Book Chick City: YA Fiction: Category or Genre?

YA Fiction: Category or Genre?

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 | Posted by Book Chick City |

Why do some call YA (Young Adult) a genre? To me it's a category just like Adult Fiction, Children's Fiction and Middle Grade Fiction. And just as in adult fiction you can have many different genres such as science fiction, fantasy, horror and romance etc, you can with YA fiction too. But I constantly see YA being categorised as a genre.

I have even seen a comment on twitter recently from a blogger about a review they had read on another website which was about a YA romance. They didn't like the review and said 'why are they reviewing a YA book anyway, they are a romance blog?' Another blogger asked me why I had a YA book in my Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge as they didn't think a YA book could be speculative fiction.

But of course it can. Have you not read a science fiction YA book? Or an apocalyptic YA book? A YA book with vampires, werewolves, demons?

This isn't a huge topic but it's one that niggles me every time I see YA under genre. It's a pet peeve of mine ;)

I will always classify YA as a category and not as a genre. How do you see Young Adult fiction? Genre or category?

Labels: Thoughtful Ramblings

37 comments:

Ana said...: Hey, that is actually quite a good point. Need to Ponder - but usually, I do see it as a genre.

Now, I think I was the blogger you refer to when you mention the tweet yesterday 'why are they reviewing a YA book anyway, they are a romance blog?' and I would like to clarify: the review was of the book The Girl with the Mermaid Hair which is a YA but is not a romance, at ALL. and the venue who reviewed it was not a blog, it is the Romantic Times magazine, which , as far as I know, is a subscription only magazine/website which reviews Romance.

Perhaps I should have said, why are they reviewing this "book" instead of YA. Going back to the point of your post?; 17 February 2010 11:23
Book Chick City said...: Hi Ana, thanks for clarifying your tweet ;) I suppose because so many people have seen YA as a genre for so long it's hard to see it any other way. But I have always seen it as a category just for the fact that there are many genres in YA - how can it be a genre, genre? It's not that important but it's something that's always niggled me LOL. Thanks for stopping by :); 17 February 2010 11:27
Liz de Jager said...: Hey there girls

Romantic Times don't review just romance. They review other books too including urban fantasy, fantasy amongst others and YA too, regardless of romantic content.

But coming back to the main blog: yes, I agree with you 100%. YA is a category and not a genre. I've asked this question many times before on twitter and have read other blogs about it too.

Genre is the sub-catergories in fiction. You have adult and kids' fiction, for instance and then within adult fiction you have your sub-genres: urban fantasy, paranormal romance, horror, fantasy, sci-fi etc. Remember that genre is a marketing tool, making readers and writers fit in the right "hole" so that people know where to go in a bookshop.

In kids' fiction there's just that: fiction. YA is a catergory within kids' fiction to distinguish it from younger age groups. Although people write kids and YA fantasy etc. these genres really don't exist as marketing tools (not that I've seen anyway) in kids' fiction. That's why writing and reading kids books and YA is so cool - it embraces wholeheartedly all genres but doesn't bother defining itself, as long as kids read 'em!

:-) Aint it grand?; 17 February 2010 11:57
Blodeuedd said...: I usually set it in genre, but then I do not mean it is a genre, I just want people to know it is YA. After it I put the real genre, like romance.; 17 February 2010 11:59
Aye.Me? said...: I think of it as a category, but I most see it used as a genre in reference to books that are just about everyday teenagers with no fantasy or sci-fi elements. I suppose that calling books like that Young Adult is better than just calling them fiction.; 17 February 2010 12:40
Kate said...: I think of it as a category because there are so many genres underneath that like romance, supernatural, etc.; 17 February 2010 12:50
Elie said...: I call it a genre too, I guess I never gave much thought to it. But since YA has so many categories...YA science fiction, YA fantasy, ect, I just figured it was a genre with 50 categories.; 17 February 2010 12:51
Serena said...: YA is most definitely a category. Some have even indicated that YA is just a marketing tool by publishers...to help them get the attention of a target audience...much like the label women's fiction or chicklit.; 17 February 2010 13:07
KyleeJ said...: You know... I have been referring to YA as a genre, but you're right. It isn't a genre, it's a category. I promise to stop calling YA a genre. =); 17 February 2010 13:09
✖Mizz Yasmin✖ said...: Good question to ponder.
I think it can be both?

