We all know that Joey and Sally will end up together or the hero will slay the dragon, but yet we still WANT to read these youthful novels. Opening a Young Adult novel is never an easy task; you don't know what characters you are going to emotionally invest yourself in or the countless hours you spend avoiding sleep because you can't stop flipping the pages. We've all been there and we all know the five stages of reading a Young Adult novel...

1. Dread

Most people don't like to read, especially about magical creatures and high school romance, and there are even English majors who don't enjoy reading. You don't want another assignment and you don't want to sacrifice your Netflix time, so you procrastinate and make excuses until you are forced to face the 200+ page novel that is collecting dust on your desk.

2. Commitment

At this point you have read about a third of the novel, the plot may not have progressed much, but you might as well finish what you've started. And your questions NEED answers.

3. Comfort

You have settled into the novel, found a place inside the character's head, and are enjoying the ride. Everything seems to be going as planned; the hero (supposedly) defeats the villain and the girl has a date with Mr. Dreamy. You enjoy being able to escape your world and find solace in the pages of a book.

4. Angst

Well, the author just threw a curve ball out of right field and the characters strikeout. The plot has thickened, normalcy is gone, and you can't help but nervously bite your fingernails and flip the pages in search of a solution.

5. Fulfillment

That pit in the bottom of your stomach is finally gone and you can breathe. You close the book, (sometimes) satisfied with the ending, and think that maybe reading wasn't such a waste of time. But if there is a sequel, then be prepared to ride this rollercoaster of fictional exploration again and again and again.

Reading isn't always going to be fun and there isn't a guarantee that it'll help solve your problems, but it does provide an escape from your spinning world if only for a chapter or two.