Young Adult: a Literary Genre That’s Marvelous but Detrimental
Young Adult Fiction (YA) is an immensely popular genre that is read voraciously by our teens. But what is the actual quality of modern YA storytelling?
Imagine this: there’s a stubborn, white teenage girl who doesn't consider herself special, because she’s an outsider and “not like other girls.” Her parents? Somehow absent. She doesn’t have friends until sha-bam! She’s gifted with supernatural powers in a magical world she is destined to save. Also, she’s caught in a love triangle with two concerningly territorial men, and any of her relatability flies out the window at light speed because wow, suddenly she’s hot and powerful and perfect.
Does that sound familiar? If it does, you’ve probably read one, five, or twenty too many Young Adult books, like me. In this article, I’ll explain why YA (particularly modern YA Fantasy and Dystopian) is so popular, point out its harmful tropes, and recommend books and series worth reading. (There will be no specific book spoilers.)
When I was in 6th grade, my parents noticed that I was reading an excessive amount of dystopian books. Was I? Definitely. Was it good for me? Probably not. What did I do? I hid my next urban fantasy read in the crevice between my bed and the wall, and read it anyway.
In my situation, it was not a problem of liking that restricted me to reading the same types of books, it was a problem of exposure. I read these books because they were popular and easily accessible. I didn’t stop to evaluate the quality of the characters, plot, or writing; nor did I fully realize that I could venture into other genres.
The YA marketplace has skyrocketed in the last few decades—with about 10,000 YA titles published in 2012 versus 2002’s mere 4,700. A study in 2012 showed that 55% of YA readers are actually adults ranging from ages 18-64. Here are a few points that contributed to the genre going mainstream:
J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published in 1997. This COLOSSAL success set the stage for a middle-grade/young adult fantasy renaissance. Following, from 2005-2010, books/movies such as Twilight, The Hunger Games, and The Maze Runner kicked off a paranormal/romance/dystopian craze.
Technology advanced. Social Media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Tumblr, etc. developed book communities, which became a fast way to recommend books among teenagers. Ebooks became a cheaper, easier way to read fiction (particularly self-published romance).
With a new generation comes progressive change, and the rise of YA saw this with a rise in diverse authors and protagonists, as well as themes that addressed teen issues. YA books became more entertaining and relatable… which is good, right?
Let’s take a look.
Clary (Lily Collins) and Jace (Jamie Campbell Bower) from the 2013 movie adaption of Cassandra Clare’s City of Bones.
YA is remarkable considering it’s a whole market aimed solely towards teenagers. This means that there’s an open space to write about any specific issues, emotions, or other hardships teenagers are going through, which makes them feel understood and normal. There are also the unchanging facts that fictional worlds are places to escape into and expand your imagination. YA fantasy worlds are vivid and magical, and some well-developed YA dystopian worlds can have a lot to say about today’s society. To say the stories are entertaining at most would be an understatement.
Also, because of YA, younger audiences are reading more, and consuming more stories, which is wonderful. I personally wouldn’t read as much now had I not been obsessed with YA when I was younger, so I am forever grateful.
The reason I called YA ‘detrimental’ in the article title is because there are so many glaring flaws with it that, at the end of the day, keep these books “Young Adult Fiction” rather than “Adult Fiction.” It’s a genre that has good intentions, but when handled the wrong way, has negative results.
For example, the writing quality is usually poor. Looking back at books I used to adore, the most common things I notice are unnecessarily long description dumps, cliched figurative language, and so much more telling than showing. This is bad because if you read too much of YA writing, you’ll start writing like YA authors write, and then it’s hard to improve your own writing. The characters and plot are almost always the same, as well. It’s always the Chosen One who’s going to go on the Hero’s Journey to save the world. If you continue reading countless books with the same plot structure and character personalities, you’re restricting yourself from other interesting stories.
Below are some detailed examples of other harmful tropes/conventions that I see a lot in YA, and how they could be changed.
