have never seen this book I am not holding my breath.  All three books are perfectly well written, and yet just thinking about them fills me with irritation.  There are certain kinds of books that I just feel the world has enough of, and Tragic Muse books are high on the list.  (Followed in close second by books of the "Sweet Young Woman Rescues Emotionally and Physically Scarred Older Man" genre, and with the same caveat - show me some award winning "Sweet Young Man Rescues Emotionally and Physically Scarred Older Woman" books and I'll take all my irritation back.)