# Adults who read Young Adult Books



## Holly A Hook (Sep 19, 2010)

Though I'm 26, almost all of the books I read are Young Adult.  I think it's because they're more likely to take me out of real life than adult books are.  To me, most adult books take too much time to get action rolling (too many scenes in offices, over dinner, etc.)  Though I can handle the fantasy books most of the time.

If you read YA, what's your reason for it?


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

I barely read any YA. Even when I _was _a YA, I didn't read much of the stuff. I usually prefer books that are darker and grittier. However, I did read the Harry Potter books as an adult and loved them.

What YA books do you enjoy, Holly?


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## Holly A Hook (Sep 19, 2010)

Pretty much anything in the fantasy area, so long as it's not too swept up in the latest craze and stands out a little.  I like things that are different.


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## Guest (Oct 24, 2010)

Present!

I like what you said about number of scenes to get the action going. I'll also say that the genre has a way of cutting straight to the heart that I appreciate and try to replicate. Plus, it's fun!


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## mathewferguson (Oct 24, 2010)

I'm 31 and I love YA and also children's books (but I am also a children's writer and have worked predominantly in children's publishing).

YA wins for me because I think the genre handles excitement better than any other. Sure, thrillers have got a thrill and horror has creeping tension but it's quite rare for "adult" fiction to weave mystery and excitement together very well. 

Series like Artemis Fowl, The Spiderwick Chronicles and Harry Potter start with heroes who have a lack of knowledge, leading to mystery and strange events then discovery and finally some understanding and resolution.

Adult fiction is a bit more jagged - pieces are thrown out and they don't fit so well and although you'll eventually work it out, the building excitement and OMG factor can be lacking. I've often felt more lost reading Adult fiction (which can be excellent if handled well) but quite a few times that eventual payoff simply didn't come.

I think it might be because as a teenager and young adult there is some sort of structure in the world and you're gaining knowledge of it, understanding the rules and fitting it all together. But once you sail out into adult world you discover there isn't a map, most people are just making it up as they go along and many events don't make sense nor fit into a narrative. YA books have a comforting structure but adult fiction reflects real life more closely so there can be pointless dead ends, a lot of unexplained events and even when you find out the answer, it's a jigsaw with pieces missing.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

I read YA all the time... It's probably because I homeschool 4 kids... Actually, no, that's not true. Most of the YA I read because I like it.

I printed out the Ultimate Teen Reading List and found lots of books I was interested in.

http://www.teenreads.com/features/ultimate-reading-list.asp


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## Thumper (Feb 26, 2009)

I'll read YA fiction. Face it, good writing is good writing, no matter what age group it's aimed at. And good YA fiction doesn't talk down to its audience, making it a decent enough read for most adults...


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

I love reading Young Adult novels.... These are the ones that I've read this year:


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## farrellclaire (Mar 5, 2010)

Pidgeon, what did you think of Sister Wife?  I've my eye on it.


I like y/a books.  I'm 27 and I think I read a lot more young adult books now than I did when I was a teenager.  I enjoy writing y/a too, it's a different mind set.  A lot of y/a books are more clever than they're given credit for.


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## DavidRM (Sep 21, 2010)

I read YA books (along with everything else). I introduced my daughter to some of the books I've read, and she's recommended some to me.

When I was a teenager, I really enjoyed reading Heinlein's YA-ish SF novels like "Tunnel in the Sky", "Starship Troopers", and so on.

After the first HP movie came out is when I read the first HP novel. In fact, I read it aloud to my son. I read the first 4 HP novels aloud to my son. Starting with #5, I figured he was old enough he could read it himself (and it was ridiculously long and whiney).

-David


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

I liked _Sister Wife_ well enough. It could have been a little more in-depth, but it was written for a younger audience, so I understand that. I liked the ending.


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## Blanche (Jan 4, 2010)

I'm 45 and I read YA fiction .  One of my favorite authors is Robin McKinley; I re-read "The Hero and the Crown" on a yearly basis.  I regularly peruse the Newberry Award winners and usually end up reading them all.  I just like a well-written book.  And oftentimes they aren't too lengthy so I can read them quickly  .... good for us "older people" with short attention spans!


