Why I Don't Like YA
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2024
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YA seems very repetitive. I tend to avoid it, though sometimes I give a book a chance. Usually I'm disappointed because the plots are so similar to all the other YA, it gets very annoying. A love triangle, meeting a beautiful boy & falling in love by the next page, angsty relationships, etc. But I think there's some good YA out there...I just have to really search for it!
Michiko B try A School for Sorcery by E Rose Sabin
A Booktuber who DOESN'T read YA?! Subscribed! Please do a bookshelf tour - there's a ton of them on CZcams and they all showcase the exact same YA bestsellers.
Hiya, actually I have made a list of non-YA booktubers, if you're having trouble finding them. rgsdevilship.blogspot.ie/2015/10/the-alternative-booktubers-non-ya.html I'll probably do a new bookshelf tour later this year.
Thanks! This is very helpful!
A Booktuber who has Irvine Welsh and Bret Easton-Ellis on their bookshelf?! Subscribed!
Woo! A non-YA specific reader on booktube
Sign me up!!! (just subcribed)
I definitely recommend Wordsofareader! She reads a lot of different genres including classic litterature
Personally, I never engaged in sex and drug use as a teen. That wasn't my normal (though some other non-fluffy lovey dove stuff did happen.). However, I don't consider myself to be pure or better than anyone else. I agree that slut shaming is just ridiculous. I feel that there should be a variety of topics written about in YA, so that everyone can relate. Books dealing with broken families, two parent homes, LGBT, depression, self harm, suicide, STDs, abuse, racial issues etc should be written about in a way that is not condescending or patronizing but in a way that lets teens know that they are not alone.
+Parker Skye Totally agree! YA needs to be diversified enough so that every type of teenager can find something they can relate to. It's very important.
Pretty much every point you made is why I started leaving YA behind. Thank you!
YA are dumbed down because they are for pre teens. I don’t even think it should be called YA, Because rarely are the characters actual adults. Maybe I just have not read enough YA, but all the YA I have read are based around teens who are just immature and like you said, not relatable. I don’t get how people in their 20’s and 30’s can read it and actually enjoy it. If I was 12-16 I would have enjoyed them a lot, so I am not hating on YA, but I personally don’t feel like they are really for adults of any age. If you are over 16 I think you should just skip to adult fiction IMO.
I guess I was pretty much the opposite of you, when I was a teenager. (Keep in mind that I was a teenager from Summer '94 to Summer 2001.) I didn't want to party or get high or get drunk or "have sex in weird places" (or even at all). My friends weren't really like that, either. Not all teens "want to grow up really quickly" or "try everything", and guess what.... "that's not a bad thing", either. I agree that girls shouldn't run around calling each other "sluts", but I don't encourage sex among children, either.
I think you must be reading alot of the wrong YA books, and if you like books with more sex and such, then maybe the NA genre is more your style than the YA genre.
+Holly Letson I agree with you. I was actually with her until she started with the virgin-shaming or the "teens are like this". No, not all of them. My teens were kind of like that (minus the sex) but not all of my friends were. And also, some of us are asexual yo.
NA has more slutshaming then ya.
Yes I agree. I sorta felt some virgin shaming in there (my teen years were drug and sex free) but maybe I'm taking it too personally. I don't think she means to offend, at any rate.
I can't agree more with every single one of your points. You've really clearly verbalized so many of my own feelings about YA, which I've tried to read partially because it's so pervasive in our current book culture, and partially because publishers sell YA in really slick looking packaging that makes them look intriguing, but I can't do it. I can't get into them. I especially appreciate the point you made about author's romanticizing the teenage experience and I think you're spot on saying it's what they *wish* high school had been like, or what the teenage experience is like.
I finally made myself watch all of the Twilight movies this year as research and I was really truly blown away by how abusive the relationship is. And how that abuse--I mean, right from the beginning it is on a very high level abuse--only gets worse and more controlling the further the series progresses. I cannot stomach the fact that this series has shaped an entire generation of readers to the extent that it has.
Anyways, thanks for the video! two thumbs up
+Lia Cooper Cheers!
I agree that some YA books can seem a little dumbed down and even condescending in the way they're structured and written. I think YA in general needs to be read with a certain inner distance where you can enjoy what's written there but at the same time accept that it's not all that's out there and that you can't take it all too seriously.
100% agree on Twilight. I enjoyed it at the time and after rereading later on was like, this is enormously fucked up.
The slut shaming also really bothers me. A lot of times sex is portrayed in really awful ways and whenever I find books that do deal with it realistically I'm always overjoyed and will comment on that. I personally like reading YA a lot because it is simply incredibly entertaining but I've noticed I'm becoming increasingly picky with what kind of story and romantic situation I'm still okay with reading.
I like YA personally but I understand all your points and even agree with some of them. To me it feels like sex in YA is frowned upon which make no sense to me at all, Teenagers are having sex it's a fact and it' important for them to learn that it's okay to have sex. Saying that I feel there is good and bad in every genre.
