Young Adult (Y.A.) genre
The emergence of the Y.A. or Young Adult genre, and soon after oversaturation of this market, took place during my lifetime. If you are not familiar with the term "Young Adult" or "Y.A." you are not alone. Many people have not heard this term used before. This genre is basically a gap between children's' books and adult novels, spanning from around 12 to 18+. You may see this age range referenced on signs at your local bookstore. This is not to say someone younger or older cannot read these books, but rather just to state that their target audience, content, and reading level is between those ages. Many adults still read Young Adult or Teen novels or children's books, and this is perfectly alright. There are teens who branch out into adult works of literature as well, so everyone has their own reading level and interests that can lie outside these script categories and age ranges.
Often, Y.A. novels will feature a teenager or younger adult protagonist. As a genre, it often explores that transitional period in their coming of age journey. Not every book must stick to this format and in recent years, the very term Young Adult has been so widely used that it may include more adult "spicy" content than younger kids are prepared to read, or may be such a simple read for younger readers it barely qualifies as a book for teenagers with a higher reading level.
A large portion of the Young Adult novels I read growing up were during the dystopian boom, such as The Maze Runner by James Dashner, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Divergent by Veronica Roth, and The Giver by Lois Lowery. These were Science Fiction (or Sci-Fi) oriented stories, which was a migration from my original fascination with Fantasy genre. Some fantasy stories I enjoyed reading were The Graceling Realm series by Kristin Cashore, the first of which remains one of my favourite books to this day, The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, which was a bit outside my reading level at the time, but the content fits this category well, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan. Riordan has a number of related series that I have also read, and writing journal entries for English class was made more fun by exploring the content of his books and the unique characters he had written.
Sci-Fi genre tends to focus on science and technology in a explorative and fictional context whereas Fantasy stories tend to feature more magical elements such as castles, and princesses for instance. My own Stolen Lives series would be described under the latter, Fantasy category for these reasons. However, placing any book into such tight restrictions of Fantasy versus Sci-Fi categories can be tricky when both readers and authors often mingle the two genres together and combine elements of magic and technology.
Although Fantasy and Sci-Fi are meant to be quite separate genres in theory, their natural bleed together has led to some interesting new developments in writing for Young Adult category as a whole.
The main difference I noticed in emerging books today versus the past in both these categories was the protagonists. In the handful of books I read compared to the million books that exist, I noticed a trend in older fantasy books where the protagonist's narration felt kind of lost inside their big fantasy world and the plot or motives were not as clearly located as they are in more current books. This is just an opinion and observation I found personally and in no ways describes the thousand of books I did not read that maybe held very strong protagonists with distinct voices that stood out from the world they inhabited.
I can say one book that grabbed my attention for the quick pace, action, and protagonist's strong character, was Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. Sometimes I failed to understand the wit and sarcasm of a 12 year old boy protagonist, but it was still good fun, especially by book three. I also enjoyed reading the female points of view in Riordan's Heroes of Olympians series. I thought they were quite well done and captivating books that made me really get into reading, which is not at all a new statement from fans of his work and often the case for those readers. The books felt written for our age level and geared towards kids, which is my point from earlier in which there were marvelous books with wonderous stories and adventurous places, but the protagonists did not feel as captivating as Riordan's books and many other authors still putting out their work today. Again, this is just my opinion based on a handful of books, and I still read those books that I have not listed, but I preferred ones that hooked me with a protagonist I could relate to, find amusing, or cared about.
Some of the best female protagonists I read in both fantasy and Sci-Fi genres were Katsa from Graceling by Kristin Cashore, Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Colins, America from the Selection series by Kiera Cass, Alexa from Defy by Sara B. Larson, and Juliette from Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. This is only a handful from books I read, and I am sure there are many more I could name now that I have read more books, but I am mostly referencing these genres and my reading boom in my teenage years.