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

I read just as much YA as I do "adult" books. Like someone else mentioned, good writing, characters and story line have nothing to do with target age. Good writing is simply good writing and worthy to be read by anyone.


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## Vianka Van Bokkem (Aug 26, 2010)

_*I Love young adult books!*_










Vianka Van Bokkem


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## Aravis60 (Feb 18, 2009)

Count me in. I love young adult books, especially fantasy because they have great stories without the need for lots of extra violence or sex that sometimes clutters up adult novels. I am a middle grades language arts teacher, so I have to be up on what the kids are reading, but even if I wasn't I would still read these books.


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## Guest (Oct 24, 2010)

Aravis60 said:


> Count me in. I love young adult books, especially fantasy because they have great stories without the need for lots of extra violence or sex that sometimes clutters up adult novels. I am a middle grades language arts teacher, so I have to be up on what the kids are reading, but even if I wasn't I would still read these books.


That sounds just about perfect to me! Do you have any favorites?


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## Aravis60 (Feb 18, 2009)

foreverjuly said:


> That sounds just about perfect to me! Do you have any favorites?


I have quite a few, but right now I'm reading the Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett and I love, love, love it. It's one of the best I've read in a while.


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## Selcien (Oct 31, 2008)

I've read some YA books, most notably _Harry Potter_, but I've never went looking specifically for them. As for why, it's because I've never paid any mind who the target audience is supposed to be, just whether I want to read something.



DavidRM said:


> When I was a teenager, I really enjoyed reading Heinlein's YA-ish SF novels like "Tunnel in the Sky", "Starship Troopers", and so on.


I never realized that _Starship Troopers_ was a book, too bad it's not available for the Kindle.



Aravis60 said:


> they have great stories without the need for lots of extra violence or sex that sometimes clutters up adult novels.


That's a very good point. I don't mind graphic details of violence or sex in the 'I'm not going to be offended' type of way, but I do find that they can become very tiresome to read, with YA they wouldn't be able to get away with that. I really do need to take a closer look at the books meant for a younger audience.


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## lissylaine (Nov 3, 2008)

I read YA books and I'm 41 years old. I read a wide variety of fiction, and YA fiction has a nice wide variety, especially when it comes to fantasy and paranormal themes (my current favorites). Harry Potter got me back into them, and when I got my Kindle, I started reading the Twilight series on it. I love how many YA books are available on the Kindle, and I'm sharing my love of reading them with my 15-year-old nephew now.

Melissa


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

I'm 42 and read a handful of YA a year. Among the first books I read on Kindle were _Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist_ and _Uglies. _


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## Guest (Oct 24, 2010)

lissylaine said:


> I read YA books and I'm 41 years old. I read a wide variety of fiction, and YA fiction has a nice wide variety, especially when it comes to fantasy and paranormal themes (my current favorites). Harry Potter got me back into them, and when I got my Kindle, I started reading the Twilight series on it. I love how many YA books are available on the Kindle, and I'm sharing my love of reading them with my 15-year-old nephew now.
> 
> Melissa


Harry Potter really did crack open the genre to a much broader base of readers. It's pretty incredible what that series has done for reading in general too. I agree that it's great to be able to get so many of these books for cheap on the Kindle too!

Also, have you read The Hunger Games? You sound like a prime candidate for it, as does your nephew.


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## Glenn Bullion (Sep 28, 2010)

Christopher Pike is the author who got me wanting to be a writer.  Most of his work (at least when I was younger), was young adult thriller/supernatural type stuff.  I still have some of his books, great reads.


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## lissylaine (Nov 3, 2008)

foreverjuly said:


> Also, have you read The Hunger Games? You sound like a prime candidate for it, as does your nephew.


Oh yes, we have both just finished the trilogy, and both enjoyed it immensely. I was kind of glad that I hadn't started it until after the third one came out. It was great to dive into the second and third right after the first.


