Today I wanted to talk about the young adult category for the book world. I hesitate to say genre, since you can have a contemporary young adult novel or a paranormal young, the same as you can have an adult paranormal or an adult contemporary, so really calling it a genre doesn't make much sense...
I digress.
Anyway, back on topic. The more I read, the less I find myself going further and further away from young adult. While I've broadened my horizons quite a bit this year (including historical, fantasy, and sci-fi - go me!), it's been almost exclusively new adult and adult novels. In fact, I think the series I picked up last week has been the first taste of young adult I've had this year. I've enjoyed it, but it has definitely reminded me why I drifted from YA in the first place. I'm counting YA as a book where the protagonist is between the ages of 13 and 17-18.
5. Keepin' it PG-13
This is one of my biggest issues with YA: the censoring. For most YA books (not all, of course), the violence, sex, swearing, ect is diluted to some extent and in some way. Don't get me wrong, I expect that and am totally okay with it when the target audience is in the 15 and under crowd. But for the novels geared towards older teens, it bugs me a bit. The vast majority of 16/17/18 year olds are fully capable of dealing with the stark truth of such matters, and have more than likely experienced some - if not all - of the material censored themselves.
After reading YA, I have the intense desire to dive into the filthiest, smuttiest smut I can get my hands on.
4. High school years aren't fun
I was home schooled and didn't attend a physical high school, but I can fully relate to how difficult the high school/teenage years are. Physical, mentally, emotionally, it is tough, especially before the age of 16 or so. I'm not that far out of the YA target audience myself, and I have no desire to revisit that.
3. 2getha 4 evah
I love romance. Love it. In fact, my last Top Ten Tuesday was 10 reasons I love romance. I want to swoon over a couple, and completely believe in their relationship and commitment. In YA, especially without a paranormal element, I just...don't. There's a constant seed of doubt, a feeling of fleetingness to the relationship, and I don't like it.
2. So much potential!
Some YA novels have the most interesting and unusual plots that just beg you to pick them up. The potential is so deep and amazing in tons of YA, and I'm always so eager to immerse myself in the plot. I usually wind up being a tad disappointed, unfortunately. Either poor characterization, a choppy plot, or fear of going too far holds the story back, and it's frustrating.
1. Love triangles
Okay, this isn't a YA exclusive (unfortunately), but it is far to prevalent there, especially for the paranormal genre. There is nothing, nothing in a book I hate more than a love triangle, either a full blown one or a maybe-maybe-not one. I want to root for one couple, and fall in love with one hero. It infuriates me on every level when it gets split up.
I get the intense urge to throw a book when there's something in the synopsis along the lines of "good friend who's always there for you/mysterious new boy". Even if it doesn't end in a love triangle, it makes me go:
I can think of only one book where a love triangle was believable, well done, and not rage inducing, and it was a YA, believe it or not. Few authors can pull it off, so I wish it wasn't so popular.
Side note: a love triangle (or really, as I understand, just a love shift) is the reason I'm avoiding the sequel to a book I mostly enjoyed earlier this year. *coughACourtOfMistAndFurycough*
So that's it! This is why I've (mostly) quick young adult. What about you? Do you love or dislike YA?
I don't think I could ever stop reading YA (never say never). My high school life wasn't fun, sure. But the kids I read about sure do! I love reliving my teens vicariously through them. And sometimes, real life is so fucking awful that I'd rather get lost in the simplicity of that life, yanno?
ReplyDeleteI'm with ya on High School life. I would never want to revisit that. I do enjoy YA once in awhile. In fact, I'm reading one now. But I'm extremely picky about the ones I pick up. They have to come highly recommended or I'm not wasting my time. For all the reasons you stated - I don't want to pick one up that doesn't win me over. I also have to read them in doses. I will finish a YA book and then have to read something adult or a suspense because I just can't read them back to back. It's not my favorite 'genre' for sure.
ReplyDeleteHate the love triangles in YA and/or instalove. New Adult genre seems to serve me a bit better since it doesn't hold anything back.
ReplyDeleteI like YA but it can get boring for all of the reasons you listed! I try to take breaks between YA with more adult books in between.
ReplyDeleteBTW, you should just read ACOMAF already. :P It's so much better than ACOTAR and when you get to the parts that you mentioned about the love shift, it's done extremely well and there's a lot of stuff that makes total sense. It's very realistic. I don't want to say much more because it will spoil it but that book is fantastic and probably one of the best books I've ever read. It's definitely not a love triangle and I'm not even sure you could consider it a love shift. Seriously, I need you to read it already so we can talk about it! :P ;)
I don't read much NA for many of these reasons but mostly b/c there is just too much drama for someone of that age. That cracker meme suits it fine. LOL I don't read much outside the paranormal YA so I guess I don't find this too often. Usually it has to be a special kind of YA for me to read contemporary so I'm very selective when it comes to that genre. I think this is why I tend to stick to the paranormal.
ReplyDeleteI love YA books, but I can see why certain "tropes" that occur a lot in YA novels would drive people nuts. I think it depends on the novel, obviously, and some authors do it better than others. :)
ReplyDeleteI've pulled back on YA contemporary a lot in the past year. I just don't have much patience for most of them. Love-triangles don't usually bother me, though.
ReplyDeleteI still read a lot of YA but I agree on a lot of the points. I do like the more mature YA of that makes sense. "2getha 4 eva" made me laugh for real. Great post!!
ReplyDeleteYes, well to be honest I never really read YA contemps, but I will still dive into fantasy, dystopian and post-apocalyptic that aren't focused on romance..Like Red Rising
ReplyDeleteI do love YA still (I'm on the prudish side and many years out of high school), but I am SO sick of both love triangles plus adults who keep secrets that endanger the lives of the heroine (it's almost always a girl).
ReplyDeleteI used to love YA books but lately I'm just finding I'm over them. I can't really put my finger on why except maybe that there are too many tropes and nothing feels original anymore to me. Fun post!
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