Young adult fiction, also called YA, has been a popular genre for ages now, but in recent years, there’s been an increase in adult readership…. or at least in public adult readership. I have a sneaky feeling that there were quiet YA fans this whole time.
There’s something about a good YA story that can appeal to readers of all ages. So why do so many adults love this genre?
Teen Nostalgia
For many adults, reading YA fiction can be a fun trip down memory lane, reminding them of their own teenage years. The emotions, experiences, and struggles that are central to many realistic YA books are often familiar to adult readers, creating a sense of nostalgia and connection to the characters. Reading about high school stories can also be a way to revisit some of the good times in the teenage years, before the responsibilities of adulting and working set in. Good YA fiction often puts friendships at the heart, which can be extra appealing and relatable to readers of any age.
I’ve enjoyed reading older YA novels for those retro vibes. My Best Friend’s Exorcism has that 80s YA feel, too, for nostalgic vibes mixed with a bit of horror.
Easy Reading
YA fiction is known for its straightforward, easy-to-read storytelling. The writing style is approachable and accessible, making this a perfect choice for busy adult readers. This kind of accessible storytelling makes some great escapist reading.
YA thrillers, for me, are easy reading for that instant escapism. If this is your jam too, try The Cheerleaders, by Kara Thomas, for a pageturning thriller with teen friendships at the heart.
New Perspectives
Readers are often looking for ways to escape reality and experience new things. For many people, a good YA novel is just that. With a teenage protag or narrator (or both), adult readers are able to experience a different perspective and see the world through fresh eyes. With more and more diverse perspectives being shared in young adult fiction, this can offer new perspectives and new characters for adult readers to get to know.
If you enjoy discovering new characters with different backgrounds, young adult fiction is a great genre. The recent collection Up All Night is a great example of YA with a focus on different identities. From Dust, A Flame is a fantasy/YA with a focus on Jewish and queer identities, and Ann Liang’s If You Could See The Sun has a lot to say about Beijing high school life.
Emotional Characters
YA fiction often features well-developed, relatable characters, and I think fiction readers love a relatable, believable character who’s really going through it. Of course YA fiction often includes coming-of-age themes themes that are relevant to a wide range of readers. But whether it’s a coming-of-age story, a teen romance, or a story about friendship, YA books have the power to evoke strong emotions in their readers. Many adults find that they can relate to the characters and themes in YA books, making them feel a deeper connection to the story. The Hunger Games, for example, was wildly popular with readers of all ages, and many readers connected with Katniss’ bravery and her love for her little sister.
That said, I also love a YA with an OTT storyline, like the celebrity fake-dating in Well, That Was Unexpected or This Time It’s Real. Or there’s the reality-TV family drama in Meghan MacLean Weir’s The Book of Essie, or the reality TV theme, crossed with Greek mythology in Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters.
There are, of course, many more reasons why adults love YA fiction, from returning to a favorite author or just seeing a book that happens to look appealing, from nostalgia to escapism. What about you? Do you still read YA? What do you love about it?
Those are all good answers that I definately do feel!
I also feel like because of anxiety trauma, my brain feels like i’m barely 20-25 at most, and I forget i’m already 28 😅 So the MCs do still feel like I could be them, placing me within the story.
That’s also true it’s easier to read, especially in english that’s a second language, there’s still things that are way too complicated for my brain to grasps. Fantasy for exemple.
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Oh, one of my friends said a similar thing! She likes YA because she didn’t have a typical or a very good teenage experience so the books kind of let her experience that time, and it feels like she gets to be the MC!
No, not me, I’m afraid. I prefer adult fiction, because in general, the language for adult books is more sophisticated and poetic than you usually find in YA books.
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Easy reading? Nostalgic? Less explicit sex and violence? All of these could be reasons. I prefer the higher reading level and complexity of books for adults. The age of the character is not a drawback, as long as it fits the story. I am drawn to books that occur over multiple years so that characters age. But it’s wearying to continually read books with the obligatory sex and violence required for adult literature by most publishers. Why does nobody mention this?
I enjoy the diversity of characters, but mostly I like to pretend I’m still a young adult.
both good reasons to love YA!
I’m an adult who prefers YA fiction, especially the sci fi and fantasy over the adult fiction books, not just because of the storytelling , the nostalgia of my own youth, or the characters, but the creativity behind the story. I find them much more imaginative and adventurous than the adult fiction, especially the sci fi and fantasy. Like rn I’m reading through the Keeper of Lost Cities series and The Map to Everywhere. In Keeper of the Lost Cities, Sofie learns she’s an elf and leaves the human world to determine her true ancestry and purpose on all sorts of wild adventures of magic, while in the Map to Everywhere, a young girl follows a pirate ship that appeared magically in a parking lot in her Arizona city. These kinds of creative story ideas and adventuresome spirits of curiosity and need to find oneself or whatever just don’t exist within the adult versions of this genre.
It’s so wild that you shared this today because I’m deep in a YA scifi rabbit hole today! I’m thinking a lot about exactly what you wrote about this idea of adventure for young protags and young readers in science fiction. A young protag who’s learning his/her place in society also makes for a good narrator explaining the fictional world, too.
I think there’s something really special about a young person going on an adventure, or making a scifi/fantasy discovery. When it’s done well, these books blend a coming-of-age discovery with an adventure or survival, and we can see the character learning about themself and learning about the world. SO GOOD.
I’m not familiar with Keeper of Lost Cities or The Map to Everywhere, but I’ll check them out!
This blog post explores why adults enjoy reading young adult fiction. It highlights reasons like nostalgia, relatable characters, and fresh perspectives offered by YA novels. This article is a great resource for anyone curious about the growing popularity of YA fiction among adults.
I like it.