Totally agree!
Agreed!
Not all, me and my girfriends were virgins until we finish college. I was 27 and the vision of every one having sex in high school is just a TV cliche.
DAT Nope I'm not. as you yourself said it depends of the place where you live . I'm 28 now and I'm happy I was a maiden through college, so were my friends anyway this girl just demonstrates her ignorance. There are thoussands of YA books that aren't what she describes. It's not the YA authors fault that she is reading only a niche group of the genre. And she erased the comments that call in her ignorance
Kasuminokoe Did I say "All YA books are like this"? No, I did not. I just stated a personal preference, due to the amount of requests I was getting to review YA books at the time. And I did not say that all teenagers have sex or should be. I'm 22 now and have plenty of friends who are still virgins. Choosing what age you lose your virginity at is your own prerogative. And by the way, I don't delete comments. I believe in free speech.
Young lady, you show good taste, I applaud you! I do enjoy paranormal and/or vampire novels, but I will only read those by older authors, such as Anne Rice and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, because the characters are multidimensional, and even moral on so many levels. I cannot abide Bella and Edward and their unhealthy relationship. I loathe dystopia of any kind because of the loss of hope and the glamorization of disorder and chaos. I do NOT approve, of anything, I mean ANYTHING that romanticizes the abuse of women. and I believe a book OUGHT to make you think, and inspire you in some way no matter what it's about. And if there is no "happily ever after" at least a logical conclusion should suffice!
+Lisa S Thank you! 😄
The Wolves of Mercy Falls Series, Gone series, The Mortal Instruments, The Fault In Our Stars, and the Switched Series are a few books I could think of in the YA genre that have Sex and no slut shaming. At least from what I remember.
Almost all of these books are generic and derivative. They're ok, but far too overrated. Which is another problem with YA, the overrating of books that aren't that great, and the underrating of anything that is, just because it's more difficult or whatever.
I think you've been reading the wrong sort of YA books.
Melissa Hunt agreeed
That's what everyone says whenever someone doesn't like something they enjoy.
I do agree with you on certain points. A lot of YA books are very pure and I wish they added a little bit more to it. Teenagers aren't pure. (At least most of them aren't) And a lot of them do give bad impressions on what relationships are. I have found some gems... But I like you and your videos! You have a lot of controversial points and ideas, but thats great!
Thank you! :D
Ha! Interesting point of view! I stopped reading YA books when I was about 17 and recently (24) started to read them again because booktubers of about my age were so enthusiastic about them. But after a couple of books I realized that I didn't like YA anymore, but for completely different reasons than you! I never thought about the purity-problem or the unrealistic events that do or do not happen. I felt I couldn't relate to the characters anymore, they seemed so predictable and they take the course of a whole book to solve an issue that I (now) can deal with in a sentence. Just, the kind of drama in their lives seems to trivial to me now.
Not all teenage lives are like yours. I'm seventeen, currently, and if I ever came home drunk I would get reprimanded to no end by my parents. Not everyone is a rebellious teen, you know?
I enjoy YA fiction, but I do get where you're coming from, especially when it comes to Twilight.
However, I do think you might be defining "YA" a little... narrowly? YA is a much broader category than just Twilight and its clones. Harry Potter, for example, is technically YA (at least after book 4)... and I hope you don't think of that story as, "dumbed down," especially just on the basis of using a simpler vocabulary than you might find in, say, A Song Of Ice And Fire. :)
Pretty sure The Outsiders is technically YA as well. :) (just watched your Bookshelf video)
As for why one might want to read something where they can't take anything intellectually away from it... to escape? As a catharsis? Just to entertain themselves? I'm not saying that it's what *you* should do... everybody has their own reasons for reading. You just asked why, so I'm trying to answer. :)
Anyway, just my thoughts. Like I said, I understand where you're coming from, it just seems like you're limiting yourself based on a subset of YA.
Yes! I feel like whenever I start reading a YA book I'm like oh this seems pretty good and then dun dun dun...the love triangle. Why authors why???
I agree, YA got me into reading when I was in that age group from around 11-16, however I just found I lost interest in YA as I got older and I couldn't enjoy them anymore. I read Twilight when I was 13 and loved it however ask me to read it now and I wouldn't be able to even stomach the first chapter. I still do read the more popular YA books which get a lot of attention out of interest such as the Fault in our stars, however I find most of them terrible. I drew the line at Fangirl, that will be the last YA book I read for a VERY long time, my god it was awful, I have no idea where the hype came from. Its true they are all very lovey dovey, but I guess no shame if thats what you're into well good for you.
