YA stands for "young adult" fiction. Typically, YA is associated with "Twilight" and all things vampires and such. Reading YA as an adult can be an embarrassing admission even though YA is one of the fastest growing and most lucrative genres in the publishing industry due in part to the fact that many YA readers are adults. In fact, 2012 study suggested that over 55% of YA books are bought by readers 18 years old or older. So, I'm in the majority. But it's articles like this that make me, and I'm sure many others, embarrassed to admit what we read. It makes us ride the tube, subway, or metro glad that our reading material is disguised by the flat, black, demure cover of our e-reader (readers of New Adult fiction, such as "Fifty Shades" definitely know what I'm talking about).
I read YA for a couple of reasons. One, it's fun to read. A lot of the stories, whether contemporary or fantasy, are exciting. It can be totally escapist, running from the daily grind into a world that just seems a little more manageable despite the addition of dragons or wizards or evil dictators with a predilection for roses.
The main reason I read YA, however, is because I am interested in becoming a librarian and working with teens. As former young adults, we all know that teenagerhood can be a rough time. There are so many changes happening. Not only physically, but mentally. Changes in friend groups, relationships both romantic and non-romantic, overwhelming pressure concerning The Future, school, college, etc. The right book at the right time for a teen can be life altering. It can take a teen's hand and show him or her that they are not alone. It can make the world a little more manageable. For all readers, not just teens, books expand our worldview by helping us to practice empathy. Books put us in the shoes of others and force us to experience a different perspective. This sense of empathy developed in an imagined world is vital to becoming a compassionate individual in the real world.
As I read YA, I'm on the lookout for those rare and amazing and potentially life-altering books that could make a real difference in a teen's life. But I'm also on the lookout for fun reads. The literacy rate in America is not that great. If there is any book that I can recommend that would inspire a self-proclaimed non-reader to become engaged in a book, to experience the world through the eyes of another, or to go on a journey that not only transforms the main characters but also transforms the reader, I would consider that pretty much the whole point.
So. To make a long story short, I will be reviewing a lot of YA books. Some of these books will be drivel. Some will be amazing. One of the reasons why I wanted to start the aforementioned failed book challenge, was to break free of the rut that reading lots of YA can sometimes put me in and to challenge myself. So I will continue to try and do that.
Still with me?
Good.
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