I did not get into Sci-fi until high school when it seemed to be emerging like a wild fire as books were turned into movies and suddenly all these spin off titles were released in a frenzy of popular dystopian plotlines for teens. So, by this time, perhaps authors had learned to write their protagonists less like the older movies with dawdling credits at the opening and more like the introduce their hook first, ask questions later kind of deal that intrigues readers to keep reading. Action and mystery is always a preference for me in this genre's opening few lines, but not a requirement by any means. Every reader has different book tastes as well.
[(left) photo I took of Digby Gut view from park, (right) photo I took in Yarmouth of the art wall of buoys.]
Young Adult literature can span across many genres; Contemporary being a significant portion of the works I see in today's bookstores. However, within these genres of Fantasy, Contemporary, and Sci-Fi, was a significant trend outside the coming of age journey, which was Romance. There still is a large portions of Y.A. stories that fixated on Romantic plotlines or romantic tropes. I would like to discuss the trope part here, and so you can see it is not all Romance stories that I am discussing, but the nature in which the story is told through a romantic lens, often using methods designed ages ago that still frequent popular novels to this day.
If "trope" is a term you have not come across in terms of writing, reading, or even watching T.V. or film, you are not alone. Trope is typically used among the writing and reading community to discuss trends and popular overused plots, themes, or conveniences that are purposefully recycled throughout literature history until it can be identified outside of its literary source. For example: Love triangles were a popular trope and still are today. It is probably a trope that will be used for decades to come in various styles and twists that the audience will either hate, love, or not even notice. Love triangles is where two characters are attracted to the same character or three characters are attracted to each other or different people and it creates a complicated little device in fiction where miscommunications can occur, or it draws out the romantic plotline for an extended period of time. I can think of one very famous example of this that was huge just before my teenage years, I wonder if you have heard of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. I have not read her books personally but I do know the premise is a love triangle that is drawn out throughout the series until someone chooses who they wish to be with. Some love triangles resolve by having no one be with anyone, and others switch back and forth between lovers. However this trope is carried out is up the author's innovation, but the original concept stands up to time.
Another popular trope or concept in fictional stories especially Fantasy and Sci-Fi genres is the idea of the "chosen one". Essentially, a character is picked or selected to fulfilled a task or destiny. Sometimes they volunteer, sometimes they are chosen by a prophecy or doomsday kind of prediction. Does this sound familiar? While not a romance trope, it is a good example to help you understand this concept of a "trope" if you are not used to the word.
Tropes can considered cringe after overuse and exhausting of creativity. However, some readers continue to love certain tropes, even seeking them out intentionally in their next book. Meanwhile other readers do not mind tropes, but need them to be carefully written. Then there are readers who are just sick of repetition in general in books and looking for a new trend to arrive. These are all fair opinions to hold as everyone has their own opinions, likes, and dislikes when it comes to the written word.
Romance can be some people's favourite genre, as it is one of the more popular ones, but to me it always felt rather cheap growing up. Luckily since then I have discovered a few subplot romances I enjoyed within the larger story's plot. I prefer a romance to be treated as the subplot in fiction, and cannot really stand it being the entire plot unless it is done really well and the characters learn from their mistakes and treat each other well at the very least. I do not enjoy romantic relationships portrayed in abusive styles and romanticized for that nature. If you are going to write an abusive relationship, it should only be romantic to the one choosing to stay in it for their perspective, and not made to look that way to readers unless it is a plot twist where they discover it was abusive later or something. I hope this makes sense to people reading this that I have enjoyed books featuring a relationship that is not idealized by readers and only the characters trapped in that situation in a way, because of course the authors are telling a story, and stories deserve to be told. I just do not care for society painting romance in a toxic light that should be idolized for those specifically toxic things.
I will give an excellent example of how an author managed this tricky path of storytelling and considering the audience's interpretation well. Kiera Cass included a nice note to readers in her Happily Ever After book about one of the character's relationships being a toxic one, but a choice on the character's part for her survival and her own romantic feelings. I will quote part of it here: "I never meant for this novella to condone abusive relationships" (Kiera Cass, no page number "An Introduction to the Queen" from Happily Ever After). Therefore in reading this novella section, the relationship is not really idolized in the same way because of this lovely note and I appreciate that transparency and intention, even in fiction when authors provide these. Perhaps not everyone has a difficulty with this, but even when I read Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan, there is an opening line that tells the readers not to read any further and I took that quite literally and closed the book, which my mom had to proceed to explain to me was not an order but just the character's narration.
