Most Y.A. Bought by Adults...

[DonaldL.]

Most Y.A. Bought by Adults; Agent Allegedly Attacked by Spurned Author

Over half of Y.A. books bought by adults. A new study from Bowker Market Research backs up what we knew all along—adults remain the most significant driving factor in the popularity of young adult fiction. The research shows that 55 percent of young adult book buyers are over 18. Twenty-eight percent are over 30. And more often than not they're buying the books for their own enjoyment, not as a gift for a young 'un: 78 percent of surveyed adult Y.A. buyers say they intend to read the books they've purchased themselves.

[RainingLemur]

Makes sense. They're generally "easier" reads, so I can see why "older" adults would be into them as much as they are.

[Catlady]

And more often than not they're buying the books for their own enjoyment, not as a gift for a young 'un: 78 percent of surveyed adult Y.A. buyers say they intend to read the books they've purchased themselves.

Some of those adult readers may be screening the book before they pass it along to a child.

[DiapDealer]

I've always disliked the Y.A. label. It's the categorizing/shelving/marketing equivalent of a MacGuffin.

[Blue2u]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I've always disliked the Y.A. label. It's the categorizing/shelving/marketing equivalent of a MacGuffin.

Agreed. It's like with music, I don't care what 'genre' it is, if it's good and brings about a passionate response, then it shouldn't matter what age the person is enjoying it.

For example I thoroughly enjoyed 'Hunger Games' because IMO it was an interesting, well written story. And my 'children' are YA...

[Andrew H.]

"YA" is a weird category anyway; I'm not sure exactly what it is supposed to mean, but I think in general it refers to books for adults with themes or stories that teenagers might be interested in. The Hunger Games, for example, has *a lot* of violence in it, obviously, and is not for children (the movie was PG-13, but a movie of the book could easily have been R-rated if the producers hadn't toned the violence down a bit). However, the protagonists are in the YA age bracket, and a lot of their concerns are YA-type concerns.

Originally Posted by RainingLemur

Makes sense. They're generally "easier" reads, so I can see why "older" adults would be into them as much as they are.

Bingo. When I read for entertainment, I want something that is written in clear English and where the plot development is straight forward. It also makes it easier to get into new genres because fewer assumptions are made of the reader.

A lot of adult books are far too much work to read. I have picked up books where every chapter is written from the perspective of a different character. Quite often the stories told in the initial chapters are so far apart that they may as well be different books. Sorry, but it is too much work to remember all of that. Then there are books that have flotillas of characters. Again, it is too much work to remember all of the characters. I wish writers for adults would realize that they are telling stories, rather than creating worlds.

[Ravensknight]

Originally Posted by BWinmill

I wish writers for adults would realize that they are telling stories, rather than creating worlds.

Speak for yourself. Some of us can HANDLE & ENJOY a whole world.But don't get me wrong, half of my reading falls into the YA, and for most of the reasons you mention before my quoting of you.

But that doesn't mean I can't, or won't, enjoy a complex world/series

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Some of those adult readers may be screening the book before they pass it along to a child.

I buy YA for my son. Because he really doesn't have a lot of money--he's too young for a job--and I like to encourage him to read. But statistically that shows up as my purchase.

Then I steal his books and read them

I buy YA for myself because I really enjoy coming of age type stories and YA is full of them.

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

"YA" is a weird category anyway; I'm not sure exactly what it is supposed to mean, but I think in general it refers to books for adults with themes or stories that teenagers might be interested in. The Hunger Games, for example, has *a lot* of violence in it, obviously, and is not for children (the movie was PG-13, but a movie of the book could easily have been R-rated if the producers hadn't toned the violence down a bit). However, the protagonists are in the YA age bracket, and a lot of their concerns are YA-type concerns.

My 11-yo really enjoyed the series and the movie. It was one of the two series he read this summer. I think it has a lot to offer all ages.

[xg4bx]

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

"YA" is a weird category anyway; I'm not sure exactly what it is supposed to mean, but I think in general it refers to books for adults with themes or stories that teenagers might be interested in. The Hunger Games, for example, has *a lot* of violence in it, obviously, and is not for children (the movie was PG-13, but a movie of the book could easily have been R-rated if the producers hadn't toned the violence down a bit). However, the protagonists are in the YA age bracket, and a lot of their concerns are YA-type concerns.

I must have been an odd kid, my concerns involved dragonlances, dwarves, and the Majere brothers. They still do.

I don't remember YA fiction when i was a kid. There was childrens books and adult books. The boys my age gravitated towards Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms, the only book that dealt with "issues" was Are You There God, It's Me Margaret.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by xg4bx

I must have been an odd kid, my concerns involved dragonlances, dwarves, and the Majere brothers. They still do.
...

Guess that makes you 'kind of an odd adult'

(but aren't we all. )

[BeccaPrice]

Originally Posted by Joykins

I buy YA for myself because I really enjoy coming of age type stories and YA is full of them.

interesting. I don't read most YA because, as a rule, I dislike coming of age stories. I tend to find them sad.

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by xg4bx

I don't remember YA fiction when i was a kid. There was childrens books and adult books. The boys my age gravitated towards Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms, the only book that dealt with "issues" was Are You There God, It's Me Margaret.

When I was a kid the YA section was where you would find the Heinlein juveniles and the Darkover books

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by xg4bx

I don't remember YA fiction when i was a kid. There was childrens books and adult books. The boys my age gravitated towards Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms, the only book that dealt with "issues" was Are You There God, It's Me Margaret.

Yeah, I think that YA is a "newer" category (10-15 years ago?).