I have a confession to make, nay, two; I read young adult fiction (YA), and I’m not a young adult.
The latter hasn’t stopped me from occasionally putting down the greats, such as Margarete Atwood and Ian McEwan, to pick up YA fiction from what should be called the younger greats, like Markus Zusack and Nicola Yoon.
If you’re of a certain age, you might not have heard of Zusack or Yoon, but you might have seen the movie adaptions of Zusack’s The Book Thief and Yoon’s The Sun is Also a Star. Both adaptations from young adult novels also have a strong appeal to the not-so-young adults.
YA literature is increasingly popular – think Harry Potter and the Mockingjay series – but what makes it unique is that it isn’t just one genre. YA is different than regular genre literature, like science fiction or mystery, in that it mixes many different categories into something completely new.
Whether it’s a romance like The Sun is Also a Star, or a Second World War drama like The Book Thief, the one thing all YA books share is a young protagonist that is typically between the ages of 12 to 18.
They are often written in first-person and speak to topics relevant to the target audience, which, if you’ve chatted with the young adult in your life lately, you’ll know to be just about everything under the sun.
Sexuality, drug abuse, depression, politics, you name it – YA covers it all, wrapped in any number of genres. These books are generally shorter than the tomes from the greats and can be a welcome escape from the real world. Which might be why so many of us not-so-young adults have become connoisseurs of the genre, and why many YA novels are appearing in big-screen adaptations.
Stop by Airdrie Public Library and check out our huge selection of YA fiction and nonfiction and experience for yourself why it’s cool to read.
For more information on all our programs and services, visit airdriepubliclibrary.ca, call 403-948-0600 or drop by and get your free library card.