YA has this special stories that, when you read it, you'll just know it's YA.
Isn't that what genre is all about?

At the same time, it is suitable FOR young adults.
So, what matter is how we plan to use it.; 17 February 2010 13:39
Ladybug said...: I'm not sure if I've called it a genre before but I definitely will not do so again. I agree 100 % with you, YA is a category.; 17 February 2010 13:53
~Jennifer~ said...: I know it's a category, but I often slip and refer to it as a genre.

My local bookstore and my library both treat it like a genre. YA books = these shelves, without any separation between genres, although they have no problem separating the childen's books into genres just like the adult books. It's also a small collection compared to the other age categories, so maybe that's why they don't bother. I don't know, but it annoys me.

Back to your topic, I think I use YA of a descriptive tool than anything else. I like middle grade fantasy, YA fantasy and adult fantasy, but I only like adult mystery. I like YA science fiction more than adult science fiction. I guess I'm using it as a category, but I don't really think much about it.

I don't know. This is getting more and more confusing in my head.; 17 February 2010 14:58
Rebecca @ DSB said...: Hmmm, I don't see the big deal. Genre or Category... aren't the two interchangeable? I popped open my trusty dictionary and looked up Genre:

a class or category of artistic endeavor having a particular form, content, technique, or the like: the genre of epic poetry; the genre of symphonic music.

HA HA HA! That helps clear things up, doesn't it? Since a genre IS a category, then I'll keep using both with impunity. : ); 17 February 2010 15:30
Katiebabs a.k.a KB said...: Just like any genre, there can be sub genres. Like in romance there is historical, contemporary, urban fantasy, erotic, etc... YA is the same.

More often in YA there are sub-genres especially this new apocalyptic or dystopian one.

I guess I am a romance blog, but I adore YA also so if there is a book I have read that I had both liked and dislike, I will review it.; 17 February 2010 15:44
Katiebabs a.k.a KB said...: YA has it's own section at the book store and at on-line book stores. So that gives me a good inclination it's a genre.

But if YA is a category, where would you put those books?; 17 February 2010 15:46
Book Chick City said...: I see Young Adult fiction as a category, so therefore I would put all YA books in a section of it's own (as you would adult books) and then divide the books up into their particular genres eg romance, sci-fi etc (as you do adult books) If YA is a genre, then what is its category?; 17 February 2010 15:55
Katiebabs a.k.a KB said...: Perhaps genre and category are the same thing? Hmm... now I must rethink this.

Sneaky Book Chick. ;); 17 February 2010 15:59
Michelle @ The True Book Addict said...: You are so right. YA is a category. Genres are horror, fantasy, scifi, mystery, thriller, etc., etc.; 17 February 2010 16:19
Book Chick City said...: Another example:

If offered a book by a friend you would maybe ask 'what book is it?' If they answered 'adult fiction' wouldn't you then be inclined to ask 'what genre?'

To me Young Adult fiction is the same. If someone said 'here's a YA book for you to read' I would still ask 'what genre?' Just because it's young adult doesn't mean I will instantly want to read it as it may not be in the genres I like to read.; 17 February 2010 16:40
Diana Peterfreund said...: Those of you claiming that YA is a "genre" because it's got its own shelving in the bookstore, do you also think that non-fiction is a genre because it's got its own section in the bookstore? Try to think of the YA shelves as their own "department" much like, in a Macy's, you've got a women's section that has casual clothes, formal wear, etc., and a junior's section that has the same.

"Dystopia" is not a subgenre of YA. It's a subgenre of literature. Romance is not a subgenre of YA, it's a subgenre of literature. Much like you can find jeans in the women's section of Macy's and in the junior's section, meant for a different market (women and teen) you can find similar in the bookstore.; 17 February 2010 18:29
Erika said...: I usually refer to YA as a genre, but that's mostly so people can see what type of SF or F I am reviewing. I actually consider it more of a clarification on the genres I usually do read! :) But you bring up an interesting point, especially as it leaks into certain preconceived notions and prejudices against YA books...; 17 February 2010 18:43
Nymeth said...: I completely agree with you. It's a pet peeve of mine as well! Another one is seeing comics and graphic novels referred to as a genre. Oh, I could rant about that :P; 17 February 2010 18:43
Rosey said...: It is a category. I agree with you. I think most people "refer" to it as a genre but they really know better.; 17 February 2010 18:58
A Buckeye Girl Reads said...: hmm...You've raised a few really good points. I always refer to it as a genre, but the more I think about it, it is more of a category then a genre.; 17 February 2010 19:01
Sue Dent said...: Well I posted on your facebook but I see you have more action here.;)

As a publisher and an author I can tell you that genres and categories are coming to mean less and less. The reason is there's no way to police whether a book goes where an author or publisher decides to put it. This is why you see YA's being reviewed by those who might otherwise avoid YA.

