I’m curious what distinguishes a YA novel from a novel for adults.
Is it the age of the main character? The protagonist in most YA novels is anywhere from 14-18 years old. But adult fiction protagonists, such as in Life of Pi, can be teens, also. In the case of The Book Thief, there are two main protagonists—one is ageless and the other is a child. So this rule is not hard and fast.
The point of view? Many YA books are told in the first person. First person narratives can create a more intimate connection between the reader and the main character. The Book Thief is narrated by Death. If Death had been malicious or heartless, the novel would’ve been even darker. But Markus Zusak’s Death is both tender and observant in a non-judging way, which adds a touch of humanity. I believe this is one of the reasons The Book Thief was categorized as a YA.
A sophisticated narrative style? Young adult readers are extraordinarily advanced. They can enjoy intelligent characters (An Abundance of Katherines), unreliable narrators (Now You See Her), stories told backwards (The First Part Last), novels in verse (Crank), and anti-heroes (Inexcusable). The Book Thief’s inventive narrative style would not faze this audience.
Themes? The themes and topics that are relevant to teens—themes such as coming of age, self-acceptance, good vs. evil, personal responsibility, as well as topics like suicide, eating disorders, abuse, and war—are also relevant to adults. So the line blurs here.
Perhaps the difference comes from how these themes and topics are addressed. Even though YA books can be disturbing and gritty, at the end there is a ray of hope for a better future. That—combined with an intimate story-telling style, growth of the main character, and an engaging plot—distinguishes YA from adult fiction.
Still, I wonder. If Markus Zusak had written The Book Thief before he had earned a reputation as a YA novelist, would it still be called YA? Opinions?
Comments
1 C. Lee McKenzie // Jun 12, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Someone commented to me that they thought the difference between YA and adult fiction was the simplicity of the plot in the former.
I don’t think that’s it. I’m more inclined to think that some YAs are really YAs because they deal with “lighter” teen issues. The ones that deal with more gritty issues (rape, drug abuse, self-abuse, death) aren’t limited to YA readers except by where they are placed in the bookstore.
Also an adult who reads a YA will read it at a different level of understanding. They bring to the book years of experience that a teen doesn’t.
I’ve given some of my friends YA’s that they’ve enjoyed tremendously, and they are sophisticated readers of more than escape fiction.
Oops! This is one long ramble. Sorry!
2 Lauren Bjorkman // Jun 13, 2009 at 8:11 am
I agree that simplicity of plot is NOT it.
I’ve noticed that some adults less familiar with the genre can think that reading a YA is “beneath” them. But, just as in adult fiction, YA fiction has enormous variability.
Thanks for commenting.
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