First Thoughts: What makes YA Lit Young, Adult, and Lit?

2/2/2021

For our first post: It's useful to begin by thinking about the genre as a genre. YA can overlap with a lot of other genre, but it is also it's own thing. Thinking about YA as a genre will help to shape our conversation for the rest of the semester.

To complete this post: First, read the article that your group was assigned. Once you've read your article, have a short discussion about it in your groups. Remember the prompt:

Based on your article, what makes Young Adult Lit a genre unto itself? What are the notable characteristics of the genre? Another way to put it is what makes YA Lit "young," "adult," and "literature" all at the same time?

Once you've had that discussion, post below about what you talked about in your group. You are welcome to add things that you think didn't get talked about in your group but need to be said.

Finally, once everyone has posted, I'll ask you to read what your colleagues had to say and to respond to some of them. Do you see connections across the articles? Do you see points in other people's articles that challenge what you read in your own? Does something that someone wrote help you to understand the genre a little bit better?

HOW TO POST
Click on the "comment" button located at either the top right or bottom left of this post. Fill in the form as required and post your 100-200 words in the dialogue box. You might want to compose in another program so nothing gets lost. Once you've finished, click submit.

NOTE: Occasionally, weekly asks you to identify a series of images in order to submit your post. Sometimes a glitch makes it impossible to see the "submit" button. If this happens, let me know. You can email me your post and I will post it on your behalf. When this happens, I contact weekly and they typically fix the problem.

44 Comments

Alex Mitchell

2/2/2021 03:33:30 pm

After reading the article and discussing the prompt in my group, I've decided that Y.A. literature can be either realistic or fantastical, but either way, possesses a level of relatability. Y.A. literature may be from the point of view of a teenager, but is easily enjoyed by all ages. The genre is about teenage life: family, school, mental health, romance, death, culture, relationships, etc. The article I read identifies the best Y.A. literature as life-changing or sometimes even an emotional workout for its readers.

2/2/2021 03:40:18 pm

The first thing that I see here is this idea of "relatability" The idea that it is from a young person's perspective. Also, stuff about how it's about teenager life and the kinds of things that teenagers deal with--also interesting to mejk the idea of a wider appeal. The idea that this is why adults read it--because the agony of growing up is something we all feel no matter when we feel it.

Cora A Roche

2/2/2021 03:42:01 pm

"Relatability" is a major definition factor of the genre- good point!

Grace Donnelly

2/2/2021 03:34:31 pm

The article, entitled “Fresh Hell”, discusses the recent boom in YA dystopian fiction, citing series like the Hunger Games, the Maze Runner, and the Uglies. These series—and any novels written for YA—have common themes. Adventure, firstly. No novel is complete without a captivating plot, tracking its protagonists through a fraught situation. Autonomy, secondly. High schools are dystopias, says the article, and parents the Big Brother/surveillance system watching. Cliques in the halls of high school become the Factions in Divergent, or the Careers in the Hunger Games. While adult fiction might focus on a more realistic situation, YA fiction tends to use the lens of dystopia to make comparisons to teen's lived experiences.

2/2/2021 03:38:06 pm

I can see that our articles are different. I found that my article defined Y.A. literature as a genre that is easily relatable and tackles very real-life issues teenagers face in their daily lives. There wasn't really any discussion of dystopian Y.A. literature in my article, so I appreciate your findings!

2/2/2021 03:41:34 pm

This idea about autonomy. That is something that I see a lot in YA novels--teenagers living their lives without a lot of parental supervision. It speaks to something for the age.

Emily Ferzoco

2/2/2021 03:37:25 pm

When thinking about YA literature itself the novels and trilogy that come to mind are the Hunger Games Trilogy and the Divergent series. In these trilogy's there are key things that make it young adult literature. The setting of the trilogies in a dystopian world reflect the nature of what young adults experience without screaming at them (this could be your life and is your life in many ways). The young adult genre allows for an escape to be provided to readers that allows them to disengage from their own lives, while immersing themselves in fiction that inherently reflects different aspects of their lives. It is a genre that separates itself from others because it allows for play but is also so reflective in itself.

