Young adult literature

Young-adult (YA) fiction is fiction written for, published for, or marketed to adolescents, roughly ages 12 to 18.

Characteristics

Young-adult fiction, whether in the form of novels or short stories, has distinct attributes that distinguish it from the other age categories of fiction: adult fiction, juvenile fiction, and children's fiction. The vast majority of YA stories portray an adolescent as the protagonist, rather than an adult or a child. The subject matter and story lines are typically consistent with the age and experience of the main character, but beyond that YA stories span the entire spectrum of fiction genres. The settings of YA stories are limited only by the imagination and skill of the author. Themes in YA stories often focus on the challanges of youth, so much so that the entire age category is sometimes referred to as problem novels or coming of age novels. Writing styles of YA stories range widely, from the richness of literary style to the clarity and speed of the unobtrusive.

Despite its unique characteristics, YA shares the five elements of fiction with other stories: character, plot, setting, theme, and style.[1]

History of YA

The first recognition of young adults as a distinct group was by Sarah Trimmer, who in 1802 described "young adulthood" as lasting from ages 14 to 21. However, nineteenth-century publishers didn't specifically market to young readers, and adolescent culture didn't exist in a modern sense. Nonetheless, there were books published in the nineteenth century that appealed to young readers:

Another example that predates the classification of young adult, but that is now frequently presented alongside YA novels is The Yearling (1938) by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.

In the 1950's, shortly before the advent of modern publishing for the teen market, two novels drew the attention of adolescent readers: The Catcher in the Rye (1951), and Lord of the Flies 1954). Unlike more-recent fiction classified as YA, these two were written with an adult audience in mind. [FitzGerald 2004, p. 62]

The modern classification of young-adult fiction originated during the 1950s and 1960s, as publishers began to focus on the emerging adolescent market. Booksellers and libraries, in turn, began creating YA sections distinct from either children's literature or novels written for adults.

Edgy content

From its very beginning, young-adult fiction has portrayed teens confronting situations and social issues that have pushed the edge of then-acceptable content. Such novels and their content are sometimes referred to as "edgy."

In particular, authors and publishers have repeatedly pushed the boundaries of what was previously considered acceptable regarding human sexuality. Examples include:

Beverly Cleary's Fifteen (1956) (romance)
Judy Blume's Forever (1975) (a teen's first sexual encounter and teen pregnancy)
Nancy Garden's Annie on My Mind (1982) (two high-school girls who fall in love)
Shelley Stoehr's Crosses (1991) (self-mutilation)
Cynthia Voigt's When She Hollers (1994) (rape)
Linda Glovach's Beauty Queen (1998) (teenage exotic dancing, threesomes, and heroin addiction)
Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak (1999) (rape)
Sarah Dessen's Dreamland (2000) (emotionally, mentally, and physically abusive relationships)
Alex Flinn's Breathing Underwater (2001) (emotionally, mentally, and physically abusive relationships)
Patricia McCormick's Cut (2001) (self-mutilation)
Margaret Bechard's Hanging on to Max (2002) (teen fatherhood)
Alice Hoffman's Green Angel (2003) (self-mutilation)
Angela Johnson's The First Part Last (2003) (teen fatherhood)
Julie Anne Peters' Luna (2004) (a girl whose older brother is transexual)

YA novels currently in print include content about peer pressure, illness, divorce, drugs, gangs, crime, violence, sexuality, incest, oral sex, and male rape. Critics of such content argue that the novels encourage destructive or immoral behavior. Others argue that fictional portrayal of teens successfully addressing difficult situations and confronting social issues helps readers deal with real-life challenges.

Debate continues regarding the amount and nature of violence [2] and profanity [3] appropriate in young-adult fiction.

Literature

The decision as to whether or not any particular work of fiction qualifies as literature is, of course, subjective and subject to the test of time. In recent years, YA fiction has been increasingly treated as an object of serious study by children's literature critics. A growing number of young-adult-fiction awards recognize outstanding works of fiction for adolescents.

Hyphenation

The noun young adult is not hyphenated. However, when young adult is placed in front of another noun, it becomes an adjectival compound and warrants a hyphen for clarity and ease of reading. Thus, "Young adults enjoy reading young-adult novels, which are written by young-adult authors and are often found in the young-adult sections of libraries and bookstores." [Lutz, 2005, p. 274]

Trends

The category of YA fiction continues to expand into new forms and genres: e-books, graphic novels, manga, fantasy, mystery fiction, romance novels, even subcategories such as cyberpunk, splatterpunk, techno-thrillers, contemporary Christian fiction.

Boundaries between children's, YA, and adult fiction

The destinctions between children's literature, YA literature, and adult literature are often flexible and loosely defined. At the lower end of the YA age spectrum, fiction targeted to readers age 10 to 12 is referred to as juvenile ficion. Some novels originally marketed to adults have been identified as being of interest and value to adolescents.

References

Lutz, Gary. "The Hyphen". The Writer's Digest Grammar Desk Reference. Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer's Digest Books. pp. 274–275.
Eccleshare, Julia. "Teenage Fiction: Realism, romances, contemporary problem novels". In Peter Hunt, ed. (ed.). International Companion Encyclopedia of Children's Literature. London: Routledge. pp. 387–396. {{cite book}}: |editor= has generic name (help)
Egoff, Sheila. "The Problem Novel". In Shiela Egoff, ed. (ed.). Only Connect: readings on children's literature (2nd ed.). Ontario: Oxford University Press. pp. 356–369. {{cite book}}: |editor= has generic name (help)
Frances FitzGerald, "The Influence of Anxiety" in Harper's, September 2004, p. 62-70
Nilsen, Alleen Pace (1994). "That Was Then ... This Is Now". School Library Journal. 40 (4): 62–70. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
Diana Tixier Herald. (2003) Teen Genreflecting. 2nd ed. Wesport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited.
Judging a Book by Its Cover: Publishing Trends in Young Adult Literature, by Cat Yampbell, The Lion and the Unicorn; Sep 2005; 29:3; Children's Module, The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp348-372, at p350-351.

Other publications

Authors and Artists for Young Adults, serial publication (Gale, 1989+) with bio-bibliographies of novelists, poets, dramatists, filmmakers, cartoonists, painters, architects, and photographers which appeal to teenagers. Entries typically are six to twelve pages in length, have a black & white photo of the author/artist and other illustrations. Recent volumes include a sidebar recommending similar books/works the reader might like also.
Best Books for Young Adults, 2nd ed. by YALSA, edited by Betty Carter.
Books for the Teen Age, annual book list selected by teens for teens, sponsored by the New York Public Library [4]
Outstanding Books for the College Bound, put out by YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association), professional organization for librarians serving teens in either public libraries or school library/media centers; a division of ALA. [5]