I have a lot of feelings about young adult fiction. I read it. I write it. As a young adult myself, I sort of live and breathe it! There's been a lot of debate, criticism, and joke about young adult fiction for the last couple years as it's become a more and more popular genre to write for. Some criticize YA for being cliche and pander-y to the young female teen demographic; others say that it's just completely poor writing. But what really is YA? It's not a ploy to take money from little girls who want to feel as pretty as the characters in the books--it's just a category focused on the lives of young people, be it realistic fiction, romance, or fantasy.
I will be the first to admit that there are some not-so-good YA fiction books out there. There are many that don't have great writing, many that give girls self-esteem issues, and many that are just plain offensive (inaccurate, sugar-coated sick lit or most books that often use trauma as merely a plot device). However, the same can be said for every literary genre--who hasn't read a shitty romance, science fiction, or historical novel? There are always blemishes, and no book is ever as perfect as we'd like it to be.
However, I think there's something really important that a lot of people forget about YA fiction. YA fiction has become a big place for young girls (and people of all ages and genders, but it definitely does appeal to the female demographic), and stories about girls and people their age encourages girls to read! Maybe the stories can be a little predictable, but there's nothing I love more than young people getting involved and passionate about literature. This goes hand-in-hand with the upsurge in female characters in Young Adult lit; girls are starting to see themselves represented in ways that they haven't been in fantasy and science fiction until recent years.
Another thing I find interesting that could be considered good or bad, is that YA fiction has been a front for a lot of different social issues in recent years. I've found YA to be one of the more diverse literary genres, with a push for MOGAI characters, characters of color, and disabled characters. Sometimes these attempts at diversity backfire, and end up being offensive characters, but I've seen some great representations as well! I think it's good and relevant that a genre aimed towards young people is starting to represent more people that seem real, more people that actually are like who we see around us. YA is teaching young adults to be more accepting and understanding of those around them, and I dig that.
This isn't to say that I don't think YA doesn't need some improvement. The same old ideas get stale and boring--I know I have trouble finding the diamonds in the rough when I'm at the bookstore! However, genres are constantly changing, and I have no doubt that YA will always be finding a new trend to interest and engage us. In the meanwhile, try and appreciate it for what it is; a fun genre that doesn't need to be high-browed to be interesting, encourages kids to relate to lit, and also gives kids some much-needed representation in books.
If you agree with me, hit me up with a comment! If you don't, hit me up with a comment! Hope you all are having a lovely weekend. :)
Kekai
No comments:
Post a Comment