Hannah MacDonald

2/2/2021 03:42:27 pm

I really like how you expressed that YA is both an escape, and reflects the lives of the young adults reading the texts. This engages the reader to both relate to the characters and their issues, while it is presented in a sometimes fantastical format that acts as an engaging escape.

Ketteland Firmain

2/2/2021 03:38:03 pm

What I learned from this article is that this genre is made for people transitioning from childhood to adulthood. Older adults are reading more young adult books because they want to understand what the newer generations are going through and how they understand things. Every generation has a different way of interpreting things.

2/2/2021 03:40:04 pm

I like how you pointed out there is a generational divide in reading and how YA novels may not make much sense to others in different generation or they could deeply relate depending on the era they come from.

Grace

2/2/2021 03:41:31 pm

This is an excellent reason why adults may "backtrack" and read YA. It could also be framed as adults reminding themselves of the fraught period of life that is teenagerdom. Nice observation!

Maria Pestilli

2/2/2021 03:46:59 pm

Your article said something very different from mine and I think the idea is very interesting. It is true that when kids are growing up that they transition to Young Adult books on their way to Adult books but I would not say that all older people who read YA are trying to connect with kids. I read YA but I am not the target audience, I read YA because there is a lot of good LGBT+ representation within them. As a lesbian it is important for me to see representation in the media and I have found that YA has a lot of LGBT+ characters and that's what draws me to it. Anyways good job on the post!

Brittany Ann Oppenheimer

2/2/2021 03:38:41 pm

Y.A is very hard to identify to me. In a sense, Y.A novels, I feel, are meant to relate to young adults and teens of all ages. Even though this feels like the short and essay answer, the boundaries of what defines Y.A is harder to grasp. For example, if Y.A stories are meant to relate to teens and young adults, I always question how these books do this because of how they are written. If we look at Katniss from The Hunger Games, for example, does the reader relate to the character because of how she acts or do they relate to the "plot" of The Hunger Games as a whole. Since Y.A. isn't confined to nonfiction, would it be harder for this relatablity in Y.A. novels to becomes more difficult since things like The Hunger Game is just fictional. That relatability is honestly such a board subject. I guess, in the end, I think we must question if this relatability comes from the character of the main story or the plot of the story itself. If we cannot place ourselves inside something like The Hunger Games, is part of that Y.A scenery gone from our minds if it's not completely true?

2/2/2021 03:39:09 pm

Young adult literature as a genre introduces teenagers to various controversial topics in an age appropriate and relatable way. My article in particular focused on the controversy of including religion as a topic. The writer argues that because young adults are often religious, the literature available to them should reflect this. They also point out that this is a controversial topic because it is sometimes seen as "preaching" an agenda to young and impressionable teens. Young adult literature oftentimes represents different sectors of young people so that these groups can feel seen in their experiences growing up. They also introduce them to adult topics such as government control, sexuality, and mental health in an age appropriate and engaging way. Religion as a topic is controversial because certain religions such as Christianity can be seen as judgmental and non-inclusive. Despite this, this article argues that spirituality is a real concern young people face, and it should be explored in the right way.

2/2/2021 03:44:09 pm

It's true--as I think on it, I don't recall the last time I read about a religious character in a novel, unless it was a sci-fi/fictional religion.
Spirituality is a major concern, especially as it comes to dealing with the concepts that you mention: government, sexuality, and mental health.
Nice observation!

Demi Riendeau

2/2/2021 03:45:51 pm

Hi Hannah!
I think this article sounds super interesting. It is interesting to put this in relation to the article I read which discusses relatedness and morality of young adult literature. It is interesting to consider religion within morality in the Young Adult Literature genre. Young Adult Lit also introduces many subjects (like you discussed) and putting these in both the moral and religious context is interesting to consider.

Molly Graham

2/2/2021 03:48:58 pm

Young Adult literature definitely has a major focus on first introductions and coming of age as well as a loss of innocence. Teenagers are being introduced to many new things and Young Adult authors write about these things they are experiencing in order to captivate their attention.

2/2/2021 03:39:13 pm

I read "Teen Fiction and the Perils of Cancel Culture" which is about how one author was 'cancelled' before his book came out. The article covers a lot about minority groups and about YA in general. After reading this article I have come to the conclusion that YA literature is often about young people, what I mean is, this genre tells the stories of people who are anywhere from 14 years old to into their 20s. YA often tells stories about minority groups and it also tackles complex issues such as war, government, and society as a whole. YA is its own genre because the way the stories are written are different from any other genre. The stories are written in an accessible way so that many different age groups can read it. Which is what makes YA so great.

