[Paperbackstash]

YA is in a tough spot because there are so many unspoken but acknowledged divisions. Like Rick Riordan was mentioned above, he's a lot of fun, but I consider him MG instead of YA while he's categorized either children or YA. Some MG is definitely YA though (some of Darren Shan's horror stuff is darker than a lot of adult stuff!) Then YA can mean young YA or old YA or near NA-YA You never know what age group you're reading and depending what the person wants, it can get complicated sifting through it all.

I'm a cozy mystery reader too and agree a lot of it is subpar or just too forgettable and formulaic. The rare winners make it worth it, though.