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## monkeyluis (Oct 17, 2010)

YES!!!  I just finished The Hunger Games trilogy and LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVED it.  I also have Mortal Instruments, The Maze Runner, Percy Jackson, Artemis Fowl, and Graceling all on my TBR digital pile.

BTW I'm a 32 yr old dude.


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## nomesque (Apr 12, 2010)

I'll read YA on occasion. When I'm sick, or just brain-dead and tired, stuff like Piers Anthony's Xanth, Heinlein's YA or the Harry Potter books work well for me. Simple, easy reads. Not that all YA is an 'easy read' for me - John Marsden and Victor Kelleher are (emotionally) typically far more difficult reads.

YA reads can be nice. Sometimes it seems a little too devoid of reality, though, and those are the ones I steer clear of.


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## J.M Pierce (May 13, 2010)

This thread just made me realize something. When I was younger, I read, Goingback, Koontz, Crichton, and Tokien with a year full of Steinbeck in there somewhere. It wasn't until I reached my late twenties/early thirties that I started reading Y/A. Now I would say that Y/A makes up the bulk of my TBR.


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## kindleworm (Aug 24, 2010)

Y/A fiction is just one of the types of fiction that I enjoy.  I have 2 teenaged boys.  When they were younger, I read to them and with them.  We have  enjoyed the Spiderwick Chronicles, Hoot, Runt, Where The Red Fern Grows, The Night Of The Twisters and many others.  Most recently, I read Milrose Munce And The Den Of Proffesional Help on my Kindle.  What a fun read!


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## Guest (Oct 25, 2010)

kindleworm said:


> Y/A fiction is just one of the types of fiction that I enjoy. I have 2 teenaged boys. When they were younger, I read to them and with them. We have enjoyed the Spiderwick Chronicles, Hoot, Runt, Where The Red Fern Grows, The Night Of The Twisters and many others. Most recently, I read *Milrose Munce And The Den Of Proffesional Help* on my Kindle. What a fun read!


I just bought this one. I can't wait to get to it!


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## Carl Ashmore (Oct 12, 2010)

I'm forty two and I read a lot of children's books, nevermind YA. But then, hey, I like to write them too.


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## Rhiathame (Mar 12, 2009)

I love a good story no matter what the targeted age group is. It often seems to me that a good YA book has all the same elements of a good adult book only the themes cut to the chase a bit quicker. I have also often found that there are more strong female characters in YA books than I have seen in some of the adult books. This may be the genres that I prefer to read but I have to appreciate a good ratio


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## Holly A Hook (Sep 19, 2010)

Rhiathame said:


> I love a good story no matter what the targeted age group is. It often seems to me that a good YA book has all the same elements of a good adult book only the themes cut to the chase a bit quicker. I have also often found that there are more strong female characters in YA books than I have seen in some of the adult books. This may be the genres that I prefer to read but I have to appreciate a good ratio


I like reading about strong female characters. You're right--you don't see as many of them in adult books. In some cases, quite the opposite. Seems a lot of Stephen King books have a lot of battered wives in them (though he has written some strong female characters too.)


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## sbaum4853 (May 3, 2010)

All fiction is make-believe, and when your characters are still young and open to the world, make-believe is more truthful.  YA is where the action is.


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

Selcien said:


> I've read some YA books, most notably _Harry Potter_, but I've never went looking specifically for them. As for why, it's because I've never paid any mind who the target audience is supposed to be, just whether I want to read something.


This  I actually liked the Harry Potter series better before folks started dying and such. Sad, but true.



Selcien said:


> I never realized that _Starship Troopers_ was a book, too bad it's not available for the Kindle.


I knew ST was a book, but I didn't realize it was YA. I haven't read it, but I always thought that it was a social and political commentary and as such not necessarily Young Adult.