2/2/2021 03:47:06 pm

When you mention Y.A. as telling stories about complex issues, it got me thinking... as a teenager, doesn't everything seem like a complex issue? I guess what I'm saying is, that complexity in Y.A. literature is multifaceted and definitely a notable characteristic.

Cora Roche

2/2/2021 03:39:34 pm

The article my group discussed was "Is Any Topic Off Limits When You Write For Teenagers?". This genre equally creates a sense of escapism, as well as a place for teenagers to find comfort and identity. It also introduces different topics and experiences for teenagers in an age appropriate and nonjudgmental way, that allows YA readers to create their own conclusions about topics. It also allows teens to see that they are not alone in questioning the generation before them in how they think and act. This article is unique in identifying that 90% of YA literature does not discuss religion or spirituality at all, and that should change because these are topics that YA readers think about often.

Lauren Grisolia

2/2/2021 03:40:22 pm

The article explains how writers used to be too afraid of putting in sex and swears and thought that it was too “taboo” for young adults. But, as the article goes on, it explains that religion is the most uncomfortable topic within any YA novel. As the article goes on, the author explains how she found herself longing to explore putting these topics into her literature, because if anyone can turn an awkward topic into something worth exploring or speaking up about it’s young adults. Teenagers these days are definitely not afraid to step up and speak about topics that can be seen as an inappropriate topic. Whether it’s racism, or sex, young adults are stepping up more and more to make sure these topics are seen and talked about, even if it’s not happening to them personally. But, literature can also be a way to feel seen about what you are going through. They can be going through something, especially personal topics and open a novel and see a character going through the same exact situation and relate to them. Or, the character can be having the time of their life and the reader is using the story as a way to escape reality for a moment. The literature and words can flow through a young adult's mind and since they are very impressionable, and convince them to feel as though something needs to be done, or gives them a different perspective on situations. The literature written for YA’s is getting more and more taboo as the years go on, but the readers are ready to make sure it gets seen. Whether it’s through an instagram post, or through a novel of their own, the “shoving it in your face” approach that young adults have on life is refreshing, and needed for generations to come.

2/2/2021 03:40:56 pm

Through reading the New Yorker piece and my own knowledge on Young Adult Literature, I think one of the important aspects of this genre is the relatability to readers lives, and how, even though you can be reading about a dystopian environment, the content is still relatable to your life. This is part of what makes this literature young, as it has themes and underlying relatedness to high school, parents, restriction, and other themes of this coming-of-age timeline. There is also the adult part of this literature. This adult aspect, as explained by the New Yorker article in some senses, has to do with the resolution that occurs at the end of some novels. Through this there is the means of false dystopia and actual dystopia, which also both serve as social warnings and explanations for the social phenomenon that we experience and live through.
An aspect of this article that I liked was through texts that I have read (The Hunger Games specifically) the discussion of cultural relevance versus actual logic came up. As was explained, the careers trained for the games, but it would make more sense for the lower districts to pool their resources and train. This is relatable to the high school hierarchies that occur in almost all schools and the different feelings that surround these hierarchies (whether you are popular and enjoy that or not popular and dislike the system). This was something that I did not consider when reading the book and becoming obsessed with the series as a young reader. It is really interesting to add this new perspective to the world of literature and discuss how this an aspect of literature. This also ties into the false dystopia versus real dystopia (where in Divergent SPOILER ALERT it is actually a social experiment) displays a warning and value system within the novel set of young adult literature that either aligns with life, goes against it and is resolved, or goes against it and then turns out to be no real- hence false dystopia.
Through this article the main aspects of young adult literature that I found were, relation to life, ability to translate morally, ethically, or structurally, and ability to be consumed with the lens of growth and change (in many different varying ways).

