fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2664 ]

[ SECRET POST #2664 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2664 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The young adult definition isn't there to 'segregate' teenagers from other books, Teenagers are free to read whatever they like. Young adult fiction just has themes that are potentially more appealing or relatable to teenagers and pre-teens, which is why it's labelled as such.
Honestly, as an adult I'm capable of enjoying both young adult fiction and serious literature. There's no reason why there can't be both. (And some adult fic is just as low quality the cheesiest YA stuff. Just saying.)

"as an adult I'm capable of enjoying both young adult fiction and serious literature"

Well, yeah, me too (I've read a couple books classified as YA, I'm mostly forced to read classics right now, so it's all -very serious), but look, you made the distinction too: YA and "serious." As if YA had an automatic license to be shittier than regular literature. Like, what? Why would anyone want to read that? Or write that? It's as if if an author wasn't good enough for adults, they could just dumb their books down and sell them to teens. Again, what the hell.

There are probably a lot of dumbed-down YA books. I think there are plenty of dumb mass market adult books, too. The real reason it's so big is that it's selling. Bookstores might be clinging on for life, but at the moment YA is just about the biggest section they have. Right there in the middle, first thing you see when you walk in. They didn't just decide to do that. It grew that way because that's what teens started spending their money on. And like dreemyweird said, there are a lot of teens who really don't like reading and/or aren't very good at it. One of my friends in high school was like this. I think the only book I ever saw her reading was Twilight, which isn't to my taste, but you know what? I was happy she was reading. My mom works with these kids too. She has gotten a lot of teenagers into reading (and one guy into raising chickens) with Flipped. There are people who look at 'adult' books and say "That looks too boring/intimidating/hard." and YA appeals to them. Maybe the reading level is a little lower, which makes sense, because everyone is at a different reading level. That doesn't mean that the actual story is lower or "dumber" in quality. Saying that someone only writes YA because they're not "good enough" for adults is an assumption on your part and it says more about stereotypes that we have for YA/children's books and authors than it does about the actual books and authors.

There are people who look at 'adult' books and say "That looks too boring/intimidating/hard."

I think this is kind of where the problem and the lack of comprehension comes in - because I think to a lot of people, including OP, this attitude is just completely wrong, and more than that, it's completely incomprehensible. Not just finding specific books intimidating, but extending that to all of literature as a whole and letting it be a barrier to reading in general. That's not how it is! It's something that I just don't get and find it hard to get and I just want to say "No that's wrong, stop feeling that way, it's the wrong way to feel." Even though that's illogical. And so much about YA as a phenomenon seems to be based on that fundamental feeling.

What nursejoy said makes a lot of sense, but yeah, you're right, that's basically still my emotional reaction. Also, why would someone want to appeal to people who don't enjoy reading?

Because reading is pretty important for like, getting by in life. I learned to love reading when I was three and my parents put a picture book in front of me. Some people didn't have that, and in many cases, they grow up not being able to read at all. So authors and teachers like my mom (she does adult ed, too) try to reach out to them. My main motivation for writing is to connect to people and it would be just about the biggest compliment ever if someone said I made them enjoy reading.

Yes, so it's about the reading level. I get that. I understand. I mean, it was the Harry Potter books that made me learn English.

But-but-but why then are the YA books specifically about teenage issues? Why aren't they just books about anything just on a simpler reading level? That's my issue with YA.

To get them interested and/or give them something to connect to. Little kids' books have children as protagonists, right? And they're about learning how to share or dealing with the first day of kindergarten, yeah? Age-appropriate issues. A middle/high school kid who doesn't like to read sure as hell isn't going to want to read about boring adult things. She's gonna want to read about someone her age dealing with similar issues to her own. In the end it's just a label that says "This book is for you! You can relate to this story!"

I grudgingly acknowledge that your explanation is likely pretty accurate, especially from the publishing point of view.

Maybe that distinction is a bit unfair, because I do think YA is capable of being thought provoking and serious. But I also think YA is usually at an easier reading level, because it is intended for younger readers. I don't think that gives it the license to be "shitty" though, per say. And like I said, plenty of adult fiction is shit too.

I read science fiction, and it's not hard to find "adult" stuff out there that's more juvenile than a work like Mockingjay, which is about war, propaganda, trauma, problems loving, revenge, and YA by virtue of having a teen protagonist.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ SECRET POST #2664 ]

Re: Young Adult Literature, I still don't get it (a rant)

Re: Young Adult Literature, I still don't get it (a rant)

Re: Young Adult Literature, I still don't get it (a rant)

Re: Young Adult Literature, I still don't get it (a rant)

Re: Young Adult Literature, I still don't get it (a rant)

Re: Young Adult Literature, I still don't get it (a rant)

Re: Young Adult Literature, I still don't get it (a rant)

Re: Young Adult Literature, I still don't get it (a rant)

Re: Young Adult Literature, I still don't get it (a rant)

Re: Young Adult Literature, I still don't get it (a rant)

Re: Young Adult Literature, I still don't get it (a rant)