There has been a lot of talk lately of adult readers’ interest in YA novels–specifically, this New York Times Article. Some explanation is that this literature is supposedly easier to read and has less pages. I believe this is definitely true in some cases but not all or even most. My take on why more adults are gravitating toward YA? The connection.
There are common themes in YA lit, be it in fantasy, paranormal, or realistic genres. There is usually a romantic scenario, a friendship gone wrong (or one that characters are struggling with), search for identity and/or meaning in one’s life, and the need to break free/understand/connect with the parental units. Some books have all these themes, others have one or two. Either way, they are motifs that adults as well as teens feel close to. I would venture to say, adults may even feel more in touch with these themes.
Like most teens, I had unrequited crushes in high school (and reciprocated ones that went bad). I had friends stop talking to me. My parents and I had trouble getting along. I tried to figure out what I wanted school-wise, life-wise. As an adult, those things don’t go away but you gain a greater insight when approaching these issues that you did not have as a teen.
As a parent, you have a greater appreciation for your own. As an adult you, have the strength and confidence to leave the friends who treat you poorly. The internal struggle? Well, I don’t know if that really goes away. You may have found the career you dreamed of, but there are other factors you are still coming to terms with. Or, maybe, the career you thought you wanted was just a placeholder for what your true passion was. Or, the change could have nothing at all to do with a job but with your personal life. In high school, you may have thought the ideal life was weekend plans, parties, the in crowd, only to realize after experiencing these things that the quieter life was more speed. As an adult, you may have thought you wanted the spouse and picket fence, but been proven wrong. Or, maybe you thought being a career woman was your speed until you met your child and realized you rather stay home with him.
And then (in the words of Quantum Leap’s Sam Beckett) there’s the “To Make Right What Once Went Wrong” factor. Some of my friends and I read and write YA novels to recreate or better understand the past, to examine what an alternate life would have been like, to fantasize about what was or could have been, all the while comforted by what is.
So yes, some YA may be faster paced or easier to read, but others are literary, deep, moving literature that crosses genres and audiences, bridging the age gap and forging connections.
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