Omg this was published 9 years ago but I relate to it so bad... As a literal young adult (19), I struggled for years to find books that made me think, relate or feel something... "real"? Until I stopped reading Ya.... anyways years later this video is very appreciated:)
A little late, I know lol but I love how realistic and straight up you are. I'm tired of the unrealistic plot lines and characters authors create in their stories...it's actually sad because I'm slowly loosing my love for YA novels. If you wrote a book, I'd totally read it, because you have a real eye and ear for characters and don't shy away from reality
The YA genre wasn't around in the past the same way it is now. With minimal exposure to it I'd say that I'm in a different phase of life right that craves more adult themes and books. The few offerings I've read have impressed me with their characters and use of language but overall I'm not compelled to read YA.
It's a big market and YA is where lots of books are selling right now. Many authors who write adult fiction have even released YA books, probably as a way of tapping into this vast potential market.
I'm actually glad that YA novels don't include sex. Unfortunately I was one of those teenage girls who didn't wear make-up, never had a boyfriend and was a general goody-goody never getting in trouble. I'm also still a virgin at 21. But you'll be pleased to know I don't call girls who have sex "sluts" lol I've got nothing against teenagers having sex
I agreed with everything you said in your video, but I just want to say that there is also good, intelligent, grounded-in-reality, sex-positive YA lit out there that actually deserves to be called "literature". It just doesn't get as much press as series like Twilight, Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl, and other garbage does.
I wanna start by saying that I agree with a lot that you said here, but young adult isn't just a narrow genre in which you have to choose from a tiny selection. There are so many different divisions, like fantasy, contemporary, paranormal, dystopian, survival, etc.
I admit that there are some serious flaws with young adult that are pretty hard to ignore (including the love triangles, the whiny main characters, and the insistence on trilogies, and the repeated plot lines, and really I could go on) but there's a lot to love about YA too. There are brave protagonists and amazing worlds that I could just live in forever.
It's pretty much stated in the name of the genre, but you're appealing to a younger age group in YA. Some things aren't going to be allowed in it, like explicit detail about sex and drugs and alcohol. But at the same time, I really don't know many people who are going around doing those things everyday anyway. Maybe on occasion, but to write an entire book on it would be an exaggeration of their circumstances.
Every time I see a booktuber who doen't (only) read YA, it makes me feel more positive about starting my own channel.
I agree with you about a lot of those things (the parts I can say stuff about since I have only ever read about 10 YA books.
They never really appealed to me that much. I am trying it out now, but still have more of a love for classics and adult books (in all genres, but I mostly read fantasy).
I think a YA book which challenges many of the notions you describe is Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King. That being said, I agree with you about the patriarchal undertones which too often dominate the thematic qualities of so many books.
I am sixteen and I used to only read YA, but within the last year I've been moving away from those into, like you said, books that make me think. I am a virgin and have never had a boyfriend and I love reading about normal things teenagers do- not that being a virgin isn't also normal- because I am afraid of doing a lot of those things myself. But with general YA you don't get much variety- though within the last few years YA has become /slightly/ more diverse. When I started reading adult literature it was for school, but it quickly started to take over my own bookshelf. Outside of YA there are so many different types of relationships, not just typical girl/boy romance. I was never a fan of physical romance. One of my favorite books is The Art of Racing in the Rain, told from the perspective of an old dog. There is love, but it is much different. YA is fun sometimes, but not much more.
One thing that I learned from YA is their goal to teenagers, most likely. It's their friendly approach to them, esp. in helping them go through tough times, to teach them, and in order for them to relate to the characters. I don't know...but somehow, I respect your stand and I will defend your right to say that 'till the day I die, but it's just that YA books has taught me so much. Some are crappy, I agree, but I believe that you will be able to learn something from every book you read. An since I'm 17, I still read YA, and they help me a lot. They help me go through a lot of things that the characters go through as well.
(1/2) I mostly agree with your points, but I would like to say that I disagree with a part of the "slut-shaming" point. First, I do agree that books shouldn't encourage people to look down on those who have had sex, but I also don't think that they should glorify it either which is where I disagree. Yes it happens and no people shouldn't be called sluts for it. It also shouldn't be pushed on young people. There are so many things that could go wrong with it like pregnancy or diseases.
Subbed! Pisses me off too which is why I stopped reading that shit in high school.
Chi-anna Nycole Thank you!
Wow! That is exactly why I steer clear from YA books, because of its large fonts and big spaces that look like a sad attempt to increase the width of a book and take up more pages.
Thank you for the video, I'm so glad there are still people on CZcams who do not read YA. I personally do not read those books, and normally don't judge those who do. But what really gets to me are the people who wouldn't read anything but YA. So they would whip out a stray thin classic once in a while, because you know, it's being made into a movie, like it was the case with Great Gatsby and consider themselves omnivore readers. But would they ever pick the damn thing up if it wasn't hitting the theatres? Sigh, it's frustrating.
(2/2) Maybe I care more about those things than the average teenager, but I don't think sex should be looked down upon or glorified in YA literature. That's just my opinion. Thanks for this video and encouraging discussion like this and I would love to hear if I was wrong about what you were trying to say. :)
I didn't quite understand why you think the relation ship between Bella and Edward was abusive?? I didn't really understand in anyway, how Edward is abusive or anything. Can someone explain this to me? Because when I read the books, their relationship was nothing but sweet and way too lovey-dovey to me.
