YA vs. Adult Literature

So, now that we've gotten through my thoughts on snobby readers, onto my actual thoughts on YA vs. Adult literature.

In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that I am a 25 year old who reads YA. I'd say about half of my reading is YA. However, I didn't really start reading YA until I was 19-20. When I was in middle school and high school there was very little MG or YA that I was exposed to that I was interested in. I don't even remember the Barnes and Noble I frequented in high school having a YA section, just one that contained picture books and chapter books for younger readers.

I think YA now is a very different beast than it was even ten years ago. And I think a lot of people make assumptions about the genre based on the days of Sweet Valley High. I think those who haven't been exposed to the breadth and depth of the current genre are missing out.

The objection most heard tends to be, I'm not reading that, it was written for kids, as if the person thinks it must be lesser than books for adults. The quality of the genre as a whole is extraordinary. YA is not a dumbed down or watered down read, like some adults expect. Teens are smart. Smarter than a lot of adults give them credit for. And they want robust, well written books just as smart as they are.

The other complaint tends to be, but I want a book about things that matter. YA these days don't shy away from anything. Sex, drugs, and alcohol aren't taboo. Teens will more than likely encounter them and YA reflects that without always turning it into a lesson on how only terrible tings will happen to you if you do them. Which isn't to say that they're glorified in YA, just that they're portrayed realistically.

There are great YA books out there addressing every type of child abuse, rape, addiction, poverty, pregnancy, suicide, loss of a loved one, abusive relationships, stalking, every type of sexuality, etc. There's a book out there for every teen to relate to, no matter what they're going through. And even if they're problems most adults wouldn't consider as severe as those listed above, they still seem like everything to that teen going through it, and they can find books that treat it that way.

Which isn't to say only teens can enjoy these books, because every YA has one commonality at it's center, a coming of age story. And no matter how old you're gotten, we can all still relate to that experience. We all go through it, and it's the core of every YA story.