Since I started blogging I have begun to read a lot more young adult fiction. However, when reading a young adult book I do have to shift my reading ever so slightly. I'm not a teenager any more and the thoughts and feelings I had when I was a teenager have changed or diminished as I have gotten older, such as the typical teenage angst I remember so vividly: constant self doubt, worrying what to say, what not to say, does he like me, does he love me, yada, yada, yada... oh thank god that's out of the way!
Of course, that's not to say all these worries and fears leave us as we grow older because they don't, well not for me anyway, but I do feel that I'm slightly wiser and I more sure of myself and of who I am. So for that reason when I'm reading about a teenage girl who is falling head over heals and acting in a way that I wouldn't now, I have to remember that she's a teenager and her emotions are not the same as my more mature self.
So, on to my ponderings....
I have noticed that there have been some pretty scathing reviews about certain popular young adult books, mainly Fallen and Hush Hush, and their young protagonists and wondered if it was because the authors of the reviews had forgotten how it feels to be a teenager? Or if their points are valid, that the characters are weak and pathetic and an unhealthy influence on young people?
Do you have to change your thought process when reading YA, just so you stop yourself from rolling your eyes too much at the action of the sixteen year old, which you know you wouldn't do as a thirty year old? Or do you just read and enjoy the story and not think about it too deeply? What do you think as a teenager? Do you feel that these kind of books are misrepresenting you?
Can we be too old for YA?
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42 comments:
Like you, I started reading a lot more YA since I began blogging -- and, for the most part, I've loved it!
There were definitely YA novels I disliked -- Alyson Noel's Evermore immediately comes to mind -- but not because I thought I was too old for the plotlines. I just thought it was a flat-out awful book.
I think a good book is a good book -- regardless of genre. We all have different tastes and preferences, but a good YA novel would appeal to me in the same way a good mainstream or literary novel would.
That being said, I've definitely had to step back and put myself back in 16-year-old me shoes when reading books like Susane Colastani's When It Happens. If I'd focused on 24-year-old me's reactions to what was going on, I'm pretty sure it would have annoyed the tar out of me. But I suspended my "adult" sensibilities long enough to enjoy it, haha. :)
Sorry for writing you a novel! Very interesting post :)
Pish posh...you're never too old chronologically for YA fiction (in my humble opinion). You just have to read the book for the pure enjoyment of the story. As you said, we never truly lose that part of us that may or may not have acted the same way as the characters, but honestly...fiction is read so as to have an escape of sorts from the real world. There is not much better than immersing yourself in the work of an author and coming out refreshed on the other side.
I've also read the most YA books ever and I am in my 30's. Because the characters are teens, I do have to redirect my thought process and remember what's it like to be a teen.
Usually if I have an issue with a YA book, just like any other genre, it's not only how the characters act, but the overall writing.
I'm almost 31 and love the new YA, well a lot of it. I even like some middle grade fiction even though I have no idea you to review MG.
I never acted like the protagonists in books like Twilight or Hush, Hush, etc. Not all YA is like that.
I still feel like an adolescent and love a good coming of age story. A good coming of age story is the most character driven story of all with the most potential for character growth.
I have trouble reading YA in general, maybe because I was never a typical teenager. The few times I've read a YA book, I've generally ended up frustrated or rolling my eyes. Don't get me wrong -- there's some great YA out there, I'm sure. I'd just rather not read it. My TBR pile is already too long with adult books.
As a writer, it's even more frustrating because YA seems to be selling like hotcakes, and I know that if I ever wrote YA, I'd make Carrie seem like a fairytale. :)
Great post! So many adults are reading Young Adult books now and it's so popular. I think the best YA books are the ones that read like adult books. If a book reads too young, I won't read it.
Now as for the question, could the bad reviews be because we are too old for the YA books and maybe can't relate...well I haven't read those two books yet so I am not sure. But I never thought about it in that way. It could be a possibility.
I think alot of people expect a mature YA book because that's what so many of them are. So when they pick up a YA book and it's written rather young, the character acts like a little kid, and she makes foolish mistakes, then we just write it off as a bad book maybe.
