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Like you, I can spot a YA book a mile off. To my mind, it's the writing - the language is straightforward, and the characters are simplistic, sometimes to the point of caricature. The storyline tends to be very black and white, too.
When done well, YA is a perfectly good read, and I read it with enjoyment. But when it's not done well, then it comes across as derivative and seem patronising.
However, I've been a voracious reader all my life, and when I fitted that age bracket, I'd graduated to the adults section of our branch library. There wasn't that distinction 40 years ago; once you outgrew children's books, you moved to the adults section. The librarian would keep an eye on your selections, and sometimes they'd say to bring your mother in before they'd let you borrow a particular title, but in general you were left to your own devices.
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