Including notes from the author is never a necessary addition to a work of fiction either, but merely one I am grateful to find, as it shares their thoughts and intentions and regrets going into a piece of writing. Kristin Cashore included a note similar to Cass's in her Graceling Realm companion book, Bitterblue about the representation of disabilities in fantasy books and I feel like it was a wonderful message and thought after her first book to share. She was able to flesh out that character's difficulties and establish that he still had a disability, despite magical interventions. I just thought it was a really thoughtful thing to include because it showed that she cared, even if this is fiction, about the impact a book can have on all types of readers, and that is the purpose of my discussion here. To tell all kinds of stories, while considering the possible impacts they have because why else are we telling them?
There are many great romance stories written today. Many contain well executed tropes that spark interest in the reader while some revisit old tropes in the same style that has kept readers coming back to them for decades if not centuries. However, just as the Y.A. category has changed and evolved into a wider range and selection that includes all kind of stories by many authors both through traditional and nontraditional publishing, so too have the romance subcategory of Y.A. books evolved a bit from where they began. There is more diversity, sexualities, styles of relationships portrayed in a healthy role-model type fashion, which is really nice to see for a change.
It is good to read stories that represent relationships in a healthy way and not just written for the drama of it, although those certainly still exist and can be enjoyed and are enjoyed by many. I just am grateful to also see some good role models for young readers and maturing teens encountering these books. They might be able to distinguish a healthier choice of behaviour from an unhealthy or abusive one in relationships or they might just be happy to see a character they can relate to because they share the same interests in terms of relationships. It is just good to see characters and authors being represented more than they were allowed to be showcased before and hopefully it continues in this positive direction where all kinds of stories can be told and enjoyed.
As I have explained, I love when books use framing to clarify how unhealthy (often abusive) relationships are unhealthy and not to be glorified as an ideal goal to strive for; they are simply told because they exist, fictional or not. To me, it is critical to show how even a fictionally toxic romance can exist without being idolized or romanticized to the audience. As well as showing calmer relationships as potential role models of behaviour is a positive development for the Romance genre as a whole, but also specifically within Y.A genres for developing minds.
If you asked before why I was not as drawn to Romance as a genre growing up than perhaps my peers and the rest of the world, it was because of this blatant toxicity that often painted toxic or abusive relationships as role models for teens to follow and learn from, but I find people tend to repeat the same patterns they see around them. So, by incorporating more positive relationships into popular mediums like books, then maybe we can see treating each other with kindness as more of a turn on than violence. Just maybe. I hope.
A lot of fiction has recently made room for more celebrating diversity, various sexualities, and lifestyles which is a positive trend I hope continues because those are the role models for tomorrow whether they were put on the page to be one or not. It happens by default. Perhaps, given this positive influence steering me towards fiction that incorporates romantic features, I myself will write or publish a work of romance in the future or at least a subplot of romance. You never know.
For now, I will continue to write my novel series, Stolen Lives, which currently features no romance. this was an intentional decision I made as a kid craving a book series with a female protagonist who's sole purpose in the story is not to get a man. I know there are arguments that can be made for some books featuring a romance that also describe a female protagonist who was not interested in romance, but as a young woman that was my mission. I was determined to prove it can be done, and it can be fun, and heartfelt, and romance is not a necessary component for the main protagonist of my books.
Maybe more people need to ask the question of why is it necessary to throw in a romantic plotline in the midst of a perfectly good story with an already strong plot about people barely surviving whatever circumstances? Because it sold before? Because we are afraid to try something new? Now, of course, there was a strong female character architype that rose to power in media in recent years and still exists, but as a kid growing up, this was not frequent if at all. Main female leads were still rare then, and although perhaps the audience is sick of them now from overuse, I still want to complete my original mission for this series. Then, perhaps I will dive into that romance plotline idea for later works outside this series.