But maybe it's just real YA, written for it's audience and not us the 25-40+ crowd.
I tend to flock to the YA paranormal books more then alot of adult books. There's just so many good ones out there and I'd hate for adults to stop reading them because of one or two bad ones.
I've read the Evermore books and I didn't think that first one was awful. I disagree there. It was really good in my opinion. But maybe it has nothing to do with age (I'm 28) and more to do with personal taste.
It doesn't matter if it's a YA book or an adult book...if you go into it expecting strong characters and an exciting story..and instead get a Too Stupid To Live girl and the same old story you've heard a thousand times before...then you're gonna give it a big fat F.
On the other hand some people just hate popular books and like to trash them so that could be why too. The more hype a book gets, the more people dislike it sometimes.
Good post!
I think generally, you do have remember that the target audience for YA books are young adults, and even younger. I know that some issues I have with certain YA books now (I'm 22), I wouldn't have done as a teenager.
Nonetheless, some YA books - like any other adult book - I won't like. The plot could be just awful, or the actions of the heroine will drive me up the wall. I have to admit, Evermore also comes to mind. I also thought it was awful.
Yet I enjoyed Hush Hush and Fallen. :D
I mostly stay away from the YA genre. I just fail to connect with the main protags and that usually prevents me from fully experiencing the story as the author meant it. I have one on my shelves to give a go and that is Suzanne Collins with Hunger Games. The blurb really caught my eye and I look forward to reading it.
Can you be too old to read YA? I am definitely a person who struggles to connect with the young protags, I am in a different phase of my life with different issues. I can rate a book on my assumption of how I would've experienced a book as a teenager, I can relay the writing style, whether something comes across as believable or not, or tell about the flow of the story. Yet I read to connect with the characters, to share their journey, their tale, so I'm leaving this genre to those who love to read it. The fact so many adults read the YA genre and enjoy it tells me the age gap isn’t an issue for many.
I think it depends. Usually if a book is well written, then I don't think there is much shifting that needs to be done, however, I think you should keep in mind the age of the characters.
I've actually run across the opposite. People who thought a book was YA, but really was an adult book, hated the book because of the adult situations. The character dealt with the situations AS an adult. So, I think the age should always be kept in mind.
I'm 28, married, and a mother, so I'm definitely not a teenager anymore. When I grade a book, I grade it on how I liked it whether or not I'm a teenager - however, I usually make a comment on how I'd have probably like it more as a child or teenager, etc. Sometimes I just say it's more appropriate for an age bracket. I do have a hard time with the selfishness that seems to come with the personalities in teen books now, but I still read them because I still find many that I love.
That said, I think reading and grading a book is entirely based on personality, and in the end everyone's personality is different. :)
Thanks for a fun discussion.
I'm 33 & love YA adult fiction.
When I read it I feel like a teen again.
But I feel you - some reviewers judge YA characters and behavior from a grown up prospective.
Great question!
Funny you should mention this. I was just thinking the same thing, as I read Night Runner yesterday. It is a YA novel, but I am just not able to sync with it. Whereas, books such as The Hunger Games, and Harry Potter novels, definitely didn't have any trouble getting on to my fav shelf. I guess it depends a lot on the kind of writing. Some YA novels just may not click, while some might. Then again, your mental disposition matters a lot. You could be in your 20s and still be old for YA, if you totally outgrew your adolescent and teenage years. Or you could still read them and enjoy them while reminiscing about your earlier years.
What a great question. I am now wondering if I would have enjoyed Uglies as a teenager, hmmm.
I will be more aware of this now.
The 2 mentioned books I haven't read and are not on my list.
Great post.. I myself in 08' started reading again after reading Twilight series, at the time I really liked it until I found adult books that was on the same paranormal lines, now when I try to read YA I find the characters get on my nerves, it't like HS all over again, so I stay away from YA, I don't want to give a bad rap when YA is just for me it for my daughter around here..
