MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Why are YA novels immediately recognizable as YA novels?

Quoth · 06-06-2019, 06:21 AM

YA is a meaningless category invented by publishers to help sell books.
There is nothing inherently distinctive. Yes, some books are aimed at younger readers and the author may use simpler language or younger protagonists.

What AGE range is a "Young Adult"? Logically 18 to 24 approximately, yet many books MARKETED as "YA" are read by 10 to 12 year olds, kids technically not even teenagers. Also "reading age" is a bit meaningless as it is very dependant on background, culture, nationality, education etc. Some homes have no books and parents that don't read. Their kids often score a low reading age. Other homes may have 8 to 11 year olds reading books marketed to teens and to adults.

I've read many books with "teen" or even younger protagonists. Often more enjoyable than so called "adult" books. Actually many 17 to late 20s people may not read "YA" at all till in their 40s when they stop caring about trying to prove they are "grown up".

Some books are obviously aimed at younger than teens, or teens. Some of those are good reading for adults, some may have aspects older teens or adults understand that "go over the head" of younger reading.

The modern division of novels and stories by genre and age is largely marketing driven by the publishing industry since the 19th Century. Previously you read (if you could afford the book and had learned to read) because you wanted to read it either for education or fun. Or listened in a mixed age group to the storyteller. Even in the mid-19th C. it was cheaper to attend a theatre play than buy a book. People of ALL ages went to see dramatised books, not just traditional plays.

There are good, medium and bad books. Read outside your favourite authors and genres, use the library or charity/thrift shops and experiment. Give up watching Youtube, TV, Videos, computer games and read WIDELY.

Ignore the marketing labels and the Bookshop sorting. Check out the "Children's" books in your library. There might not be much sex and extreme violence, but no shortage of that on the Internet and real life. Why would we want it in a book?

Get encouraged and uplifted by great stories. See also gutenberg.org, fadedpages (canada) etc. There are ebooks here too, though I've not looked yet.

06-06-2019, 06:21 AM	#61
Quoth Still reading Posts: 14,164 Karma: 105212035 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	YA is a meaningless category invented by publishers to help sell books. There is nothing inherently distinctive. Yes, some books are aimed at younger readers and the author may use simpler language or younger protagonists. What AGE range is a "Young Adult"? Logically 18 to 24 approximately, yet many books MARKETED as "YA" are read by 10 to 12 year olds, kids technically not even teenagers. Also "reading age" is a bit meaningless as it is very dependant on background, culture, nationality, education etc. Some homes have no books and parents that don't read. Their kids often score a low reading age. Other homes may have 8 to 11 year olds reading books marketed to teens and to adults. I've read many books with "teen" or even younger protagonists. Often more enjoyable than so called "adult" books. Actually many 17 to late 20s people may not read "YA" at all till in their 40s when they stop caring about trying to prove they are "grown up". Some books are obviously aimed at younger than teens, or teens. Some of those are good reading for adults, some may have aspects older teens or adults understand that "go over the head" of younger reading. The modern division of novels and stories by genre and age is largely marketing driven by the publishing industry since the 19th Century. Previously you read (if you could afford the book and had learned to read) because you wanted to read it either for education or fun. Or listened in a mixed age group to the storyteller. Even in the mid-19th C. it was cheaper to attend a theatre play than buy a book. People of ALL ages went to see dramatised books, not just traditional plays. There are good, medium and bad books. Read outside your favourite authors and genres, use the library or charity/thrift shops and experiment. Give up watching Youtube, TV, Videos, computer games and read WIDELY. Ignore the marketing labels and the Bookshop sorting. Check out the "Children's" books in your library. There might not be much sex and extreme violence, but no shortage of that on the Internet and real life. Why would we want it in a book? Get encouraged and uplifted by great stories. See also gutenberg.org, fadedpages (canada) etc. There are ebooks here too, though I've not looked yet. Last edited by Quoth; 06-06-2019 at 06:24 AM.