YA Bloggers Want...Real Issues, Fun Factor: The Undercover Book Lover

I'm very happy to put the spotlight on Reggie of The Undercover Book Lover today, a passionate blogger who has some definite ideas of what she wants to see on her YA shelf.

I met Reggie through the blogosphere and the blog tour. Not only did she have really nice things to say about TMAS, she auctioned off a signed copy to help raise $800(!) for The Pakistan Flood Relief Fund. What a selfless and impressive girl.

Welcome to the blog, Reggie!

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YA fiction is about more than just vampires.

With all the buzz about Twilight, vampires, and paranormal in general, many have put YA in the generic box of shallow nothingness...well, that's what I've been hearing. Every time I mention that I read and blog about YA fiction, I've seen more degrading stares than I care to admit. Lots of people that I've met have told me "You should read more meaningful books" or "Don't waste your time on useless crap" or "You should read about the real world". And no matter how hard I try, they just seem dead set on diminishing the possibility that YA just might be a great genre; full of real issues as well as having a fun-factor to it.

The reason why I love YA fiction in general, is because YA novels are written in such a way that you can't help but relate to them. Some paranormal books, like Paranormalcy, Firelight, or Nightshade aren't just books about the paranormal, they touch on real-life issues today such as making decisions, familial values, etc. And books like Tell Me A Secret, Crank, and Burned touch on controversial topics like teen-pregnancy and drugs. Some people look down and think of YA as shallow and useless, but I think that YA isn't generic and that it shouldn't be branded so easily. Don't knock it until you try it.

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Thank you, Reggie!

Readers, do you ever catch any flack about reading YA? Do you think YA isn't taken as seriously as other genres, or do you think it's gaining momentum and respect? What about contemporary versus paranormal/fantasy/sci-fi/genre fiction? Do you think one is respected any more than the other? Comment for a chance to win this week's book prizes, plus a chance to win the big prize! (US addresses only, sorry!)