Now with that being said, I say I'm older than most of you on here at 40 so that can make a difference, if not then its just me:)
I began reading more YA because of my younger sister, who's 16 (almost 17 jeez...). I'm almost 26 (sob) but I don't feel I'm too old for YA. I don't think you can be too old for a book.
I still find enjoyment in books meant for pre-schoolers (the Pigeon Books by Mo Williems, or anything by Doreen Cronin... obviously meant for a young young audience, but they are cute and funny even for adults, like Dr. Seuss). Do I change my thought process when reading a book with an obviously younger protag? A little.
The YA books I've disliked usually have more to do with the story then the characters. I don't like The Hunger Games because I don't like it. I can't stand Fallen because I just can't stand it. Has nothing to do with the characters or their ages, and everything to do with the storyline just pushing me away.
On the converse I've enjoyed books where I don't agree with the characters' actions, because they are so alien and not like what I was like in HS or what I'm like now, but still enjoy the book. The Immortals series is a good example--I can't ever think of a time that I was that hung up over a guy to the exclusion of everything else. Do I dislike Ever for it? Yeah. Do I dislike the book for it? No.
I'm rather jealous of YA's in this day and age and their literary stuffs. When I was teen Sweet Valley High and Nancy Drew were still the most popular series of books for teens.
This is a good question!
I was in my 20's when I started to really love reading. I was reading YA then and I still read YA in my 30's. I don't think you are ever too old for the genre.
I do think when reading YA you need to be in a different mind set or at least recall what it was like to be that age.
Usually if a YA book isn't working for me it because of the story, not because I can't connect with the characters. :)
I started reading YA more when I started my book blog. The first YA book I read as an adult was Twilight when about 1 1/2 yrs ago. I read all four books and I had many eye rolling moments. I think it had more to do with the characters and the bad writing than with it being a YA book. I do have to remind myself while reading a YA book that I need to read it as if I'm the target age group. I have to remember that I'm no longer a yound adult and I'm not the target audience. For the most part, I've enjoyed the YA books that I've read.
I don't think you can be too old for YA (or for any children's literature, for that matter). I think the problem is that so much of what's coming out these days seems to be badly written and rushed out by the publisher just to make money.
If a book is written well, it doesn't matter what age group it's for. Good writing allows us to step into the character's shoes for a while. If we can't do that, I don't necessarily think it means we're too old; more likely, it means that the book wasn't written that well.
I'm finding more faults with YA fiction as I get older... but I don't think it's to do with my age. YA protagonists used to be a more varied bunch, and I could often find something to identify with. Now, they all seem to be beautiful, special girls who are courted by the hottest guys in school. How is an average, insecure teenager supposed to identify with that?
This is a great topic! I'm in my thirties with teenagers of my own and I love YA fiction. I think the reason I enjoy it is because it's an escape for me. In my own teens I wasn't reading YA so I never had an appreciation for it. Now I see that it is a very important genre in itself.
While I do feel kinda weird when I'm browsing the teen section at the bookstore, I don't feel like I am too old to be reading it. I'm a firm believer that a person (no matter their age) has the right to read (and enjoy) books from any age range.
When reviewing YA I don't necessarily consider it from the YA perspective or the 30-something perspective either. The same as with any other type of book I look for realistic human behavior, original characters and a story line that has the ability to draw (and hold) interest.
If I'm honest, I may be 27 but inside I am a big kid. No mind-set switching for me. I hate reading adult books. I think that says a lot about me.
When I am reading a YA novel I try to always keep in mind that the book is for a different audience (not middle-aged women like myself) but I can still enjoy it. I don't want to judge the book by my older woman standars, I try to reconnect with feelings I had as a younger girl. I enjoy YA and the memories of being young that it brings forth for me!
I read YA, but mostly in the fantasy genre, which is often set in a different world, so I don't know if I can properly respond. The last non-fantasy YA book I read was Wish, by Alexandra Bullen. And while I didn't have a problem with the storyline, per se, I think a lot of YA fiction these days is written around brand names and "cool" things. I don't need to read about a teenager in a BMW, wearing Seven jeans and carrying a Louis Vuitton purse. That sort of thing upsets me. Maybe because for me, it's hard to take myself out of the story? I don't know.
