DISCUSSION: Are YA books only for teens? (okay, i'm convincing you to read ya 😳)

Hi Everyone!

In light of my new YA Book Of The Month project, I wanted to share some thoughts on YA and who can read it. Obviously, you should read what you enjoy but there is an ongoing debate as to if adults should be reading books intended for teenagers. I am of the opinion that anyone can read anything and although I've tried to see both sides of the argument, this is basically just a post convincing you to read YA!

I am totally for the idea that whoever you are, you should be able to read YA. It is such an amazing category that has so many varying themes and ideas and even adults can learn from them and enjoy them! Here are a few reasons why I think YA is for everyone:

1. It is so diverse in genre

You could say that YA encompasses only contemporary or that it is mainly fantasy but for me, YA is what you find in the Young Adult section in a bookshop! It does include a lot of fantasy and contemporary (by contemporary I mean realistic fiction) but there is so much more as well! There are murder mysteries, dystopian novels, and so many more random books that all come under YA! Just like Adult Fiction also includes so many different books.

2. It teaches you so many important lessons

YA has so many themes of trust, friendship, romance, illness and disability, mental health, fandom...to name a few! And although some of these you may associate with teenagers but they are universal themes that everyone can learn from.

3. There are just so many amazing books!

There are so many YA books that are so well written, that have truly compelling characters and have such innovative and unique ideas. The Hunger Games, The Fault In Our Stars, Solitaire, Fangirl...these just scream YA to me! They are all such incredible books that are part of the YA canon and that everyone should read! 

4. If you are older there is a common idea that it evokes a certain nostalgia...

Obviously I can't vouch for this, but a few websites online say that to adults, reading YA is very nostalgic! Most YA books feature teenage characters which means that you are taken back to your childhood, even if things have changed a lot in the last however many years! The Guardian states that YA books are 'a comforting presence for those who just refuse to grow up and embrace their boring, often excitement-free adult lives'. Click to here view an article about why adults are reading YA! I think it can also help adults to understand our perspective! 

5. So many adults love YA...why not you?

I get that it isn't for everyone, but if you want to read more diversely, you should definitely give YA a go! In the BookTube community, there are so many adult YA readers and you're not going to like everything you read but there is a YA book for everyone and I'm sure you'll find at least one, if not many more to your taste!

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ARGUMENT AND MY RESPONSES:

"You would take the books away from teens they are intended for."

I'm sure there's plenty to go round.

"I've outgrown them. I am capable of reading way better books than them. Did you know I've read all of Jane Austen?"

Don't you still return to that childhood favourite? Or if you don't, if you were to find your favourite picture book in your attic, would you turn your nose up and say you're above it? Didn't think so.

"It has such a focus on romance!"

There are many YA romances but also so many that aren't. There are stories that don't have any kind of romance in! Yasmin Rahman's books are a great example of this so see my review of All The Things We Never Said for more but be careful with the trigger warnings!

"Almost every YA book has a first person narration."

Where does this come from? I mean just NO. A lot of YA books I read are in fact, not in first person narration. Of course there are some, but by no means all. Just like not all adult books have first person narration.

> Click here to view an amazing and very sarcastic post full of common YA misconceptions! This post basically rounds up what people's ideas about YA are and make them seem ridiculous! If you look at the comments it says how it's all a joke! 

FAQs:

But isn't YA just for Young Adults, as the name suggests?

You may think this but for all the reasons above, adults can benefit from reading it too! And surely if you enjoy it, why not read it?

Aren't all the characters teenagers?

Okay, most are. But this provides a great insight into a modern teenager's life and they aren't usually your typical teens!

Isn't the writing really bad?

No, the writing in YA is often beautiful, evoking and just as well constructed as adult fiction, YA authors are adults too!

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So in conclusion, I believe that anyone can read YA. And I get that you may not like YA, and that's fine but please break down these misconceptions because YA books are passionate, impactful and are worth just as much as adult books. 

I would love to see a few of you pick up some of my YA book of the month picks, I'm going to pick only the best out of the ones I read so I've got a lot of YA reading coming up! 

Thank you so much for reading this and I'll be back soon!

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