When you mentioned that Edward wouldn't let her see her friends and family - there was a psycho killer after her, would you really expect her to just roam free?
I'm not getting defensive, I genuinely don't understand your point of view. Can someone explain? Please?
I recently learned about the Virgin Mary trope which is when in literature a person (mainly females) are given praise or reverence for their innocence. I see it a lot in YA. This trope is basically slut shaming. I think it is important to note that YA novels have a lot of good morals and what not for young readers and are not all bad if you can pick out what is wrong and identify troubling parts of a book.
Thanks for the video. I thought it was a nice rant. I agreed with most of it.
I haven't read any comments yet but I bet at least half the comments will be, "you've been reading the wrong YA books..." I don't like YA. Sure, I've read some YA but I tend to avoid it unless lots of people recommend it to me, then I'll give it a go. The genre just doesn't do it for me, just like how some people don't like sci-fi or mystery, I don't like YA or romance.
preach, i love this video im subscribing to you, you keep it real
vintage camera Thank you!
All of the things you've mentioned kinda piss me off, except the "not true to teenage life" thing, because I don't know if we're a rarity or not, but me and most of my friends are virgins and want more romance than just sex. But anyway, my main takeaway from this is that you just haven't read the right YA. Sure if you only read the popular stuff, you're going to get this kind of vapid bullshit, but if you actually explore outside that "popular bubble" as it were, you may find something great.
I did a lot of eye rolling too! The word "slut" shouldn't even exist anymore, it's redundant in this day and age. As long as teens are safe and are mature enough to know what they're getting into, I really don't see a problem with it. Don't worry, you're grand. We all need to rant every now and again.
This is a great video - I sometimes read YA, but I've found that I increasingly have to narrow my approach quite a bit to avoid some god-awful books.
In particular, I won't read YA fantasy anymore, which is a shame as I love fantasy, but I really can't take one more book about a beautiful assassin girl in a love triangle with two incredibly handsome guys, and all the other girls are jealous of her... Looking at you, Sarah J Maas
the Enemy series is pretty good. Only thing that is annoying about some YA books is that in any apocalypse book the disease or whatever happens in it only effects people 14 and up or 16 and up, and they usually have the same reasoning that something happened before they were born that made them immune. Gets old after a bit.
I am a somewhat avid YA reader (though YA is not by any means all I read) and I agree with a lot of what you've said. I feel like you've made a lot of relevant points about the popular side of YA (Particularly the last point! That kind of thing really pisses me off!) . The reason I haven't personally written off the genre so far is because it feels like YA has opened up a lot more in the past few years. Subjects that were considered 'too much' for teenagers a few years ago are common place now.
There are a few gems in YA such as the book 'wonder' but I agree that almost all YA follow the pattern of having someone that is 'pure' and that any relationship (including abusive) is considered perfect!
Though I do enjoy YA Fiction, many of the points you made do irk me, especially the "virgin" thing. I do wish that more of the YA novels focused on real teen issues and were more challenging to read. However I do have to say that I have read many YA novels that I consider good books and just enjoyable. There are others were I really wish I could get those hours back spent reading. I do see your point and respect - good video, clearly can bring up great discussions! :)
As Harry Potter grows older. Harry Potter became YA.
I've been writing a fantasy book series since January, and I've been wondering whether or not to call it a Y.A., because I take a lot of the same issues you do with Y.A. novels and I've been trying to avoid most of them, although I do admittedly have some cliches in them, which I don't plan on changing. I don't think it's possible to avoid every cliche, just as it's impossible to please everyone.
One thing that I think makes my story unique is that it takes place in college, not high school, and the characters react to their hardships in more realistic ways. The main female protagonist, Caroline Summers, is a 19-year-old med student who is jaded, cynical, has a dark humor, and struggles with suicidal depression after she witnessed the gory death of her boyfriend 2 years ago on her 17th birthday. She's certainly not innocent, having lost her virginity when she was 16. She drinks socially, but doesn't smoke. Also, she swears. A lot. Because let's face it, if Twilight's Bella was a real girl who saw her best friend suddenly turn into a giant wolf, the first thing she'd say is "HOLY SHIT!" I'm highly basing her character model on Emma Stone as Sam in the movie Birdman.
The story is going to have a lot of gory death scenes, profanity, crime, horror, and through a supernatural setting (with reapers, spirits, angels and demons) go into real world issues such as kidnappings, rape, torture, terrorism, racism/bigotry/homophobia, and more...so yeah, it's more of a horror/fantasy/crime series. Like Mortal Instruments meets Game of Thrones.