But fantasy YA, somehow, is totally different for me. I love it. I think the characters (usually) grow so much and confront real issues that I guess for me are often missing from what seems sometimes to be teenage chick lit.
I think you never to young to read YA! Read what u like don't let age stop you!! I'm 16 and I really connected felt for luce from fallen but not for Nora from hus hush! But I still adored both
Speaking as a fourteen year old, I can't say if you can be to old for YA but it's the smoothness about the book that matters in a review. You like a novel not only for what it represents but for how it made you feel. If someone thought that a protagonist in a novel not for their age-level is pathetic and weak then they should not criticize so harshly on how well a job an author did.
In my eyes, you're never too old to read YA, I'll be 25 in June and I loveeeee these type of books. When I read any type of book I try to imagine the characters with the way their protrayed and if they're a teen then my mind floats back to my teenage memories. I think if a person has an imagination they won't have a tough time reading YA. I think I'll continue to read these books till I'm an old fart lol and if I do have a daughter one day I'd love to pass them down :) I hope the YA phenomenon keeps rolling!
I did a guest post on this topic a few weeks ago. You can read it by clicking here if you're interested!
I am 44 and not too old for YA; it's my favorite genre and that's partly because I like being entertained, knowing what my students are reading, and the stories are good.
I think if someone rolls their eyes a bunch when they are reading, they need to find another genre :-)
I think you're never too old for YA as long as you remember what it was like to be a teenager.
Teenagers think totally differently than adults and the books are written for them - not for biased, snarky, adults who are too whatever to remember what it was like to be a kid.
I yell at my husband all the time for what he expects from our oldest son- he too has forgotten the teenage mind. some things are just so very different than they are once you are an adult.
If you can't deal with that, don't read YA.
That said, I also think some people read way too much into books and their influence.
I was always amazed at my lit classess and how we were supposed to decipher what the author meant. Why is there always supposed to be meaning, why not just entertainement?
I read to be entertained, not to be enlightened.
It depends on the book really. When I start questioning the judgment of the character, then I have to remind myself of the age of the character. Plus there are things I wouldn't do at that age or think at that age, which pulls me out of the story. Some characters seem too mature or act in too mature a way for a teenager versus some who do act like typical teenagers. So yes, I do have to take into account the age group the story is written for, remind myself of what I or other teens were like at that age.
I don't think I'm too old for some YA stories. What you have to look at too, is is it well written. Yes, there are some that I won't read because they do seem to be for the younger set. Then there are the ones for more mature audiences. However, I have to remember what teenagers were like in the 70's versus what they are like now.
I don't think anyone can be too old to read YA. Just when you're reading it, you have to remember what it was like to be a teen. While you may not to gaga in a nanosecond for a guy now, chances are you did when you were younger.
I haven't read Fallen or Hush, Hush, but I think what the issue with a lot of these books is that Twilight kind of set the stage for the simpering, weak heroine and actually making it ok to live your life only for a guy, to not have any friends, to have parents that turn the other cheek and so on. So a lot of books are following that because, well, just look at the bank Twilight made from that. Yes, it can strike a chord with many, many readers. I think nearly every teenage girl gets doe-eyed at some point over a guy and thinks he's just perfect. For me, the issue is elevating it to an unhealthy level and making it ok, saying to girls yes, it's fine to give up everything to have for a high school crush. It's ok. I know for me, I had friends to ground me out of that.
Like I said, I don't think it's necessarily the situation but the extreme it's being taken to and the inundation of the market with it.
Great question! I don't think you can be too old to read YA. As with any genre, whether you like a book or not has nothing to do with the age or target audience of a book but rather how you relate to the main characters. A good book is a good book, whether the target audience is teens, children, or adults.
Personally, I feel one of the main attractions of YA is that it reminds me of how I felt as a teen, something I do not think we should ever forget, especially for those of us who have kids who will become teens.
