What is YA?
Young Adult Fiction (YA) is a genre for readers between the ages of 12 to 18. While it was slow to establish itself as a genre, it has been present since before the 20th century, first developed to ease the transition between children’s novels and adult literature. In YA, the protagonists are often the same age as the target audience, namely between 12 and 18 years old, and share the same experiences, such as first love, friendship, questions about one’s identity, etc. While it mostly recounts the experience of young adults, YA also encompasses different genres, such as fantasy, romance, or dystopia.
Are all YA suitable for 12-18 readers?
In short, no. YA itself is divided between lower YA (12-14) and upper YA (15+). While the industry has categorized many different novels under the same genre, it is very diverse; despite being placed aside in bookshops or online selling platforms, not all YA are suitable, or enjoyable, for all YA targeted readers. Perhaps, a clearer division between lower and upper YA would be necessary? Well, that’s just my opinion.
Another bothersome factor is when one finds New Adult fiction in the YA section. New Adult fiction (NA) is a developing genre with protagonists ranging from 18 to 30 years old for a target audience of the same age range. A rather wide bracket, I’ll admit to that. What is the difference between YA and NA? They are similar on many accounts; they explore similar themes and they both encompass different genres. But, they have two key differences; the first is the age of the protagonist. The second – and the key element here – is smut. Indeed, NA approaches sexuality and sex in more detail and depth.
As a genre in progress, NA has received much criticism; at first, it was viewed as a marketing scheme, in order to reach a wider audience than YA usually does. However, others said it was necessary to make the distinction between YA and NA in order to allow parents and bookstores to know what is inside, i.e. smut in some cases. The publishing industry does not recognize NA as a genre, which poses some issues. This has led to many NA books being marketed as YA, believing that labelling it as adult fiction would not be enough. And that is where the issue comes in; this marketing strategy has led to NA being placed on the shelf alongside YA, particularly lower YA. As a huge fan of YA and NA (at this point, I cannot deny it) and I am always more than surprised when I find a NA, or “YA”, shelved alongside lower YA in bookshops. I understand that the industry does not want to recognize NA as a genre, but I don’t think it fair to the YA readers.
A final point; as the publishing industry does not recognize NA, many NA authors have had to resort to self-publishing. Although, as NA is on the rise, due to many online platforms such as Bookstagram or Booktok, I believe that this genre will soon be better recognized.
So, am I too old for YA?
Definitely not. No one is ever too old for YA. YA is very diverse and approaches many important themes that are vital to be read about. This genre is necessary in order to open the reader’s mind to different issues and spread awareness amongst our younger generation. And everyone is capable of enjoying YA, whatever the age. However, if you enjoy the themes of YA but would like to have a more “adult” approach to the subject, I recommend NA.
A few examples of famous YA books
- Hunger games, by Suzanne Collins
- Divergent by Veronica Roth
- Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo
- Felix Ever After, by Kacen Callender
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