Random Chat: YA and NA

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Step up, take a seat, make yourself at home and let’s chat!

Greetings, ladies and gentlemen!
I came across this article a few days ago while browsing facebook and it prompted me to post something I have been mulling over for ages now:

Author Claims YA Does Not Exist

It links to the following article: There Is No Such Thing as the Young Adult Novel.

I am not sure if any of you have noticed, but I don’t have YA as a book genre in my blog. Quite frankly, the notion still baffles me. I am not even sure if I fully understand it, because I have seen it defined accordingly to the characters age and also to the audience’s age. It seems that the latter prevails, or at the very least a mixture of the two.

While I can understand that it may make books easier to find, defining a book by age categories seems extremely restrictive and I have found that the same formulas get used over and over again.
Ever since the YA genre came out, I cannot seem to find, for instance, a fantasy book I enjoy. Sure, there is New Adult now as well, but I cannot seem to relate to either the writing or the topics in books classified as such. On the other hand, if I pick up a YA book I am usually faced with much of the same teenage dramas, romance and, at times, tantrums.

I thoroughly miss a solid fantasy novel with characters I can relate to and which does not necessarily include romance. Something that presents a new world, one that is unique but makes sense and utterly enthrals me in the story. I cannot seem to find that anymore and I am convinced it has gotten worse since these categories were released to public.

What do you think? Have the YA and NA categories done more good or harm to the book industry, in terms of quality of books, not marketability?
Do you find any of the points I made make sense?
Tell me everything!

12 thoughts on “Random Chat: YA and NA”

  1. What about the adult market? Don’t you find plenty fantasy there to enjoy? There are a slew of books that aren’t centred on youngsters and their growing pains if you have growing more than a tad tired of that trope. I personally think it is a useful sub-genre as the fantasy market has massively expanded, so that just as when I pick up a military or epic fantasy, I have an idea what to expect – when I pick up a YA book, I immediately know that it will be centred on teens and their preoccupations while the violence, language and sex will be (or should be) dialed to mild. The fact that some books marketed as YA clearly shouldn’t be is a discussion for another day…

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    • I am not sure if I am looking at the right place. Quite frankly right now I have so many books I only ever browse Netgalley anymore. I find that fiction marked as Adult does not usually interest me, although I do love psychological thrillers. My main issue is that by categorizing them that way it does not seem to leave authors any margin for creativity outside of that formula. I can’t find anything really new anymore or that even remotely appeals to me… I really do miss how books were categorized before, I could just browse by genre, read the blurb and see if it would be something I might like…

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      • If you think those would be along the lines of what I am eager to read sure, that would be great! I appreciate you taking the time to do that :)

        Any tips on how to find that kind of books on Netgalley, by the way?

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      • I’ll send you a list of books and authors that at least avoid the elements you clearly feel you’ve overdosed on, recently… In the meantime, I look at the descriptions very carefully and avoid anything that features romance as the main driver – while I’ll enjoy a love story, not if it’s the main plotline as it tends to be very predictable. Other than that, I go with my gut… but I’ve been reading now for more years than I care to recall and know exactly what I like and don’t like. Covers are often a clue – and I have extended my reading via Netgalley by taking a punt on a number of books that just intrigued me. I’ll often go into Amazon and read the first couple of pages if they are available to discover if I enjoy the writing style. Hope that helps…

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      • Thank you, it does help a lot, I really appreciate it.

        Right now I am reading something I would have normally not picked up and really enjoying it. There is a lot of mystery but all the characters are very much grown up, one of them even going through menopause, so this is refreshing. I got it through Netgalley even! However I know that of there wasn’t so much suspense I would quickly get bored.

        So when you go on Amazon do you just start browsing categories or did you previously find the book somewhere else?

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  2. I do read both YA and NA in my wide reading range, I find it is the level of sex or violence that guides the genresdefinitions , I can enjoy a YA horror for instance, where as and adult horror scares the bejebees out of me and I do need to sleep at night.

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  3. Arie’s books aren’t very paranormal they are on the lines of a minority race of people who are victimised by a power hungry nation, it echoes lots of situations throughout civilisation and the first book has some truly horrific torture of teenagers. The ghost files is definitely paranormal but it has a violent kidnapper who does some very nasty things to his victims. A great idea for a discussion about books though, shows what we all like or don’t like in our reads.

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    • Wait, I did read her book The Soul and The Seed. I actually enjoyed it, I even posted a review. You’re right, Arie does have a very specific way of writing that I honestly enjoyed. I particularly loved the first third of that book.

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