As an avid reader, I have had the pleasure of reading many different genres and styles of books, but I have noticed that throughout the reading community there seems to be some controversy with a certain category, Young Adult novels to be precise. For some reason, people tend to believe that if something is targeting teens, then it must be silly or fluffy or superficial or unrealistic. This idea just isn’t true. Young Adult books may not be the height of literature, but they can be just as stimulating as other categories. Not only are they relatable for teens and adults alike, they also allow their audience to simply enjoy the story. Most importantly, however, they bring people together as fandoms and friends.
Young adult readers are often teenagers, but in recent years many adults have also begun to read and enjoy books in this section. The young adult section is constantly evolving and growing and can now, sometimes, encompass New Adult books and many other categories as well. These books are sometimes cute and fluffy, sometimes dark and mysterious, sometimes heart-wrenching and intense; furthermore, I have read so many YA titles recently that have torn my heart out or kept me on the edge of my seat, and I have read some that have been lackluster and boring. Just like in any genre, there are good and bad books, and then there are those that either become bestsellers or a meme. Nobody can judge an entire genre on any one book, and sadly that is exactly what many of us tend to do, but this stops now.
Just some examples of beautifully written YA books:
“The Hunger Games” series by Suzanne Collins
“The 5th Wave” series by Rick Yancey
“Graceling” series by Kristen Cashore
“Harry Potter” series by J. K. Rowling (considered to be a children’s book)
All of these series (and many others) are well rated throughout age groups, and yet people still think that adults should be embarrassed to read YA. Some say that YA is not advanced enough for adult audiences, but how can they say that when many Adult books are not exactly Pulitzer worthy themselves, being full of raunchy sex, cliché horror, and unbelievable investigations. Don’t get me wrong, I have read some absolutely terribly cliché and unrealistic YA books, but I’ve also read terrible “grown-up” books. Many people believe that Adult books are more realistic, thus more advanced, because they are set in predetermined time periods, meaning the past or present. How can this be a sound criticism? Any person that can create a world out of thin air, write a story about it and keep his or her facts straight definitely deserves my respect. YA books could just as well be literary masterpieces as any adult book, but these books are often written by authors ranging from sixteen-year-olds to thirty-year-olds, meaning that they understand that most readers in this day and age don’t really care about witty rhetorical devices. Raise your hand if you want to see figurative language in almost every sentence you read. Trust me, it isn’t fun decoding it all. The point of reading is to enjoy oneself. So, let us enjoy ourselves.
YA books are often the coming-of-age type of books. In other words, the protagonist is facing some kind of issue that is causing them to have difficulties as a teenager (or young person), and they will eventually learn and grow from this issue. This can be any type of problem, ranging from “I’m in love with my best friend” to “there is a murderer coming after me,” meaning that so many different readers can be satisfied by this category. Books in this section can enable everyone from teenagers to middle-aged people to feel better about themselves, the issues they are facing, and the people around them. Personally, I have learned so many things about people and myself from simply reading books written by YA authors, and I think that they have been valuable lessons to have learned.
One of the main reasons that I believe that the Young Adult section is so underrated is that it is so diverse. You can write just about anything and put it in the YA section of a bookstore. If you choose a book at random, without looking at the cover or reading a synopsis, it is very unlikely that you could guess what type of book you were about to read. Also, YA books are so open about everything going on in pop culture. Oh, that character is gay? Awesome. A rich girl drag races? Okay, sure. T
Another thing that warrants my approval of YA is that these books are relatable. They are meant to show the reader that everyone has issues. No matter where a book is set or what the plot is, a reader can find something to relate to, whether it be a character’s insecurities or their favorite color. A major point in almost every YA book is “anyone can do anything”. Reading a book about an adult doing incredible things may be more realistic, but it causes younger audiences to feel that they are incapable of doing those same things. On the other hand, reading a book who about a fifteen-year-old girl doing incredible things causes that same young audience to feel empowered.
Most importantly, though, YA books are in the eye of the storm of fandoms. For anyone who doesn’t know what a fandom is, it is basically a group of people from anywhere in the world that really like the same book/movie/TV show/actor/singer/etc. This means that these fangirls/boys communicate with other fangirls/boys from other countries with different cultures, and they sometimes become life-long friends. Yes, other categories allow for this to happen as well, but think about it, the young adult section targets readers that have more advanced technological skills than other generations, meaning that they are more likely to become part of a fandom. I have definitely seen more fans of “Harry Potter” than “The Shining” on Tumblr in recent years.
To those who say that unrealistic stories are not “adult” enough to read, I would just like to say that reading is an activity that people or, at least, I do to relax and get away from problems, or maybe to build up courage, or maybe to live in different world for a little while. No matter what the reason is that you read, most of the time getting a dose of fluff or experiencing a completely different world is exactly what the doctor ordered. Never be ashamed or embarrassed by what you read, because if you like what you read, then there must have been something good about it, something that drew you in, something that charmed you. So, love what you read and read what you love, but don’t let anyone persuade you that what you like is wrong or embarrassing.