And as far as that goes my books have been recategorized by without my knowledge. There's absolutely no control over this. Don't feel bad about not being able to define what a category or genre is (if in fact you do LOL.) Bookstores don't even know. ;) My general market YA horror novel started out in Christian non-fiction because my first publisher was a Christian publisher!!! It didn't even matter that she NEVER applied the word Christian to the genre. A vampire/werewolf novel, short-listed for a Bram Stoker Award sitting next to Chicken Soup for the Soul. Gotta Love IT!; 17 February 2010 19:35
Ruthann said...: I don't remember how I've tagged books for a young adult audience on myshelf but I know if my nerdy spreadsheet of books I have them tagged YA genre. So YA Romance, YA Fantasy. I'm not sure if that means I use it as a genre or category. I typically mark something as YA and something else so I think I'm using it correctly.

I know that I don't read a ton of young adult books because I don't always enjoy books that are written for a younger audience - which says I use it as a category to me.; 17 February 2010 20:45
Melissa said...: I'm with you totally... it's a category. 100%. If someone says something about a great YA book, I have to know the genre.; 17 February 2010 22:42
WilowRaven said...: You know - I don't think I ever thought about this until now!
And I one of those bloggers that does classify YA as a genre...but I think I'm wrong and will probably stop doing that!
YA is a category and within YA there are different genres - just like in 'adult' books - in my opinion :)

Thanks for making my brain work!; 17 February 2010 22:52
Donna said...: Publishing sees YA as a category, not a genre. It's right up there with Middle Grade, Children's Books, adult fiction. Does anyone consider Middle Grade a genre? I doubt it. So why do they think YA is a genre? YA merely encompasses an age bracket. Within it exists just as many genres as any other category of books.

So until the publishing industry sees it as a genre, I'll continue looking at it as a category just like they do.; 18 February 2010 00:56
Melissa (My World...in words and pages) said...: This is an interesting question. I know when I first started looking in the YA section of the book store I expected to find different genre broken out: Fiction, Fantasy, etc. But it was not done that way. YA was considered the genre. I was confused at first.; 18 February 2010 02:41
Shera (Book Whispers) said...: I've never noticed that, but if I had it would be a pet peeve of mine as well. YA is a category, not a genre. We don't call Independent Reader a genre, it's a reading level or targeted reading group. YA is a beacon pointing the way to teen appropriate reads, which obviously has genres like any reading level, or category.

I really like the post, got me thinking, and ranting. Maybe even a little raving! ^_-; 18 February 2010 04:19
Ryan G said...: I agree with you. YA is a classification not a genre. It's not like horror, SciFi, or Mystery. It's the audience that they books is primarily written for.; 18 February 2010 05:51
TJ said...: I'm okay with considering YA as a genre in itself (which then houses all the genres available outside of YA) because the themes are often different in a book aimed towards a teen crowd. Meaning, a YA Fantasy is rarely interchangeable for an 'adult' fantasy, a YA romance is rarely the same as 'adult' romance, etc.

Now, what I think is wrong is that people feel they can demean YA because of this difference. :); 18 February 2010 06:01
Book Chick City said...: Thanks to you all for stopping by and adding to the discussion. I'm still very firmly in the 'category' camp but it was interesting seeing what everyone else thought :); 18 February 2010 07:34
Jennifer G. said...: Good question! I've never thought of it as anything other than a category. The genre would be fantasy, science fiction, whatever, but to me YA just means that it's targeted more toward teens.; 18 February 2010 08:13
Donna [F.D. Ramblings] said...: Good question! I didn't read through all the comments but I see YA as a category and not a genre. I always preface a genre with YA if it falls in that category but I never just mark a book YA alone.; 19 February 2010 02:02
hcmurdoch said...: I see YA as a category, but realize that on my reviews I list categories and genres together :-); 19 February 2010 20:49