I have always enjoyed fiction for children and teens but I agree with a couple of your points here. My main problem with YA is that I feel like it's all the same! This is probably the fault of the marketers as much as the writers because they want to sell every book as "the new Hunger Games", "the new Fault in Our Stars" etc.
There are plenty of YA novels that I do enjoy but I think generally they tend to be the older ones - the ones from before the days of John Green, when everyone decided that all YA books from then on had to be about death and "the feels". I HATE "the feels".
With your point about how most YA book aren't 'a realistic look at teenage life', I've kind of got a different view point on that. I like how YA books don't give a 'realistic' look at teenage life. I read books to go into different mindsets, and different lives. I love when crazy unrealistic things happen in books and a part of that is because I know it's not realistic but the book gives me an escape to have that 'unrealistic life'. In regards to romance, an example would be when a bad boy falls for the quiet 'good' girl and they connect, I know it's unrealistic but it lives out a fantasy (that example was really cliche but you get the point). I think it's the fact that knowing it's not reality, that the book isn't realistic makes it even better because you can play out any scenario you want because at the end of the day it's just a book and we eventually go back to reality after finishing the book.
However I'm talking exclusively about romance because we all obviously gather that dystopian, sci fi, action books etc. all are bound to have hella unrealistic scenarios in them conclusive to the fact that they're dystopian, sci fi etc. But romance I feel gets the most hate for being unrealistic and I agree to a certain extent that it can be eye rolling (especially with a very cliche book) but in most YA romance books I've read, I've enjoyed the 'unrealistic' part of it because again it plays out a fantasy that I know wouldn't happen in real life.
Hello,
I read a lot of YA and I enjoy a good part of them. However, I do have to agree with some points. Many of them are really not so relatable, at least not for me. The love triangle gets me out of my mind, I hate them soooo much. I do think that are quite a few worth reading, though. The slut shaming is really stupid, and the fact that almost all of the almost every single main protagonist is virgin irritates me to a next level.
You do bring up a lot of good points, and no you're not reading too much into it. I do read YA from time to time, but all your points are valid. YA is a lot of the time extremely dumbed down at times, and it's annoying since I remember reading challenging works when I was young. The age old advice in writing children's lit was never to talk down to your audience, but it is done in YA all the time. There are a few authors who do break the mold, and do challenge their readers to think and expand their vocabularies. Though, it can be hard at times to find books that do so.
The slut shaming is a problem in YA books, but it's not apparent in all (maybe it's just me and I try to do a lot of research before I read any young adult books to see what is up). There are also YA books out there that do deal with gritty issues (Laurie Halse Anderson comes to mind, so does S.E Hinton with The Outsiders). Though, I do agree with the protagonists being too clean and pure, it's why I try to read grittier young adult when I want to read them.
I do have a problem with how sex is dealt with in young adult literature. It's something that happens in life, and should be dealt with appropriately in fiction (and non-fiction).
I try to read anything that interests me, and I read a mix of adult fiction and non-fiction, young adult, sometimes middle grade (rarely), philosophy, science reading, and everything in-between. I pretty much read what interests me, and I can understand your frustration and problems with it because they are the same problems I have with it. However, I do enjoy reading YA from time to time, but I am picky with what I do read.
I know this video is old, but thank you for expressing your opinions.
This is great. I remember reading young adult fiction from 8-12 and it all was based on overcoming problems- books like 'The Giver' or 'The Hatchet' or 'Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry', but now they all seem to be about a beautiful girl who has something magical about her or her inevitable love interest. So many are essentially romance novels.
I'm 36 years old and I have decided to venture into YA just because. I can't agree with you more about Twilight! Edward stalked Bella. He cut her off from her family and he was willing to kill her! I got through the first book and wouldn't read anymore.
Do you have any recommendations for books that you think are a realistic look at teen life??, especially in working class Britain. A lot of the things you said definitely hit home for me and it's the reason I always avoided "books with larger letters" when i was 13-16. The protagonists were always so different to me. And like you said, i always felt like YA books were low key making fun of girls like me because I drank a lot and wore lots of makeup when I was really young. I really don't feel like I was that different to many of the other girls my age at the time.
I have to agree with you on YA. All the characters seem to be the same and the I see a trend in plot as well. Girl falls for guy, 3 days later they are in love, girl does anything for guy. I have moved on to reading and writing NA. When I first started writing, I went with NA but found myself filtering a lot of things I wanted to talk about or put there because people would shame it. I had to tell myself that I was not going to change my writing style or story to fit into a genre such as YA.
I think that when you base your opinions on bad YA books you miss out on amazing books. I can name countless YA books that are amazing and by not letting yourself read them you are really putting yourself out. I understand your views on slut shaming but especially in books with middle aged themes, woman were treated like that and they were slut shamed. Was it right? No not at all but I believe that when an author includes it in a book its not to say "If you sleep with more than one man you are a whore" its shining a light on the fact that it is wrong to do that.
I'm going to include a list of great YA novels and series down below.
#1 Throne of glass series. Fast paced, amazing characters and beautiful writing.