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## jason10mm (Apr 7, 2009)

I read very little YA at this point (mid 30s). Mainly because I seek the sophistication and grittiness of adult oriented fiction. YA, while it can be imaginative and inventive, is often simplistic in plot, well telegraphed, and easy to predict, which makes it a bit boring to me. Harry Potter falls into this category. They are fun books, but the writing is very mediocre. Theme and style carry the series for me. But there are plenty of authors who sort of blur the edges of genres. Is Dennis McKiernan YA or adult fantasy? What about Jim Butcher? Robert Jordan? Edgar Rice Burroughs? I read these guys, or authors similar to them, as a teen, and I can enjoy them as an adult. I think they are PG-13ish writers and are suitable for a wide range of readers. Clearly guys like Stephen Donaldson or China Mieville are adult in tone and content, but a well read teen could easily enjoy the books.


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

I don't think I'd classify Jim Butcher as YA, at ALL.


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## RobertMarda (Oct 19, 2010)

I have always enjoyed YA books.  

I am starting to explore/read books that are targeted for audiences other than YA.  I doubt I'll read too many though and the main reason is that it is easier for me to find a YA book that doesn't contain things I object to than it is to find an adult book without all the things I don't want to read about.


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## Okkoto86 (Oct 29, 2010)

Count me in too. Besides the obvious Harry Potter, I also enjoyed Percy Jackson and the Abhorsen Trilogy. Im surprised no one has mentioned Phillip Pullman and his "His Dark Materials/Golden Compass" series of books yet, they are probably my favorite books of all time, from any genre.

And iv been readng allot of the Desden Files lately, as stated above Jim Butcher is NOT YA lol. I like them because the are really fun but also _quite _adult.


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## Blodwyn (Oct 13, 2010)

I love all kinds of books... my undergrad was in English Literature so I read everything from Dostoevsky to Woolf to Joyce, and loved it all. But my heart really warms to y/a literature, especially fantasy, because I feel like it's full of wisdom, if that makes any sense. How someone takes a difficult, impossible situation and remains true to self and values, and comes out of it - I'll never tire of reading stories like that. I don't mind them being simplistic because I think mythology does come down to some basic themes, themes that I can carry with me in my day-to-day life.


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## Guest (Nov 9, 2010)

Okkoto86 said:


> Im surprised no one has mentioned Phillip Pullman and his "His Dark Materials/Golden Compass" series of books yet, they are probably my favorite books of all time, from any genre.


Absolutely great books. I agree!


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## vikram1 (Nov 11, 2010)

Love the Bartimaeus Trilogy!


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## Luke King (Nov 4, 2010)

I think anyone can enjoy a good YA novel, though these days many of them are targeted at people from mid-teens up to 30. 

I like Lois Lowry and Sonya Hartnett, though they are two very different writers. I didn't like Gone. I thought it was too formulaic. Looking for Alaska was okay. I haven't read The Hunger Games, but I'm going to try it.

The best of all time has to be Lord of the Flies - one of my favourite books.


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## AJB (Jul 9, 2010)

vikram1 said:


> Love the Bartimaeus Trilogy!


Ooh, me too. I've just ordered the boxed set for my kids. But I will be taking the chance to re-read them. I've also ordered the Percy Jackson books (ostensibly also for the children...), based on recommendations I've read here. Thanks everyone - this place is such a great source of information! One day I might even get round to buying a Kindle. ;-)

Amanda


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## Blodwyn (Oct 13, 2010)

Oh! I love Lois Lowry.


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

Luke King said:


> I think anyone can enjoy a good YA novel, though these days many of them are targeted at people from mid-teens up to 30.
> 
> I like Lois Lowry and Sonya Hartnett, though they are two very different writers. I didn't like Gone. I thought it was too formulaic. Looking for Alaska was okay. I haven't read The Hunger Games, but I'm going to try it.
> 
> The best of all time has to be Lord of the Flies - one of my favourite books.


Lord of the Flies is a great book but I have to admit that it kind of freaked me out when I first read it, of course I think I was about 14 at the time.


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## vikram1 (Nov 11, 2010)

I also enjoy reading Nancy Farmer's books. The House of the Scorpion is one of my favorite books of all time. I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it yet.


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## Alain Gomez (Nov 12, 2010)

I admit, I got sucked into those Eragon books.  The third one was so pointlessly long though!  Did anyone else read Eragon?


