There tends to be a negative stigma attached to Young Adult literature these days. It's too cliché, it's all the same, there too many vampires, angels or oppressing dystopian societies etc etc. And it seems once you've passed a certain age you're looked down on for still reading and enjoying these books. Do you, as an adult, walk down the Young Adult aisle and fear the judging eyes on you from behind? As if they're silently telling you to grow up? Is this a problem within the genre or people in general? Do you believe that we need a fresh wave of writers to bring a new edge to the idea of Young Adult literature to crack this stigma attached?
I completely understand your concern about the stigma surrounding YA. I would be the first to disagree with you and the genre, except that I found that the true value in YA is with the wisdom entrusted within the prose and the imagination. Nothing ever changes in life, the more we progress in time, the more certain things remain constant, is the way I see it. I find myself going back to the tried and true pages of text, and realizing how powerful the messages were, I was just too distracted and inexperienced to make sense of it. YA is at the bottom of my list of books to read, but certainly will remain a vital recourse when I ever hit that road block every writer faces. – lofreire8 years ago
YA is going through a trilogy phase for sure. – Munjeera8 years ago
There has also been a trend in YA of forced social issues taking precedence over the plot. If these themes are at the forefront, it starts to feel more like a lecture than a narrative. Social issues should happen organically in fiction and leave the reader with enough information to discuss and form their own opinions. – AGMacdonald8 years ago
I'm suspicious of the YA designation because so much of the time, the books seem to be pretty similar (not necessarily with plot devices or dystopian view, but in their view of young adulthood as-told-from privileged adulthood). Also, YA is a pretty profitable market, hence the cliches and repetition. The genre designation is very convenient as a marketing and book-sales tool. As for "outgrowing" YA, that's why the publishing industry has a growing interest in the term New Adult, which is a kind of transitional term between YA and Adult fiction -- that might be an interesting place to look to answer this question of stimga. – belindahuang188 years ago
That judgment is precisely why I don't buy YA in bookstores (I usually use Kindle). Having admitted I do read it, I'm also pretty picky about what I do choose. YA literature does, in my opinion, need something of a facelift. It's become stereotypical; most people think YA is either dystopian or saucy teen romance. As we know though, it's much more than that. – Stephanie M.7 years ago
I am quite the contrary to the opinion held of YA, and my preference in regarding this topic. My position is though--modestly, different.
I am an adolescent, presently I do not take interest in YA literature, though I must admit no young adult commonly prefers philosophy instead. It isn't enjoyable to me (YA) , though I enjoy the "boring" stuff. Anyone up for discussion, just let me know. – Mindovermatter7 years ago
I think this stigma around YA is actually an opportunity for writers to take the challenge to break this stereotype and produce new creative stories, such as focusing on character development or less typical youth scenarios/issues. – EmilyJarvie7 years ago