When most people hear of the "young adult genre," they automatically picture juveniles in their teenage years. Well... they're not wrong. But they're not quite right either, especially when the older groups try to pull off the old, "I'm getting this for my kids." What's even worse is when people try to recommend "you should read more mature books." It's okay. It does seem a little confusing, but it's okay to check these books out for yourself and here's why.
When book enthusiasts hear "young adult," the majority may get excited. Young adult literature actually dominates the majority of the book market, even spilling into the movie industry! According to a 2013 Business Insider article, Suzanne Collins ("The Hunger Games"),James Patterson ("Maximum Ride"; "Witch & Wizard"), Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson), and of course, J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter; Fantastic Beasts), are all included in the 16 richest authors in the world. That's four young adult authors making millions of dollars in the top sixteen. As of 2016, John Green ("The Fault in Our Stars"; "Paper Towns") and Veronica Roth ("Divergent") have also climbed the ranks to join the richest authors in the world, according to Forbes. Young adult literature doesn't seem so bad now, huh? All of those young adult books have gone on to be some of the best movie franchises of the century (notice how I'm not including the Twilight series?), and yet people still shy away from the phrase "young adult literature."
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Young adult literature is (apparently) specifically designed for readers between the ages of 12 and 18, despite the fact that over half of YA books purchased are purchased by those 18 and older, according to a 2012 survey by Publishers Weekly. But why is there such a large draw towards young adult books?
Young adult books don't cover just the lives of the main characters. Young adult books cover identity in oneself, something that those struggling with a transition or one trying to find oneself can easily relate to. Finding the identity is often related to the journey the character takes and how he or she develops. Young adult books cover cases of mental health ("It's Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini) and cases of physical health, such as the story of Hazel and Augustus in "The Fault in Our Stars." Young adult books cover family and relationships and substances and so many more topics that are artfully weaved through the story-line. Many people tend to look past the true content and issues covered in young adult books simply for the fact that they're often based on a teenage character in a fantasy world.
