Introduction
Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, The Mortal Instruments, and
Twilight, these young adult series have topped the Best Sellers’ list and
generated billions at the box office.
Not bad for kids’ books, huh?
But what is young adult?
What YA is and isn’t
Depending upon who you ask, young adult (YA) is an age range
for books, a genre unto itself, or both.
Generally, YA is targeted at readers between twelve and
eighteen, ( though as you will see, the readership skews older in many cases),
and focuses on teenage characters as they begin exploring their world, deciding
for themselves who they are, what they want to be, and how they fit in or don’t
as the case often is.
However, merely having teenage characters in a work doesn’t make it YA. Unless the growth and emotional experiences of the teen characters is the primary focus, then it’s just an adult story with teen characters.
Not Just for Kids
One of the staples of YA novels is the coming of age tale,
and as such, readers of all ages can relate to them.
This is partially why, according to a 2012 study, over 55%
of YA readers are over the age of eighteen, and some estimates have put that
figure as high as 70%.
This raises the question why adults would want to read books for kids.
Why YA?
You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.
― Madeleine L’Engle
An overlooked answer is YA novels are well-written books that pull on the heartstrings of readers of all ages.
I admit to being a recovering Potter Head, and I’m sure many
of you out there can say the same.
The truth is just because a book is for kids, doesn’t mean
it must be simplistic.
Many times YA books have been at the forefront of addressing
social issues like sexual assault, bullying, teen suicide, and police brutality
against people of color, while adult novels have lagged on these issues.
Moreover, because the pressure to write a “grownup” book has been taken off them, YA writers can and have produced works that are genuine and heartfelt.
Isle of Misfit Toys
Another reason YA is
so appealing to older adult readers, is that they are adrift in a world they
don’t understand, much like the teen protagonists in these books.
Parents told us Millennials if we worked hard, got decent grades, and went to college, we could be whatever we wanted and have a good life. Except in many cases what happened is we did all that and now have a mountain of student loan debt and jobs that have little to nothing to do with our majors because capitalism doesn’t care about your dreams if they aren’t marketable.
Add on to this the economic collapse of 2008 and depressed wages, and is it any wonder many of us would rather spend time in a fantasy world where we don’t have to deal with “adulting”?
The Greatest Generation Ever
As I alluded to above, many millennials grew up with their
parents telling them that they could be whatever they wanted, and in many cases
that they were special and great at whatever they did.
So, once they got out into the real world and discovered
that not only weren’t they the greatest things ever, but that they were barely
above average, there were much butt-hurt to be had.
It’s only natural they’d turn to stories were the average
kid turns out to be the chosen one or special in some way, because the truth of
our mediocrity is too much for many of us to bear. So, we grab the latest YA
novel and forget we’re adults for a while.
But there comes a point when we must put away childish
things and be adults.
The Family that Reads Together
I would be remised if I didn’t point out that many adults
read YA so they know what their kids or grandkids are reading, and in some cases,
they will read YA books and then pass them on to their younger relatives.
There’s nothing wrong with this, and this can spark
conversations between older and younger readers about how they see the world.
However, the problem lies in adults who use YA novels as a
crutch to avoid real life.
So how can this change?
A Way Forward
New Adult (NA) is an emerging genre that focuses on college-aged
and post-college-aged protagonists that are dealing with the growing pains of
entering the adult work force, having their first serious relationship, and
finding their place in the world.
This genre shares many of the same characteristics as YA,
except the problems the characters face are more complex than which boy or girl
will go with them to prom.
If more publishers published YA, then more writers would write
it and this would go a long way to giving adult readers healthy books to read.
And when I say healthy books, I’m referring to unhealthy things
such as how during the height of the Twilight craze, women in their thirties
and over proudly flaunted their crushes on Edward and Jacob. Teenage characters.
Moreover, by not moving past these teenage protagonists and their immature problems, adult readers of YA stay stuck in a juvenile mindset.
Conclusion
I’m not throwing shade at all adult readers of YA. Read what you like.
I’m merely pointing out that these books are supposed to be for teens, and by reading them, some adults are choosing to reject reality in live in a state of arrested development.
This isn’t good for anyone.
Yes, read about Harry, Catniss, Clary, and Bella, but then
go outside and be a part of the real world. Because the only way the world will
change, is if we participate in it.
Call to Action
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