Tropes/Conventions
“I’m not like other girls”
This is when the female protagonist isolates herself from other girls because she’s “different.” She thinks she’s nothing special (which in a weird way makes her special), but doesn’t have many friends and suffers from low self esteem.
This is an extremely relatable trope that’s not unique to YA. Of course we all want to think we’re special. It doesn’t have to come in the form of isolation. It would be nice to read about a confident, independent, and well-liked girl once in a while, like Bea from Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s The Shadow of the Wind.
Useless Adults
Margo (Cara Delevingne) and Quentin (Nat Wolff) in the 2015 movie adaptation of John Green’s Paper Towns.
It always shocks me how when YA heroes are saving the world, they barely get any help from their parents and other adults. If they are even mentioned, they may be painted as annoying, not being able to understand, or being just another obstacle in their path.
But honestly, who even has parents in YA? They’re usually all dead or absent in some other manner.
The good part of this trope is that it teaches teens about independence, decision making, and the power of friendship. On the other hand, during a time when teens are becoming more independent, it would be beneficial for them to know that adults are still there to help them.
Ari Mendoza learning to rely and open up to his parents is a good example of this (from Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz).
Love Triangle
Who’s going to get the girl in this complicated web of jealousy, toxicity, and unnecessary drama? Most so-called YA Love Triangles aren’t even triangles, they’re just a line and a faraway dot.
This is a convention because it sells and continues to sell, because underneath it all, we love it. But I would like to see more diverse, well-developed, and less predictable love triangles.
A love triangle that covers 2 of those 3 checks is Will/Jem/Tessa from Cassandra Clare’s The Infernal Devices.
Strong Female Character
She’s the tough girl who hates everything under the sun, especially “girly” things like makeup and dresses. She’s rude and lets nobody in, and shoots other girls down on a regular basis.
The reason this trope is so terrible is that it’s basically toxic masculinity but with a girl… which is a whole other level of messed up. If you’re going to write a “strong female character,” do it right. There are many ways to do it right, because there are almost 4 billion girls and women on this planet, all of whom are different and strong in their own way. So why is a model for strength just one flat personality type?
An example of a well-developed “strong female character” is Maeve Wiley from Netflix’s Sex Education.
Maeve’s reply when being asked what her “thing” was.
Lack of Diversity
The most popular YA books have white protagonists and antagonists. Apart from racial and cultural diversity, they also lack diversity regarding social status, beliefs/views, and sexuality.
The situation is complicated. Problems also arise with stereotypes and inserting diversity for the sake of checking off a checklist. Other problems arise with authors of one racial group writing characters of another racial group.
Below is an infographic showing Male vs. Female authors and protagonists in Time Magazine’s 50 “Best Young Adult Books.”
Let’s face it, literature (and society) has been shaped so books with white (and male) protagonists are easier to pitch, publish, and sell. Something else we need to face is that this needs to change, and YA authors have a responsibility to see this through.
Inej, Kaz, Nina, Matthias, Jesper, and Wylan are good examples of racial, cultural, sexual, religious, social, and ideological differences within a set of protagonists (from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo).
Fanart of Six of Crows. Tumblr: @monolime
Recommendations
Below are my recommendations if you want to read well written, unconventional, and educating YA books.
Fantasy
Six of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo
Audience: 13+
This is a thriller-fantasy series that follows heartless gang leader, Kaz Brekker, and his five thieves as they travel the Grishaverse world on an impossible heist. The writing is colorful and fun to read, the plot is complex and extremely clever, and the characters make it hard to choose a favorite, because they’re all well-developed, distinct, and human in their own ways. When I first read it, it redefined the meaning of “story” to me, because it was so impactful and felt so alive. Unarguably the best YA series. Read Six of Crows.
Strange the Dreamer Duology by Laini Taylor
Audience: 14+
This follows two protagonists: a teenage librarian named Lazlo who searches for the lost city of Weep, and a blue-skinned demigod named Sarai who’s trapped in Weep with her gifted demigod siblings. The two can only meet in their dreams, and get to know each other over the course of the novel.