2/2/2021 03:43:12 pm

In the article “How Young Adult Fiction Came of Age”, it discussed how in Young Adult fiction there is often a story of a loss of innocence or coming of age. The characters in this genre are often experiencing things for the first time. Whereas in adult novels the charactershave more life experience. Another common theme in Young Adult literature is violence, teens are attracted to violent stories. Adults often have more mature interests. Young Adult authors and publishers create characters and stories to relate to teenage life such as stories set in high school and full of first experiences.

Nicholas A Ceniseroz

2/2/2021 03:43:18 pm

We talked about how mentions how a common theme around YA literature is about a sort of introduction or loss of innocence in some way. For example, a novel about someone who takes drugs would have it where that probably wasn't their first time taking drugs, whereas a YA story would have it be that it was their first time taking drugs and their entering a new and frightening world and gaining a new experience. YA stories generally utilize the notion of a reader who has little life experience themself and so are entering this new experience going through life, whether it be life, independence, responsibility, danger, romance, sexuality and they learn to deal with it in some way that is learned from. Actual young adult readers can relate to the feeling of new experiences, whereas a normal adult is meant to think back and recall the feelings they would have as a younger person being introduced to these concepts.

James Gimler

2/2/2021 03:43:25 pm

one of the things in my article was about how the author wrote a story about himself. I think that something that makes a YA literature a genre unto itself is the restrictions that this very creative type of literature faces. in the article it says that, "Because that’s what novelists do: conjure other worlds, imagine their way into other realities, guess at the texture of other people’s consciousness. It’s part of the pleasure of inventing stuff for a living." however this creativity also has to fit these structures that many genres such a historical lit and adult lit doesn't. YA literature is creative such as the "Percy Jackson" series. however, YA literature has to make sure that their stories must satisfy its audience without hitting any of these "sensitive" topics.

Orlaith Connolly

2/2/2021 03:44:18 pm

In our discussion, my group talked about how young adult literature is closely related to adolescent experience. Our article was about The Hunger Games, and we talked about how it is similar to attending high school as a young adult. Your thrown into a completley new and threatening environment where there is a hierarchal structure: the rich people who live in the capital run the show, much the popular crowd in high school. While this is a specific example, there are many themes in young adult literature that relate to this concept. Another example is the book Divergent, where people are placed in groups based on their personal characteristics. This is also relatable to young adults who are in the process of figuring out who they are: in this dystopia they are assigned who they are based on a test they take. One point in the article that I found interesting is how readers of young adult literature are relatively new to literature: themes that were commonly used in the past wouldn't be easily recognized by someone who is new to reading. I never realized how concepts in literature can fade out but re appear in a later era. What makes Young Adult Literature a specific genre is how the plot of the story is directly relates to the adolescent experience: what makes it literature is the sole fact that it encompasses all the elements that make up a work of literature.

Ashley Munoz

2/2/2021 03:44:59 pm

Reading the article “Fresh Hell” which mainly focuses on “The Hunger Games” you see the Dystopian Young Adult novel described as a “fever dream of adolescent social experience” which, having read the series, is a great way to relate it to our real-world experiences while still being fiction. In “The Hunger Games” you have districts, in real life you have high school sports teams/cliques/clubs that are all distinctly different from one another in their own ways. The situations are written as if to warn us of our own futures and what we must to do to stop such dystopian timeline from happening, if we can that is. You mostly see coming of age stories where the teenager loses their innocence and realize what they need to face after leaving the protection of their original homes.

Adlai Greene

2/2/2021 03:58:09 pm

I like the points you have made here, Ashley. It sounds like some of the things I noticed while reading my article as well--namely the idea that YA Lit must be relatable to the audience, which means lots of coming of age stories. I also like how you mentioned YA Lit can act as a warning. I think this idea coincides with the idea that YA Lit is used to influence a new generation of thinkers, which means, as a genre, it actually holds a great deal of power and influence.

2/2/2021 03:46:34 pm

In Donna Freitas article, “Is Any Topic Off Limits When You Write for Teenagers? Maybe Just One,” she ponders what topics are acceptable for YA Literature and comes to the conclusion that virtually every topic can be addressed as long as it appeals to the reader. This leads to me to believe one of the key features of YA Lit genre is a relatable topic for a young audience. Regardless of the specifics of the topic, it needs to represent the audience and present relatable scenarios for the reader. Additionally, YA Lit has the power to influence a new generation like other genres do not. YA Lit can normalize LGBTQ characters, create critical thinkers, and suggest a new way of life that specifically targets a new generation. In other words, Donna Freitas recognizes how YA Lit specifically serves as a medium for innovative ideas in a non-threatening appearance. I believe this means that YA Lit is in many ways a unique genre in that it serves to raise a new generation of thinkers by presenting critical ideas (adult) through an approachable context (young) that adheres to the use of creative language (literature).