I'm 41 and I do not feel that I'm too old for YA. I think that was why I enjoyed Twilight so much because Meyer made me remember those angsty teenage times without having to actually go through it again (thank God for that). When I'm reading YA, I just try to remember what it felt like to be a kid or teenager. Of course, I have only read the Harry Potter books and the first two in the Twilight series so we'll see if my attitude changes after reading more YA novels. But I doubt that it will.
I hope I'm never too old. There are certainly a few that I've read that I was sure I'd have appreciated more if I'd read them 20 (25?) years ago, such as Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series. I liked them a lot, but would surely have liked them more when I was younger. I remember commenting in my review that there were angsty and shortsighted perspectives irritated me as an adult that were really consistent with actual teen behavior. I hope I'm past some of that stuff. Other books have a more universal appeal. And some books really are just bad! Anyway, I have proof I'm not too old for YA since I just bought a bunch of books on a special one day YA sale at Fictionwise. I used your site to get ideas, thanks!
Great topic! I agree that a good book is a good book and I also love reading YA. I've found so many more terrific books since I've started blogging and I look forward to even more in all different age groups in all different genre.
There are definitely some books that I don't care for nearly as much as I would have if I were still a teen. (I have my own teens now so it's been quite a while!) It's hard not to bring my own life experiences to my reading and it's hard not to have the point of view of a parent. That doesn't mean it's the only viewpoint I have. It also doesn't mean that someone else doesn't like the book just because I didn't. If the writing is good it's just a personal preference.
As far as the bad reviews, I don't think anyone should ever be cruel. There are plenty of ways to say you don't like a book and still offer positive criticism. I also agree that when something is very popular it's going to take more heat. The comments here are awesome!
What an awesome question! Had to think on it a moment but I feel like I have began reading alot more YA since I began my blog as well and I have rolled my eyes at a few things in the YA books for sure but I do the same thing with some of the adult books so I dont think it has anything to do with the genre in my case. lol
I've noticed that sometimes books are placed in YA when the author wasn't writing them to appeal to that market. The publisher just wasn't quite sure where to stick them. Some YA can be annoyingly "teen" though and I tend to skip those.
I think everyone should read whatever they want regardless of age.
With that said, I know that I'm going to be happiest reading YA with strong characters, and I seem to prefer fantasy. I was never a popular girl at school, so reading about those girls is completely foreign to me. And the teenage angst just drives me crazy. I'll admit in a review that I probably acted the same way when I was 15 or 16, but that doesn't mean I want to relive it. Give me plot over angst any day.
I'll be 26 next month and personally I LOVE YA but I have pretty ecclectic taste. I haven't read the two books in question yet so I really don't know how to respond to the question yet.
I'm 22 and am now reading the most YA than I ever have. I think alot of us adults enjoy reading YA now because it makes us feel young again and brings us back to those old memories when life was simple..without rent and bills to pay lol. Also YA today is much better than when we were teens. Sometimes when I'm reading a YA book I wonder if I'd actually let my teen read it. There's a lot more risque issues going on in books now, unlike The Babysitters Club or Sweet Valley High from when we grew up. Then there are some YA books that should just be classified as Teen Fiction, like Braced2Bite,Zombie Queen of Newbury High, and I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked it because they're too kiddie. I wouldn't have liked it even when I WAS a teen.
I can still relate to MG fiction and below, (the kid in me) and so YA is no big. I don't think you ever lose sense of how awkward that time was and how wonderful at the same time.
Nevah!!!!! This is probably an immaturity issue on my part but I believe one can never be too old to read YA. Why if my husband would allow it, I'd have Jacob and Edward posters tapped all over my bedroom walls.
I think there are more mature YA books which is what I tend to lean towards. Don't tell anyone, but I didn't care of the Harry Potter series. Again this was a me issue b/c I couldn't connect with the characters due to the age factor. I tend to read YA books that have characters around 15-16.
Great post BCC!
THANKS EVERYBODY FOR STOPPING BY AND COMMENTING!!
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