#2 The lunar chronicles. Sci-fi, gripping plot and complex characters.
#3 Fangirl. It reminds you of when 'Deathly hallows' first came out and the excitement we all had for it on top of a girl learning to understand herself.
#4 Simon vs the homosapiens agenda. A book about a boy coming to terms with his sexuality whilst dealing with struggles that every teen has. It's extremely relatable to anyone, LGBT+ or not.
There are plenty more but seen as those books with the series are 12 books all together I will leave it at that.
You make very compelling points, especially about the unrealistic views YA takes on being a teenager.
As a teenager I tend to take most of the popular stuff with a grain of salt. I make sure not to go into it thinking that this book or this series will be the most amazing thing I've ever read. Its the stuff that's both infuriating and amusing. I think (or at least I hope) that eventually the people who write all the bestselling paranormal/dystopian/fantasy series will realize that their are a lot of big thoughts floating around in our little teenage brains.
Completely agree. You mentioned "Paranormal Romance" which in my opinion is the worst genre you can think of because almost all the books are very similar and it usually deals with a female heroine who depends on a man. This can also be found in a few dystopias like Divergent. Contemporary YA on the other hand, can be absolutely brilliant and fresh.
Anyways, the main thing that all these words are trying to stab at is that although most YA books are not thought provoking or memorable enough to change me or the way I think or see the world every now and then something comes along that does. And I'd wade through the slush of a hundred horrible books about sparkling vampires if it meant that I'd get to one of those ones that will remain in that part of my brain reserved for the things that will inspire me for a lifetime.
Your last point is so important! thank you for saying it. I feel like a lot of people either don't see it or just don't talk about it.
Books for teenagers should not portray girls who have sex/ has had sex as being worth less than someone who is a virgin.
Some YA books send messages such as the fault in our stars that are good. I agree with some of your points. Though, I love YA and I will never stop loving it. You can like what you want to like and I can like what I want to like.
I think this is a really interesting topic, and I commend you for your bravery in addressing it in the face of the many YA fans who make up BookTube. I myself am a fan of YA, but I also read many different genres. I don't enjoy all YA, and the YA I do not enjoy, I do not enjoy for many of the reasons you have presented.
I do, however, find that some young adult novels do pose interesting questions and present new and insightful perspectives. This is obviously not the vast majority of YA, but the thing I like about YA is getting a younger perspective. I like to get many different perspectives through different types of novels. And some experiences are unique to younger protagonists.
That being said, I do think the whole genre could do with an overhaul. I think there are some fantastic authors, but I do agree that this taboo idea around sex, drugs, and alcohol is ridiculous. I don't think YA authors should be afraid to explore topics that are entirely relevant to teenage life. It does seem unrealistic. And dumbing down writing as well. That drives me crazy. I think the biggest problem with YA is that it's patronizing in general. It doesn't treat teenagers as human beings. It denies their intelligence. It denies many of their life experiences. And as a result it denies them the growth that a book should supply. I think YA has the potential to have a place as a legitimate genre, but only if it stops denying the realities of being a teenager. I very much agree with you about the slut-shaming aspects present in YA, as well. That is a huge problem. It needs to be stopped.
These problems are not present in all YA. As I said, I've read beautiful, intelligent YA with brilliant, interesting perspectives. But I think the real problem is a cultural one. I feel like the intelligence and potential of the young people in our culture is not being respected. Authors dumb down books for teens; teens aren't exposed to as many new ideas and insights. It becomes a vicious cycle. We need more authors who will assume the best in the readers of YA, respect their intelligence, write good prose without worry of taboo topics are complicated diction. I think it's all very interesting, but I definitely agree there is a problem with YA as a whole. But maybe we can fix it. I think YA should be the same as any other genre. I think its defining characteristic is that the protagonist is young. I think that should be it. No limitations on topics or vocabulary or syntax or style or anything. But maybe that's just me. Anyway, I know I'm late to this discussion, but thanks for starting it. It gave me lots to think about.
Cheers.
I agree with so many things that you've addressed in this video. Especially as someone who was forced to grow up in a very short amount of time, like many adolescents, I don't find most YA books helpful or fulfilling as I'm looking for answers from here onwards, and not being forced to look back on who I was and wish things had been different. It's just depressing. However I do have a soft spot for dystopian/post-apocalyptic YA as it's a great way to escape into the world of fantasy. :)
Wow! I have to say I have to agree with you. YA has been touch and go for me. I read some of them but the majority I find to be a little boring and repetitive. I mostly read them to be able to suggest them to my English students to read. My focus is primarily on adult fiction because that's what I relate and have related to for many years. I'll skip my age. Another thing I noticed about YA is that it doesn't contain many black characters. I'm afraid that when it does they may be stereotypical.