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## Holly A Hook (Sep 19, 2010)

Alain Gomez said:


> I admit, I got sucked into those Eragon books. The third one was so pointlessly long though! Did anyone else read Eragon?


I did, but found the second one to be a little slow in the middle.

I still have yet to read the Hunger Games, but I have read House of the Scorpion, which is still on my bookshelf. Very good book.


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## Paul Clayton (Sep 12, 2009)

Mathew,

Yeah, I agree with you.  I don't know how people can get so wrapped up in YA, over twenty people.  When I was twenty I was running through the jungles of Vietnam, trying not to get my ass shot off.  So I don't find vampires or dead people scary.  It's the living you have to watch out for.  And life doesn't supply any answers, just the ones we come up with ourselves, or the wisdom of the ancients if you want to read the bible.  Anyway.  To each his own.


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## MrMiracle (Oct 28, 2010)

The best YA, I find, are books that are actually written with the adult in mind, but that are still fully accessible to kids.

By no coincidence, some of my favorite cartoons are produced on that same premise.


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## Mark_A_Lopez (Oct 24, 2010)

I'm 27, and I've always enjoyed YA fiction. Although I'm wary of trends (ie. paranormal romance), it would be crazy to let that stop me from one of my favorite pastimes.


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## garethmottram (Nov 9, 2010)

I started reading Y/A action/adventure/paranormal books as research for my own writing but now I've become hooked on them. I think it is, like you say, because of the fast pace and getting into the action and plot quickly. In the average 50,000 - 80,000 word Y/A book, the author has to be v. disciplined and make each scene count towards the storyline and/or important character development with exposition and scene-setting having to be weaved in effectively along the way. If you don't get teenagers quickly hooked and tugged along with a fast-flowing plot you'll lose them and I believe this in increasingly true for adults now which has led to the massive expansion of the "cross-over" market.

I do branch out from time - notably into fantasy where I really enjoy the world setting and some horror where I relish the suspense rather than over-gore. I tried The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo because of the complex main female - she was great but the pace was too slow for me (but then I'm not into mystery/crime etc). My first Kindle book was The Heart of Darkness which took me a while to get into but I'm now enjoying the style and pace immensely.

So then - Young Adult novels... fiction distilled for strength or what!?!


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## Alain Gomez (Nov 12, 2010)

Holly A Hook said:


> I did, but found the second one to be a little slow in the middle.
> 
> I still have yet to read the Hunger Games, but I have read House of the Scorpion, which is still on my bookshelf. Very good book.


Hmm... I'll check those out.

The second did drag a bit. But that's partially why I like young adult books. Instead of spending so much time making these plot within plots, the author spends time describing sword making or dragon training instead. Simple, but fun.

Which is why the 3rd one bothered me so much! What the heck Could Eragon have possibly dished out any more oaths He was swearing fealty to every freaking person he met!! 700 pages of oaths and then a scant chapter on "oh yeah, I made a cool sword."


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## Manley (Nov 14, 2010)

Having three kids in the family means I am exposed to tons of children's books including young adult. I have just as much fun reading them as I do a truly adult novel.


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## Guest (Dec 8, 2010)

Looking back, I think 2010 has been a great year for the young-adult genre. Looking at the titles coming out, like Matched, it's clear that The Hunger Games has finally trumped Twilight and the vampires as the story to imitate. Hopefully we keep moving in the direction of strong female characters and engaging, fast-paced stories. Now if only some of these stories were actually uplifting and had happy endings. That's what I'll be looking for in 2011.


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## M. G. Scarsbrook (Nov 22, 2010)

One of my all time favorite books is TREASURE ISLAND, which technically qualifies as YA. I suppose I like it for the strong sense of imagination and suspense and characterization used by the novelist.

Really, if a story is truly great, it appeals to all ages no matter what classification it is...


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## J.M Pierce (May 13, 2010)

mgscarsbrook said:


> Really, if a story is truly great, it appeals to all ages no matter what classification it is...


Absolutely!


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## chipotle (Jan 1, 2010)

I'm trying to go back and read books I missed growing up. Last month I read Anne of Green Gables and The Secret Garden - both free on the Kindle. Anne's non-stop talking was getting to me but I just adored The Secret Garden. 

