Stop coming for YA books, it’s not a good look
I can’t believe I’m here again, having to defend a genre of literature against internalised misogyny.
If you missed the tweet and subsequent comments both in-thread and more widely, then it’s probably for the best. But if you’re curious you can find it by searching for “YA books” in Twitter. Trust me, you’ll see it.
It’s almost like a bi-annual event now, where someone will poo-poo a genre, usually YA, or women’s fiction, or romance, and I’ll have to sigh and look up to the heaven’s and recognise once again that the patriarchy has us all in a chokehold.
The crux of the argument is that if you’re an adult you should read adult fiction, and that anything written for children (and often there’s little markation made between age categories, it’s just all “for kids”) is trash or lacking in any display of writing ability.
Firstly, I’m taking problematic authors out of the picture. They need to get in the bin. That’s a given. But you can’t use the fact that there are some prominant writers for young people have garbage opinions as proof that the books marketed at a younger audience are also pants.
So I’m going to offer my opinion on some of the arguments and statements I saw being made (mostly about YA fiction, but it all gets clubbed in with Middle Grade and Children’s that it’s interchangeable. Apparently.) and offer a balance to the perspective.
Also, should you for whatever reason still be on the fence about “books for teens” then I have a list of books that are technical beauties, changed the genre, or just floored me from cover to cover. I’m fairly confident that the majority of our audience has their heads screwed on and doesn’t even entertain the trolls, but just in case…
‘YA books are poor quality and are restrained by the genre demands”
The fact that many YA and MG authors manage to create such detailed, thought provoking and emotionally moving stories within the confines of what you “should” and “should not” include in a title for younger audiences is a testament to their skill. You have to say the thing without saying the thing. It’s like the best poetry: it’s evocative, and often leaves much to the reader’s interpretation.
There’s a reason why these restrictions need to be in place, because they are not intended for an adult audience and authors/publishers have a responsibility to be respectful and careful with the young minds their offering books to. Right? I know I’m not wrong, even though I’ve also seen the “it’s not my responsibility as a writer” argument. And quite frankly, that’s got that same vibe as “not all men” and it can get in the bin.
As for the quality, if you’re basing this off the more popular offerings like ‘Twilight’ then sure, the quality isn’t award winning (what does that even mean? A chat for another time, maybe) but it captured the hearts of thousands of teens and adults alike. And subsequently chewed us up, and spat us out.
But then look to books like ‘We Were Liars’ by e lockhart - the craftmanship in that book still makes me feel a kind of jealous wistfulness. I wish I wrote that book.
If you look away from the Waterstones tables (because publishers pay to have their books placed on there) and explore titles that might not be on your social radar, you’ll find some absolute stunners. And maybe those ones being pushed are just as stunning to the right person. It’s all subjective, right?
‘YA is just a capitalist construct’
When I saw this comment, and varients of, I had to close my eyes for a moment. Because every single book that you see on a shelf in a shop has undoubtedly gone through rounds of marketing meetings. Heck, before a book is even picked up by a publisher, it’s often the marketing team that must be persuaded it can sell first.
Publishing is a business. And that business is capitalism at its core. It’s not just YA. The special thing about YA is that it hits that “crossover” audience in a way that no other category/genre has before.
'Darren Shan and Rick Riordan are good, but the rest is junk'
Mmm. Yeah. You smell that? sniffs the air
That, my friend, is misogyny.
It’s this idea that anything young girls and women are interested in is not worthy of acclaim. It’s silly. It’s lacking in depth. It’s hysterical and emotional. You can like books for younger audiences if they were written by men. And yes, those books are good.
But to completely invalidate a genre that is mostly written by women, for women, is an insidious form of misogyny and you know where it can go? That’s right. In the bin.
‘It’s predictable’
There is a sense of security when you pick up a YA title. You know it’s going to be “safe” in terms of certain content, and it will explore themes and issues in concientous and careful ways. But it also depends on which genre (within the genre) you pick up.
To a certain extent, that’s exactly why you might gravitate towards new authors or titles. Because they’re framed as being “like this” or “for fans of”. It’s a marketing ploy, but it serves you as the reader.
This is also where evolution comes in, because trends and tropes come and go. The ability of an author to mold and change their craft over time is a necessary skill. You have to keep reinventing the wheel.
‘Grow up’
Pssh. Nah. Get in the bin.
I won’t even entertain this one. If we could just let readers make their own choices about who or what they read and leave them to it, that would be great.
‘If you only read YA you’re limiting yourself’
I’m ok with that. I think for me, I use books and reading as a way of detaching from the world while also being exposed to emotions and rollercoaster life events in a safe space I can then pull back from. It’s not the same for everyone, some people enjoy the heck out of a vague and puzzling piece of literary fiction that leaves them with a headache. Others might only pick up books written by James Patterson (unfortunate, but if that’s your vibe then I see you and you’re valid).
And what’s the problem with narrowing my reading preferences to YA? This isn’t me, I read fairly broadly, but I also wouldn’t think twice about it if I woke up tomorrow and only ever wanted to read “sports college romance” books for the rest of my life.
How is it limiting if I’m enjoying myself? I wanna have fun, not need to massage my temples every other chapter.
‘Show me some “good” YA books then”
Alright. Game on.
Books pictured:
‘We Were Liars’ by e. lockhart
‘How I Live Now’ by Meg Rosoff
‘Radio Silence’ by Alice Oseman
‘Belzhar’ by Meg Wolitzer
‘And I Darken’ by Kiersten White
‘Bone Gap’ by Laura Ruby
‘Graceling’ by Kristin Cashore
‘The Hate U Give’ by Angie Thomas
‘All the Bad Apples’ by Moïra Fowley-Doyle
‘Ariadnis’ by Josh Martin
‘The Creeper Man’ by Dawn Kurtagich
‘Only Ever Yours’ by Louise O’Neill
‘Truly, Wildly, Deeply’ by Jenny McLachlan
‘Scythe’ by Neal Shusterman
‘Maresi’ by Maria Turtschaninoff
‘Children of Blood and Bone’ by Tomi Adeyemi
So, really, anyone who poo-poos YA and its readership can get in the bin. End of.
Do you have a favourite YA book?
Written by Sarah