Although, one of the reasons I strove to write Stolen Lives was to publish a story without romance being the main or basic subplot. I also wanted friendship and family in the foreground, because who has time for romance when you are saving your family, yourself, and the world? Honestly, that is expecting too much energy and trust on the part of your characters in a world falling down around them like in many Fantasy and Sci-Fi books. Even if you enjoy a romantic plot, I believe you can still enjoy a book without this aspect. The story does not lose anything without romance, so why incorporate an unnecessary topic in nearly every Y.A. book? Today, there are now many Y.A. books without romance as a subplot, but romance still remains a large part of the book market, and that is okay because at least it is evolving to include more voices and stories.
In terms of reading age, sometimes the Y.A. genre can be tricky to navigate. With books covering such a vast age range and topics, finding an appropriate book for a 12 year old versus an 18 year old (or older) choosing the right Y.A. for a reader can be a challenge. I know a large part of Y.A. came from the need for books between children and adults, but somewhere along the trendy path, it became a selling point to slap Y.A. on an adult book and call it okay. I am not going to judge whether content of Y.A. genres is appropriate or not for the younger readers reaching for these books in the bookstore. I personally feel they do a good job of separating the levels of maturity in bookstores, but if you are a concerned parent, I recommend you do a little research before handing your child a book that maybe was above what you consider appropriate for them. If they are older, they can probably choose for themselves what is and is not appropriate reading, and their own reading level might dictate this a bit too, pushing them into more complex topics than younger books might approach.
I can personally state my Stolen Lives series should be appropriate for 13+ readers according to the guidelines I read online. If you are a parent who feels strongly about any specific content in fiction that may be unacceptable for your younger child or preteen, you might want to wait and that is perfectly alright. I did keep reading level and content in mind for the first book, but as with any series, it may get a little more intense as the book matures with the audience, but not by much. As there is no romance, the only content that even is related is not stated outright but dealt with as an off screen trauma, mostly with the villain and the protagonist's mother. An older teenager should be able to decide if a Y.A. rated book is right for them, as often books we read in school are much more brutal than what I wrote in a simply fantasy novel. As far as rating the appropriateness of a book under the Y.A. category, there is no definitive answers. I have seen various ratings for movies that can be used on books, however there are many movies that should perhaps have been ranked older or were stated to be for older audiences when it was indeed perfectly appropriate for younger ones. So, you can only use these ratings as a guideline, perhaps go with your gut and decide what books feel right for you or ask for recommendations from someone you trust.
Overall, Y.A. books seem to focus on coming of age journeys, which is an experience you could really adapt and go through at any age in your own lifespan, so it makes sense that not all Young Adult books are marketed for children and teens. That journey is universal, we have all gone through it at least once, and not everyone finds their place as a teenager. Some people go through maybe journeys throughout their lifetime, so a book targeted at Y.A. audiences may captivate an older reader who experienced something similar or wants to learn about a journey that is completely dissimilar to their own. There are so many reasons we read fiction, but number one for me is when the characters are full of life. That is what makes this Y.A. category for everyone.
Since I write for this Y.A. category and age group currently, I will continue to read it as I technically may have "out-aged" this category, but no one should be shamed for enjoying a book, no matter the target audience. I have read plenty of depressing adult stories and fun kids books alike for University classes no less, and I can say they are all worth reading at any age. There is no max age limit on reading or enjoying the arts in my opinion, nor should there be. However, with that said, if a parent is trying to find an "appropriate" story for their teenager, I can certainly understand where there would be difficulty sorting through this vague category of "Y.A." fiction. It is the category all encompassing for what once did not even exist, bridging the gap between a child and an adult in literary form.
(This blog post is based on personal experience and opinions only, and should not be taken as a form of factual information or otherwise in any way. Please enjoy the books you enjoy and have fun reading!)
Julia May
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