YA is aimed at middle school and high school students, New Adult is aimed at college students and young people starting out in the workplace. Both have coming of age/growing up themes. Because New Adult is aimed at over-18, there is a higher level of spice but I expect that will even out in the end because there are better ways to get pure smut.
In the pursuit of language purity, YA should really be called "teen" and New Adult should be called YA, but the marketing categories are what they are and therefore my 11-year-old can feel proud that he is reading "Young Adult" books as he gobbles down the Hunger Games.
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