Stephanie Judice's Blog, page 5

Adults Who Love YA: What's the Lure?

About a year ago, I found myself wandering down the YA aisle of Barnes & Noble with my niece Jessen, who was then 17.  This was a common occurrence for the two of us, even though I was and am well beyond my teen years.  As we perused titles, judging books by their covers and picking up only the prettiest ones, I heard two other women debating whether a particular series was worth buying.  I glanced in their direction, noting they were both somewhere north of my age by about a decade.  Before I could poke my nose in their business, having firsthand knowledge and strong opinions about the series, another young woman butted in.  She appeared to be in her late 20s.  Instantly, the five of us were engaged in a heated conversation that included things like: "She must stay true to herself." "Yes, but if she fails, there will be dire consequences." "It won't matter when he gets a hold of her." After several minutes of discussion, we went on our merry ways.  I remember giggling to myself about our age-range, considering our passionate opinions about teen fiction.  I turned to Jessen, saying, "That was kind of crazy."  But, was it?          So, I've been doing some deep reflection about why so many adults, including myself and many friends, love YA.  Here are my theories:1)      Nostalgia.  Maybe we miss high school?  NOT.  You couldn't pay me any sum of money to go back to that place.  But, I can tell you that I enjoy reminiscing with old friends that feeling of being in high school—carefree, no responsibilities (dancing practice, part-time jobs and finals don't count), and hanging with friends who were the center of my universe. So, perhaps one draw for us over-mortgaged, overscheduled, and overworked adults is that YA brings us back to a simpler time and place.2)      PG-13.  While I love my super-dark, super-sexy novels, sometimes I want to read something that I know won't make me face the harsh reality of the adult world.  It's like watching a PG-13 movie; I know I'm going to get a thrill ride without the gratuitous (or necessary) blood, guts, and sex that often accompany R-rated movies.  It's the same safe bet when you pick up a YA book.  There will definitely be a hero facing imminent danger, but there won't be any gory or salacious details that bring us to that gritty place.3)      Anyone Can Win.  Now, this relates mostly to paranormal/fantasy YA.  There is a certain fantastic feeling when our YA hero or heroine, typically an odd outcast, surmounts all obstacles and wins the day.  He or she undoubtedly has flaws and weaknesses, yet still prevails over the evils of the world.  As someone who sometimes feels odd, has flaws and weaknesses, I like these literary reminders that we all can win—even young, inexperienced, unworldly teenagers.  While I'm actually not a fan of clichés, there is one that seems quite fitting here: "Age is only a number."  When I think back to that meeting in the bookstore where women in their 50s, 30s,  20s, and teens became sort of kindred spirits for the moment, it seems that age was only an insignificant number.  No matter our station in life, we all long for stories that can take us to a place of nostalgia and excitement with hopeful, happy endings.