5 Reasons Why YA Lit is Rad
(or whatever the kids are saying these days)
When I told my husband that my book was going to be a YA fantasy, he wanted to know why I wasn't writing for adults. I had to give it some thought.
I think initially I thought of my book as YA because the main character was young. I also thought that if adults were my intended audience, then there would be a lot of pressure for the writing to be at a high level, and being new to this, I didn't know if I had that in me.
But upon more reflection, I've realized that I love young adult books and I want to write them on purpose.
Here's just a few reasons why:
They have a wide audience.
It's not just teens who read and love YA. I know tons of adults who read YA books simply because they enjoy them. I'm talking regular old adults, not who ones who have teen children and want to keep tabs on what their kids are reading.
This brings me to reason number two…
They are relatable.
I think that there's an angsty teenager in all of us and even when we grow into adults, that part of us never fully goes away. Reading YA books helps us all connect to that inner teen and grapple with our angst.
They provide an escape.
This is not necessarily a bad thing. If you're going to pick a vice, you could do a lot worse and reading. Life is legitimately hard and messy and depressing sometimes. Diving into the drama and intrigue of another world is a great way to give your mind a break from the drama and intrigue of every day life. Once you've taken that step back and fed your imagination, you can return to the surface and deal with the real world from a better place.
They ignite a love of reading.
The Harry Potter books got an entire generation into reading. People waited in line for the next installment. Kids stayed up all night devouring six and seven hundred page books. That's amazing. And I may not personally be a fan of the Twilight series, but if books keep kids from spending those hours mindlessly consuming junk on TV or from getting into trouble, then I consider that a win.
They're just plain fun.
Most YA books are not difficult reads. But they are entertaining, and reading shouldn't be a chore, it should bring joy!
So there you have it. I'm a grown up who loves YA books. And I stand by that.