Has anyone ever re-read a book they loved as a child and found they disliked it as an adult? I've heard people say that Catcher in the Rye didn't appeal to them as much as adults but I haven't re-read it yet.


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## Cliff Ball (Apr 10, 2010)

There's a bunch of books that I never read as a kid that I'd like to go back and read, like The Chronicles of Narnia for example.

I've read some YA that I didn't know was YA, like The Crosstime Traffic series that Harry Turtledove writes.


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## Blodwyn (Oct 13, 2010)

I have to check out the Hunger Games. I keep hearing about it.


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## JackNolte (Oct 28, 2010)

Personally, I think some of the best, most innovative writing is happening in YA right now.  There's also something about a teenager's high bullsh*t meter that forces writers to really get on with the story.  If you try to dazzle them with lots of fancy writing with not much plot, they'll drop you like a dead iPod.  

I highly recommend Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, if it hasn't already been recommended.


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## Lalalaconnectthedots (Dec 5, 2010)

A story is a story is a story.

Tolkien, despite his need of a good edit at times, turned his harrowing war experiences into stories of elves and hobbits that appealed to young and older readers. I think there's a lot to be said for allegory and metaphors when writing. You can say stuff with those things that doesn't come across as well in literal terms.

I read a lot of YA. I read a lot of "adult." What I like about YA - and I primarily read YA contemporary fantasy (though, not Twilight - couldn't get into it) - is that it isn't bogged down by a lot of the conventions that adult novels sometimes feel they must pay heed to. Of course, that's not always true and I see a lot of stuff being replicated and regurgitated just as with adult, but there's just something about YA that says, "Here, you can be yourself, forget your cares and just get lost in this world."

We all have our ugly adult stories if we've lived long enough. Personally, I don't need to have those mirrored back at me every time I open a book. Sometimes, sure. But all the time? Nope. Life's too short.

I will say, The Hunger Games series was fun, but that last book made me cry.


Spoiler



There was no "getting off easy" for those characters. They went through everything you'd expect a heroine/hero to go through in a war-ridden dystopia.


 So, not all YA is just easy-peasy reading. Yeah, it's easy to read. Give you that - but sometimes the characters actually have to suffer the consequences of their actions and their situation. 

Edit: Put that one part under a spoiler tag. It's not really a spoiler, but better safe than sorry.


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## Scott Neumyer (Dec 8, 2010)

Some of the most challenging and refreshingly original books I've ever read have been YA or Middle Grade. My theory is... A good story is good no matter the classification. Why should I discriminate?


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## Five String (Jun 6, 2010)

Funny how us adults go for the stuff for the youngsters. I really liked the Wolf Brother series by Michelle Paver. My daughter turned me on to the Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan, a very good writer.


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## TheRiddler (Nov 11, 2010)

How is YA defined? Is this an American classification system?

I genuinely have no idea whether books I read are YA or not - where for instance would you put the Dresden Files? 

Personally I loved the Harry Potter books, and loved the way JKR 'evolved' the books to keep up with the characters' ages (if that makes sense).

I assume Phillip Pulman "Dark Material" would fall into the YA section?


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## Fireheart223 (Oct 3, 2010)

I like YA  I suppose I can relate to some of the characters, since I was once a YA myself and can still remember what it was like to go through some of the emotions they have. Plus I like how YA can be more imaginative. If the story is interesting, and the characters are likable, then I definitely wouldn't be turned off just because its YA and maybe geared towards a younger age group.


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## mscottwriter (Nov 5, 2010)

I love YA fiction because, most of the time, the plots move more swiftly and the books themselves are shorter.  I guess my short attention span is more like a teen's than a middle-ager's, lol.

Personally, I loved "Speak" by Laurie Anderson, "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, and "The Giver" by Lois Lowry.


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## CathyQuinn (Dec 9, 2010)

I love YA books too. They're often different and original. I've read most of the books mentioned in this thread, also books by James Dashner, Rune Michaels, Kenneth Oppel, Patrick Ness.


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