How would you describe 'snark'?

[Rentin]

I am writing a middle grade novel and notice a lot of agents say they are not looking for snark. I've tried to make my main character's voice (hopefully) humorous and somewhat self-deprecating.

Tone-wise I'd say close to Percy Jackson. I'm now wondering if I should dial it back and have her be a bit more earnest and serious.

Anyone have any thoughts on what a snarky narrator sounds like and any examples from middle grade or YA so I can compare?

Ooo go on.archive of.our own... look for dramione snark... there it be in all the snarky splendour!

Pissy, but that's probably not appropriate for YA!

Thank you I will check this out!

Okay this is good as I definitely don’t think I’ve made her sound pissy. Thanks!

I would assume it was a shark with a speech impediment.

"Just the place for a Snark!" the Bellman cried,
As he landed his crew with care;
Supporting each man on the top of the tide
By a finger entwined in his hair.

"Just the place for a Snark! I have said it twice:
That alone should encourage the crew.
Just the place for a Snark! I have said it thrice:
What I tell you three times is true."

Interesting question. I'm English so assumed it was just an American term but not according to this! https://notoneoffbritishisms.com/2012/10/14/the-sarkysnarky-conundrum/

Love the idea it might have come from Australia.

I think of it as a bit sarky and a bit snide.

The Snark was a Boojum!

Snark is sarcastic, pass/agg, barbed comments, a dash of cruelty or bitchiness in otherwise innocuous comments.

If you look up Amanda M Lee on Amazon Kindle, you can read some of the samples - all her characters endlessly snark at each other.

There are tons of authors in the same genre who do nothing but snarky characters and honestly it gets hard to tell the difference between them from book to book.

It's a bit bitchy, a bit sarcastic, a bit point scoring and petty in a way that is meant to mean they are a 'fiery personality'.

Sort of satire on the edge of unpleasant but not quite over it, portrayed as the person snarking being somehow fun and adorable for doing it.

Do you ever find that hours after someone says something to you, you suddenly think of a really funny/clever comeback that you wish you'd thought of at the time?
It's sort of that on steroids all the time.

Thank you everyone for sharing. I think I was overthinking and my character doesn’t cross the line into being snarky

I think the key thing with snark is meaness. It is difficult to do well and still have your character be likable. It's more often seen in a queenbee antagonist/bully type rather then the hero.

Sarcastic is fine but it must punch upwards or at people who deserve it or who were mean first, never at friends or people who are supposed to like the main character unless it's part of a character arc where they fall out with people temporarily or as part of the larger plot.

Just my 2 cent.

Sarcastic but snide - no humour and short tempered possibly