Obviously I enjoy the books I read, and I look forward to the books I have on my pile of “to read” books. But recently, even though I am anxious to get a jump on Superbad, the book (no relation to the movie), I felt that I needed a change of pace. Something completely different to give my reading a shock.
As you all know, my wife is a YA librarian, and is the soon-to-be president of the Young Adult Library Services Association. Astute readers will have guessed where this is going by now, but the short version is that I decided to check out some YA books.
YA novels, in general, do not comprise a genre that I read much. Primarily because I am no longer the Y part of YA. However, I am not averse to them, and have enjoyed many teen-protagonist stories. The Inkheart series is great. The Golden Compass is fantastic, and of course, young Potter. But all of those books are of a more “literary” mindset than much in the YA world (at least that’s what my limited exposure to it suggests).
So I grabbed three YA novels based on the titles, and based on some past discussions I’ve had with Sarah about her favorite books. And this is what I’ve discovered about the genre:
1) The books are short. And fast. The three books I chose all clock in at around 250 pages. And, the type is much bigger than most of the adult novels I read. I’ve been able to polish off a good 80 or 90 pages at lunch. Think of how this will add to your “books I read this year” list! But this may also have to do with:
2) The content is, much like teen emotions, intense. There’s not a lot of set up or establishment of location, setting, etc. It all comes in later, but as the book starts, it is typically jump right in with the action and try to catch up.
3) Somehow, and I’m unclear how this is, a short book packs as much emotional intensity as many longer adult books. Maybe it’s because of the no-nonsense writing style. Maybe it’s because the storyline is somewhat straightforward (despite the plot twists and the content of the “story,” the real story is boy gets girl (in the three that I have read recently). Perhaps it is that the characters get boiled down to their essences, which makes for a short and intense little brew.
4) You’d be a fool to dismiss these books as “just for kids” or “just for teens.” Anyone who was a teenager should be able to relate to the trials and emotions of the characters. Can I relate to any of the actual plot points of these books? Sort of. I was never in a band, a gangster’s son, or a Young Republican. But I did pine for girls and make a fool of myself around them.
5) The books also seem to be unconcerned with long term consequences. By this I mean, that if the boy gets the girl, that’s pretty much the end of story. We don’t learn if they live happily ever after, we don’t even know if they stay together after senior year. And that’s not the point. There is something very refreshing about a short plot that resolves itself nicely without a convoluted denouement
6) Many “grown up” authors are taking up the YA mantle (I’m looking forward to reading Nick Hornby’s Slam! soon). And they seem to be adding an air of “legitimacy” to a genre that honestly doesn’t need it. When I first heard that authors like Hornby were writing in the YA land I thought that these were a few books that I should seek out. But having branched beyond that, I was really pleased with what a great untapped resource the YA section is for powerful and fast reads. The quality of YA books isn’t less than adult books. They don’t have a lower standard of writing simply because the audience is younger. All of this should be self-evident, but sometimes you have to see for yourself.
7) There is something for everyone. As I scanned the shelves in the YA section, I was amazed at how many different audiences the authors were reaching: rockers, ball players, emotional girls, stoic girls, geeky boys, fantasists, sci-fi fans and the list goes on. I’m led to believe that boys don’t read books about girls, but that girls do read about boys. It’s a shame that the boys aren’t willing to check out the other side, although I admit I haven’t done so yet, myself. I do know that the next batch of YA books I read will include something for the teenage girl inside of me.
8 ) Don’t be afraid to check out a book because it has a bog YA sticker on it! They’re fun, even for adults.
I Just Read About That... 
Hooray! hooray! I’d like to point out that I didn’t tell Paul to write any of that-he came to these conclusions on his own. And I can’t wait to put some more YA books in his hands!
Heh, I was afraid you might be upset by some of the things I said.