Straight off the bat, I am going to say that this book is not for everyone. It’s over 600 pages and there’s a lot of sitting around, waiting for things to happen. However. It’s a very refreshing break from your typical YA story because of the unique plot, setting, and characters. And the writing style—forget about escaping into a different world, imagine escaping into a dream.
The Infernal Devices Trilogy by Cassandra Clare
Audience: 11-15
This series is set in Victorian London and follows a shape-shifter named Tessa Gray who navigates her way through the Shadowhunter (part angel warriors who kill demons) world.
So, is this series “well written, unconventional, and educational”? Mmmmmmmmmmm no. BUT it was extremely entertaining, heart wrenching, and meaningful to 11-year-old me, so I had to put it in. I would recommend this specifically to anyone who wants to binge read, get attached to some characters, and then have an emotional breakdown at the end of the third book.
Contemporary
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton
Audience: 13+
This is a multigenerational story following three women—Emilienne, Viviane, and Ava—over two continents and many decades. In order from grandmother to granddaughter, the simple but lyrical writing narrates their difficulties and sorrows growing up and being unprepared for the wider world, acting naive, and then being taken advantage of.
The historical and Magical Realism aspects really make this book stand out from other contemporaries. The story is very bittersweet and, as the blurb says on the cover, “inexplicably beautiful.”
Content Warning: There are scenes discussing and depicting domestic violence and rape.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Audience: 14+
This follows the freshman year of a socially awkward wallflower named Charlie.
This book is widely popular and highly acclaimed, and for good reason. I think it’s one of the best coming-of-age books published in the last 30 years, because of one sole reason: the narration. It’s composed of letters in the first person, so we only hear about events through a secondary lens, and descriptions of characters are all biased by Charlie’s opinions. It really puts you into the mind of a teenager.
I would recommend waiting until you’re in high school to read this book, because I, personally, think I read it too young, and that I would’ve loved and appreciated it more had I been the right age. The movie adaptation is excellent, but nothing beats Charlie’s narration in writing.
Content Warning: There are depictions of suicide, and scenes showing violence and sexual abuse.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Audience: 13+
This book (and its recently published sequel) follows unsure, reserved Mexican American teenager Ari Mendoza as he navigates his family, nationality, sexuality, and general identity in 80s El Paso.
My favorite thing about this book and its sequel is Ari’s character arc. He’s very somber at first, and the poetic prose writing conveys that very effectively. When he starts to change and discovers how much his parents and friends love him, the writing tone changes along with him, and it’s just a very touching read in general. I would recommend it to anyone.
In conclusion, as a biracial teenage girl, I want upcoming YA authors to think more in depth about the components of their stories, because their target audience is very young and vulnerable. Upcoming YA authors have a responsibility to create diverse and well-written stories, and overcome the harmful tropes that plague the genre, while still keeping an entertaining and imaginative factor.
Work Cited
https://www.facebook.com/thebalancecom. “Young Adult Book Market Facts and Figures.” The Balance Careers, 2014, www.thebalancecareers.com/the-young-adult-book-market-2799954.
Guardian staff reporter. “Why Are so Many Adults Reading YA and Teen Fiction?” The Guardian, The Guardian, 24 Feb. 2015, www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2015/feb/24/why-are-so-many-adults-reading-ya-teen-fiction#:~:text=Equally%2C%20YA%20books%20are%20great,often%20excitement%2Dfree%20adult%20lives.
Kowalczyk, Piotr. “Teen and Young Adult Books – 10 Most Interesting Infographics and Charts.” Ebook Friendly, Ebook Friendly, 22 Oct. 2013, ebookfriendly.com/young-adult-fiction-infographics/.
Feeney, Nolan. “The 8 Habits of Highly Successful Young-Adult Fiction Authors.” The Atlantic, theatlantic, 22 Oct. 2013, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/10/the-8-habits-of-highly-successful-young-adult-fiction-authors/280722/.
Tripler, Jessica. “Why Romance Readers Love Digital Books.” BOOK RIOT, 11 Aug. 2016, bookriot.com/why-romance-readers-love-digital-books/.