Maryan Aden

2/2/2021 03:47:15 pm

What makes Young Adult Lit a genre unto itself is that it has a relatability aspect to it. Specifically, it is a genre that many young people look to for comfort and guidance in life, or read for fun. For example, In my groups’ article “7 great Contemporary Novels for Teenagers”, Maria Russo speaks on Julia Alvarez’s The Poet X. She says “The book’s enduring popularity is a powerful reminder that teenagers groove on poetry, especially when it’s geared to the realities of their lives” It is important for teenagers to relate to the content they read otherwise they’ll get bored easily (speaking from experience). I think YA literature is great to teach in schools because it sort of guarantees your students engaging with the content because of that relatability factor. Additionally, it allows for them to actually read books in a time where reading is not that popular amongst their demographic.

Not only that, YA literature appeals to adults as well because despite not being considered a young adult; there’s something about reading books that are centered around the young adult experience that pulls adults in. It might be that they read these texts to reminisce on their young adult lives, or to relate to their teenage children and get a sense of what growing up in a different generation is like. All in all, young adult literature can be for everyone. I personally love this genre because it allows me to imagine a life/lives vastly different from my own and it also helps me better understand my peers.

April DeCarvalho

2/2/2021 03:47:21 pm

Oftentimes in Young Adult Literature, the main character is a young adult; anywhere from early teenage years to their early 20s. In, "Teen Fiction and the Perils of Cancel Culture," a YA novel by Kosoko Jackson is examined. His book, "A Place for Wolves" has been "canceled" by people on Twitter for being insensitive to Muslims and putting too much focus on privileged people. However, there is not as much regulation in adult fiction books; with children or young adults reading these YA books, people are more vigilant about the content that is put in there. This is because certain topics may be deemed "inappropriate" for the targeted age range.

Samantha Yidiaris

2/2/2021 03:48:33 pm

The New York Times article about the perils of publishing YA, gave an insight into what YA can be about. Based on the article, YA can be about different minority groups, and usually about teenagers (as it is targeted towards young adults). The article interviews a young adult author whos debut work undergoes criticism from the twitter community saying it was insensitive. Young Adult literature can deal with sensitive topics, just as Kosoko Jackson's novel does. An interesting quote from the article is "what Jackson's case demonstrates is just how narrow and untenable the rules for writing Y.A. literature are". Another interesting point in the article mentioned is a quote from Jackson himself, saying that specific topics should be written by specific people, for example, stories of suffrage can only be written by women. I found this interesting and would love to know other people's opinions on it.

Lindsay Everson

2/2/2021 03:48:34 pm

In the article, "How Young Adult Fiction Came to Age" I found that YA Literature is a collection of different themes. I found that this article defines YA Lit as a genre filled with new emotions and experiences. There is a "loss of innocence" that comes with YA lit and it targeted specifically for teens to relate to. One common characteristic in YA lit is parent teen relationships and an adolescents need for independence. YA Lit is also a genre in itself through the focus on social strata and one's struggle to fit in. An important part of writing YA lit is to go back to the past and imagine what highschool or adolescence felt, sounded, or even smelled like. Since YA lit is targeted to teens, the genre itself is written in order to be relatable to teens, but it can also catch the attention of adults. However, after reading this article I found that YA lit is almost always targeted towards teens and their common experiences. Before class I read the article on dystopian novels and I found it very cool how such characteristics are used in unique ways to express adolescent experiences/ feelings. Overall the genre is young because it relates to the experiences of those who are growing up, it is adult because it deals with a need/ longing for independence and it is literature through its ability to craft relatable experiences and giving them purpose through writing. My favorite line from this article that helps describe YA lit is, "Illuminated with emotion but not informed by experience"(Brown).

claire laurent

2/2/2021 03:55:41 pm

Based on this article, YA Lit is literature that appeals to teenagers in ways that they consider a rite of passage because sometimes YA addresses situations that they are going through in real time. What makes YA a genre of its own is the audience that it attracts. Even though the audience cannot immediately relate to a given story, they are attracted to this genre because it helps them discover other possibilities and scenarios, it could either be through the fictional or nonfictional facet of the genre. Also, the content of the texts appeals to a young audience based on the point of view of the characters. The point of view of the characters is important because the language used has to be relatable to the reader which is why YA Lit "hits a sweet spot" for the youth and keeps them turning the pages.

