Why I Love YA Fiction (And Why You Should Too)
I officially stopped reading YA novels when I was thirteen years old. I was sick of reading about homecoming, first love, and cafeteria food. That summer, I plunged head first into adult novels, starting with Stephen King. I distinctly remember lying in bed, binge-reading IT, and feeling very, very mature (also, slightly spooked).
Fast forward to my junior year in college. I was living in a very small town, and had an even smaller bookstore budget. I hit the local library, and within six months had read almost every contemporary novel on the shelf. In desperation, I turned to the YA section.
And what I found was a revelation. Yes, there were still novels about homecoming, first love, and bad high school food. But the children's librarian has also managed to sneak in daring, subversive novels. It was here that I discovered Francesca Lia Block and her wonderful Weetzie Bat books. I read Nancy Farmer's pivotal Annie on my Mind. I fell in love with Sonya Hartnett and David Almond.
It didn't stop there. I'm constantly finding YA novels that push boundaries and ask thought-provoking questions about societal norms. Is it a coincidence that dystopian fiction has found a cozy niche in YA? I don't think so. The Hunger Games is an entertaining, fast-paced read about an alternate-reality civilization. It's also an exploration on war, violence, and reality entertainment.
YA novels take risks that, for the most part, I don't see happening in adult fiction. NOT that I don't love adult fiction, I could blab on and on for days about books I adore. But sometimes I wonder if the limitations on graphic sex and violence in YA fiction opens up the possibility of richer material.
So go on, plunder the YA bookshelves. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
Fast forward to my junior year in college. I was living in a very small town, and had an even smaller bookstore budget. I hit the local library, and within six months had read almost every contemporary novel on the shelf. In desperation, I turned to the YA section.
And what I found was a revelation. Yes, there were still novels about homecoming, first love, and bad high school food. But the children's librarian has also managed to sneak in daring, subversive novels. It was here that I discovered Francesca Lia Block and her wonderful Weetzie Bat books. I read Nancy Farmer's pivotal Annie on my Mind. I fell in love with Sonya Hartnett and David Almond.
It didn't stop there. I'm constantly finding YA novels that push boundaries and ask thought-provoking questions about societal norms. Is it a coincidence that dystopian fiction has found a cozy niche in YA? I don't think so. The Hunger Games is an entertaining, fast-paced read about an alternate-reality civilization. It's also an exploration on war, violence, and reality entertainment.
YA novels take risks that, for the most part, I don't see happening in adult fiction. NOT that I don't love adult fiction, I could blab on and on for days about books I adore. But sometimes I wonder if the limitations on graphic sex and violence in YA fiction opens up the possibility of richer material.
So go on, plunder the YA bookshelves. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
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