Can you please stop assuming things. Stop assuming that the only YA I've read is paranormal romance, stop assuming that I'm trying to shame people who like YA, stop assuming that I'm saying all YA is alike. You could just ask instead of calling me out on something I didn't even say. Just because I mentioned Twilight and Hush, Hush, doesn't mean those are the only types of books I'm basing my opinion off of.
I was going to say something about the age thing but I just thought "Better not..." That weirds me out though, I don't understand what people over the age are getting out of these books.
I personally don't understand why YA has become such a craze. Especially with people who have well passed the recommended age bracket. That being said, I read and adore children's novels (as well as adult novels of course) but personally I think adults have more in common with small children than with teenagers...
ya has gotten a lot better over the years i hope you get back into YA is there a series that is ya that you still like or sill read???
I read a lot of YA when I was 13 - 16 (although it was always just called 'teenage fiction' then! That makes me sound really old but it wasn't even THAT long ago!) and did enjoy a lot of it at the time, although I agree it was never very relatable. I was quite a sheltered teenager though, my friends and I were all quite geeky and shy and didn't know any boys so I always just assumed that's what other people's lives were like or that's what my life would be like in a few years' time and it was just a sign of how uncool/inadequate I was. Now I'm older, I can see it's just not realistic and I definitely agree with your points re: slut shaming and romanticising shit things (even sheltered 15 year old me hated Twilight and recognised the abusiveness of their relationship). As I've got older, my tastes in books have matured and I'm now just not interested in YA anymore. I've outgrown it and I'm always suspicious of people over 18 who seem to read nearly exclusively YA or at least a very high proportion. Surely you should want more out of the books you read, like well developed characters and more complex plots, or even just characters that are more relatable to you and not just school kids.
Thank you for not pandering to the overwhelming majority of these booktube clones! Also, Ireland? Whereabouts?
You're amazing! I agree with all your points :) just out of curiosity, if there were a YA book written that was more realistic towards what it feels like to grow up as a teenager with all the real, gritty, uncomfortable, socially unacceptable aspects, would you read it? I'm just curious what you think!
I totally would read it. I'm not dead against YA, I would just find it far more interesting to read about the real struggles teens have.
Totally agree. Very "easy reading," yes, I know what you mean. I feel like these authors assume the reader is an idiot. When I would try to read these popular YA books I felt like I was being talked down to. Especially it it's 1st person present.
"I walk to the window. The floor creaks. I hear someone behind me. I turn, he touches my arm. I shiver." Seriously? That kind of writing is condescending and painful to read.
Twilight. Exactly. It's an abusive relationship written as romantic?? A female author writing this for female readers? I can't.
The term "slut shaming" is actually kind of a terrible term, though, because it's literally calling women sluts. Maybe those women don't want to 'reclaim' the word and 'own' it ... y'know? sex-shaming is probably a better way to describe it, but yeah.
You are soooo right but I still enjoy YA and they aren't all like this.
Yes, I agree with you, there are actually a lot of good YA books out there...
I do agree with you that a lot of YA books are incredibly vacuous and don't give you much to think about, but sometimes that's the beauty of them. I read adult literary fiction mostly, but from time to time there will be a great YA book that comes along that is great entertainment value. I do get tired of seeing people stuck in YA, when there are so many great books out there. From what I can see about booktube, a lot of teens really love the hype!
I was actually thinking of people who solely read YA. I can understand wanting a light read, I get like that after I've read something really heavy and depressing.
you have some valid points of which i have definitly noticed over the years. i have found some that don't adhere to this, my favourite being aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe. (also i like it when books have big font and spaced words as my eyesight is not the greatest)
Great video. I agree with almost all of the things you mentioned. But there are 2 thing you didn't mention and that piss me off to no end:
1. the endless repetition of storylines (a YA book is either about vampires or warewolves or takes place in a dystopia) and
2. all the damn series (if it's less than 4 books it's not popolar).
I got disinterested in YA when I started high school.That's when I realized High School.. isn't like this. I still read YA occasionally, but I try not to make them the ONLY thing I read. I seriously don't get the hype. But I can understand why certain people would be stuck in a circle reading YA over and over again. The last character I felt connected to was Mia Thermopolis.But Meg Cabot writes adult fiction, so that was that.
you have some really dope opinions on literature and exposing real life problems to a young audience that could benefit from it. U ever think about writing your own books? i feel like youd tackle these subjects awesomely
It's abusive even if it's not taken out the paranormal context. And just because something is called fiction doesn't mean it doesn't happen in real life. I'm not shaming anyone for liking, I really couldn't care less if someone digs it or not. Don't start playing the victim for liking Twilight, you're not going to get any sympathy here.
And let me just say, Harry Potter is not a YA series, it's a children's series. Although it is enjoyed by people in all age brackets. :)
I do agree with everything you said! The thing is, there are some YA books around that are quite good. Looking for alaska is one of them. I think that the problem with YA is that most books that get published under the label of YA ARE everything you just described so people hate the whole thing when there some books that are really good and relatable.