Katy Bedig

2/2/2021 05:21:12 pm

The author of “How Young Adult Fiction Came of Age” noted some of the main aspects that a novel has to have for a YA book. One is the introduction of new ideas through the main character to the reader where in more adult novels the author is more likely to assume the reader has had some exposure to the topics. This rings true when I remember reading ”Looking for Alaska” by John Green and thinking now I understand it differently than I did when I was in junior high. Brown also refers to, “Fidelity to its intended audience is paramount” meaning that the writer is writing the novel in a way that a YA will get and appreciate the jokes, irony, subcontext, and nuances of the story. Erin Kelly says writers, “not only have to remember what adolescence feels and looks like, you have to be able to convey it with a believable tone and voice that relates to readers”.

2/4/2021 01:47:55 pm

For the "teaching discussion" assignments throughout this semester, will we be told ahead of time when these will be assigned or will we only be prompted in a meeting when to complete these?

2/5/2021 05:21:49 am

Hi Claire,
I agree that the attraction of YA literature to teen and adult audiences stems from the relatability of the characters and their experiences. The genre itself is like no other due to its specific audience and focus on the first times of life. There are also themes of a longing for independence and a loss of innocence seen throughout YA novels. Overall the novels help many teens escape reality while also realizing they are not alone in this crazy world.

Claire Laurent

2/8/2021 01:44:24 pm

When the class is asynchronous, can I still treat it as a synchronous class? Because I plan on showing up every week so as to get the most out of the class. Are the asynchronous classes optional in terms of attendance? And does asynchronous mean there is a larger window of time to attend the class? Such as instead of 5 to 7 pm we have a window of 2 to 8 pm in which we could get access to the professor and work on or turn in assignments? Does asynchronous mean that our class will be divided where one group is assigned to show up one week while the other group works on something else and is allowed to be absent that week? Please professor Lee, explain.

2/8/2021 03:36:20 pm

Hi Dr. Torda,
Are the class updates for our YA Lit class as well? I noticed they are dated in 2020. I skimmed through the class updates and could not find anything that had dates for the 2021 spring semester.
Thank You,
Lindsay Everson

2/8/2021 08:27:52 pm

Hi Dr. Torda,

I was wondering if you would be willing to elaborate the role of the respondent. How frequently are we expected to fulfill this role and will you be assigning this in advance?
Additionally, it looks like we are reading our YA Literature in "1-week" chunks, is this accurate or are the books spanning a longer period of time?

Thank you!
Adlai Greene

2/9/2021 10:59:37 am

Hi Dr. Torda,

Why can we still see posts from previous classes on the website? I see all the posts from the Spring 2020 students, and it just makes it a little confusing to navigate.

Also I was planning on asking this in class but I thought I could touch on it here as well, could you please elaborate on the Teaching Discussion Assignments & when they are due?

Thank you!

2/9/2021 02:01:38 pm

Hi Dr. Torda,

I was wondering if there would be seperate sections to post on like in previous classes or if that is not going to happen in this course.

It might just not be set up, I am not sure.

Thanks,

Demi

2/9/2021 03:15:08 pm

Hi Dr. Torda,
Was there a date for the extra credit opportunity to be due? Or is it due with the Flash Memoir on 3/2/21?
Thank you!

Tenneh Sesay

2/16/2021 08:43:44 am

My First Thoughts, What makes YA Lit Young, Adult, and Lit is that the word young adult and literature is about changing the culture and society which can provide their context change. Literature is fiction which that means they can be in the same family groups such like narrative nonfiction and new forms of poetry, including novels and book

First Thoughts: What makes YA Lit Young, Adult, and Lit?

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