Why do you read YA?

[Zoe]

We're all YA readers here - but I know the genre appeals to different people for very different reasons. So what is it for you? What do you like best about YA novels? What do they have that adult novels don't?

For me it's a couple of things. The nostalgia factor is one of them - although YA wasn't nearly as big when I was growing up as it is now, I still devoured library YA sections whole, and YA feels familiar in a way that other genres just don't. (Although I actually read a lot of contemporary YA as a teenager, whereas now I almost always go for spec fic instead.)

But that's not the main reason. I also think writers can do things with YA characters that are more difficult to do in adult fiction. There's a big focus in YA on identity and growth and learning what you're made of. I love that. I love seeing characters discovering who they are and choosing what they want to become.

There also seems to be a lot more potential in YA for books that cross genre lines. I think it's because YA books are primarily classified as YA rather than whatever genre they're in, so authors have more freedom. A YA fantasy novel, for example, doesn't have to fit as rigidly into the definition of fantasy as an adult fantasy novel, because the YA label matters more than the fantasy label. Whatever the reason, YA often has books that do unusual things with their genres, and I'm grateful for it both as a reader and as a writer.

[Lisa]

For me being in my late 30's it is like having a do over. wondering what that would have been like. A chance to be young again with the Main Character of the story and leave the adult world pressures behind. I love the innocence. I like to read contemporary and new adult as well so I guess it is what age I want to be:)

[Elizabeth]

I have several reasons. I'm a former teacher, and I think teenagers have a lot more potential and wisdom than most people realize. I had some amazing students who wowed me with their vision, and I love reading about that--and writing about it!

I read a lot, and I found myself getting tired of adult novels because sometimes they are--dare I say it--boring. I like how plot-driven YA books can be, while also including lots of character growth. I like the sense of adventure and possibility, something that often seems missing from adult novels, which can be very jaded.

I also agree that YA can cross genre lines more freely than adult novels, and I love that about YA. Since I do read a lot of different genres, I'm not married to the conventions of any one genre, so I like books that combine a lot of different elements.