I used to read books like His Dark Materials, Harry Potter and Darren Shan. I never got into the... mainstream idea of what YA is. Twilight, Hunger Games, Mortal Instruments, etc. By the time I was 16/17, I wanted something more so moved to adult/normal fiction.
HAVE YOU READ THOSE BOOKS? Gosh. Some are wonderful, some are awful. The romances are even worse than the overdramatic teenage romances. Every book is about a divorced detective and a new kinda' killer. Their thought process is usually about what you'd give up - kids or career? They're always about mysteries or crime, and are... A hell of a lot of purple prose and 'literary bore'.
So I went back to YA. I started reading a few books. I enjoyed the Hunger Games. Though I started reading a book 'Shadows on the Moon,' by... Zoe... someone. I forget her name right now, sorry. But it was going really well. It was interesting, it had characters with personalities. Her mother had her own issues and was an actual person.
Then she meets a boy.
And she will not shut up about him.
And that's the problem with YA. So, in my view, both groups have problems and It's just about choosing the best books you can from any group or genre.
A lot of bestsellers follow the stereotypical path to teenage hearts but there are some jems lurking in the shadows that are pretty memorable. You just have to look a little harder for something that makes you think. I like to compare it to popular music vs all the amazing shit that mainstream culture overlooks. I have hope that in a few years time the more rewarding and relatable YAs will break into mainstream culture.
I really enjoyed this video! Lol I subscribe 3 minutes into the video! Your points were great maybe a bit extreme but valid none the less! ( I personally wish booktube was less focused on YA because the only YA i have really read is harry potter and a couple other series which are nothing like the characteristics you described!)
JUST FYI BOOKS ARE NOT MEANT TO TEACH YOU THINGS THEY ARE FOR FUN NOT FOR LEARNING. IF YOU WANT TO LEARN GO TO SCHOOL...
i loved your insights on this - thank you for sharing!
Ah, that's what probably bothers me the most about YA, the idealized character thing. That bothers me in any book. I want characters who make mistakes and make asses of themselves sometimes and just behave like normal people. Not perfect, beautiful or caricatures of humans. It's not all like that and they don't have to be failing at life all the time but just give me something to relate to or sympathize with.
About the slut shaming, I think that YA authors try to stereotype the population& say they SHOULD be kept "pure" when that's too idealistic/unrealistic. I hate that word too. I think that sex is a very personal choice&should depend upon ones ability to handle it, but not generalize the entire population as not being able to handle it. Some young adults can't. Lots can. There are some emotional repercussions to having sex at a young age esp when their psyches & physical attributes are still (c)
I shouldn't HAVE to wade through slush, but hopefully a little more time will help smooth things over.
~Apologies for the multiple long comments!
Sincerely,
An optimistic teenage reader
I never really paid closer attention to the big Questions around the Twilight series... I Do intend to reread the series with a more adult perspective.
Pramika Kadari thank you
I've read the majority of the popular Y/A books, having recently moved towards new adult and adult books I can say that those are the types I tend to prefer, however some of my favourite books of all time are still y/a. I recommend the infernal devices, Leigh bardugo's six of crows duology, the daughter of smoke and bone series and any Sarah j maas book. Despite having loved lots of y/a, I can agree with lots of your points in respect to slut shaming and the 'pure' chaste main character whose virginity is saved for the love interest, in addition to the promotion of abusive relationships. However, I do think you should read some more y/A as with new releases, y/a has improved as a whole and I don't think you should give up on it completely! The only reason I prefer more adult books rn is just bc I hate that every type of violence is explored in y/a (eg the hunger games) but somehow sex is just crossing the line? Like you literally just described pages and pages of brutality but the authors attempt to have off the pages sex of try not to allude to *heaven forbid* anything beyond a kiss. Rant over lol but you did raise some good points, but give a chance to a few more books at least :)
There are so many YA books that don't fit any of the trends you mentioned though. There are plenty of YA readers who avoid the cookie-cutter paranormals etc - There is such a wider world out there...
If you don't like YA you might want to rethink of reading Perks of Being a Wallflower, Catcher in the Rye, or Looking for Alaska.
They are not dumb downed or simplified.
I don't mind a bit of YA (Sarra Manning writes my favourites because they have personality and she got me into some good music haha), but I'm like you and really do target more adult books. Then again I am 23 haha!
it's crazy that love triangles is a common trope in YA books.. haha
I do agree with you ..many YA books are like that but not all of them so that's what gives me hope in the end
I enjoy lots of YA, but not into the books that focus on romance..not into that teenage insta love. I also read every other genre out there. I don't keep myself in any genre box..i read according to my moods... in any given month i could read YA, Adult fiction, historical fiction, biographies, and more.
This video made me subscribe.
Thank you!
Amen. When applied to fiction, I don't think the term "young adult" should be taken literally. I honestly can't understand how anyone above the age of 14 could be interested in those books. They're so gimmicky and boring.