Welcome to the Innovative Online Book Tours promotion of Kimberly Kinrade's Forbidden series!
Today, I am letting Kimberly invade my blog again, this time with thoughts on the mass appeal of YA literature. Thanks for stopping by!
The
Mass Appeal of YA Fiction -
It's
Not Just For Teens
Guest
Post by Kimberly Kinrade
Chances
are you or someone you love is addicted to Young Adult fiction. In
all likelihood, you know many non-teens who fall into this category.
For those who just don't understand the fascination, or who worry
about your loved one's mental health, I'm here to help.
Young
Adult fiction didn't start as a genre so much as an age
classification for books. Depending on who you ask, (or what you
read) YA lit falls somewhere between Middle Grade and Adult
literature and is typically known for its teen protagonist going
through coming-of-age type journeys.
However,
it has sparked a reading revolution among a wide age demographic.
Young teens to middle aged adults are obsessed with YA books—and
the big question on many people's minds is why? Perhaps you are
wondering that about your loved one. Or perhaps you too have a secret
obsession with this genre-that's-not-a-genre, but don't totally
understand why.
First,
let's set the record straight. YA isn't a genre, per se. It's talked
about like it is, but it isn't. Paranormal, romance, thriller,
horror, mystery, literary fiction, sci fi, fantasy… these are
genres—all of which you can find in the YA category. So if it's not
a genre, and it's not just appealing to young adults, then what
gives?
I
know, it's confusing. Some of you may think YA lit is a gateway drug
to fluff writing. Many attribute the wide-spread popularity of YA lit
to the 'simplistic writing'—the argument being that people don't
want to have to use their brains when they read, and YA is brainless
(or something along those ridiculous and insulting lines.)
Don’t
get me wrong, there's some brainless, simplistic YA out there. Just
as there's the same for thriller, horror, mystery, etc. That's true
of any genre (yes, okay, we'll call it a genre for sake of clarity
and ease of communication, just remember, it's not really a genre.)
As someone who reads and writes YA fiction (as well as children's
literature and adult fiction) I find this explanation simplistic and
offensive.
Sure,
we want to be entertained when we read. We crave escapism and
adventure. That doesn't mean the writing is bleh
or that we're all mindless morons. It just means we might not always
be in the mood for War
and Peace.
(And honestly, who is ever
in the mood for that?)
So
what's the appeal? Based on what I've seen, read and heard… here
are my thoughts.
One,
YA is largely dominated by female authors, and female readers. That's
not to say that men and boys don't enjoy reading and writing YA, but
they are not the primary demographic on either side of the coin. (And
please don't ask me to site sources, this is a blog, not a literary
journal… a quick Google search will show this to be true.)
Perhaps
because of this, YA has more strong, intelligent, kick-butt female
protagonist than nearly any other genre, ever. (With epic fantasy
probably being last on the list, following thrillers… this is not
statistically proven, just my guess based on what I've read. And of
course, there are exceptions. Just not many.) As a woman myself, I
love reading about strong women and girls who are faced with hard
choices and challenges and come away even stronger. I relate to them,
just as many of you do. Just as our teen daughters do. It's
empowering.
For
this alone, the YA genre lends itself to popularity. But I think it's
more than that. Within YA, you can find any genre you like, be it
mystery, romance, thrillers, horror, sci fi, fantasy, paranormal…
but they will all have some basic similarities that account for much
of these books' appeal—the coming of age theme.
In
any coming of age story, you're dealing with thematic elements that
touch on deep emotional memories for most of us. We may not relate to
a middle aged male detective chasing a serial killer, or an elf
killing Orc's with a giant sword, but probably all of us can relate
to a teenager falling in love for the first time, or feeling trapped
and helpless in a situation not of their making (or of
their making.)
We've
all been there, and in these books, we get to go back with the
wizened eyes of age and experience and relive what we once lived, but
with more grace and control. We get to escape from the drudgery of
dishes and grocery shopping and cooking and working and join a girl
who has to fight to stay alive and provide for her family. We get to
find love with a mythical being beyond reality, or battle side by
side with our best friends as we face off against evil teachers and
bad wizards. No matter how magical, mythical or outside of reality
the plot is, the internal drive and quest and hardships are the same.
It
also provides a sense of wish fulfillment. We've been there on one
level, but we haven't. Now we get to be the popular girl, or the girl
who can read minds, or the one who finds eternal love. We live
thousands of lives through the pages in these books, lives that are
just starting out, lives that are on the cusp of unfolding into
greatness. You can't get that same magic anywhere else. It's the
magic of YA, that we get to begin anew each time we pick up a new
book to read.
For
teens, the journey is different. They are still living it, and so can
relate to their paged peers. But they also get to see into the future
by surviving the Hunger Games with Katniss or living happily ever
after with Edward. They get to imagine their futures a hundred
different ways—and they, like us adults, enjoy the wish fulfillment
of these stories.
It's
a powerful drive, the emotional memories and fantasies that all genre
of YA books stir in us. Is it any wonder that it's so addictive?
Within one massive genre-that's-not-a-genre, we get to relive the
emotional intensity of our own coming-of-age. And in the end, aren't
we all still going through these moments, if in a less dramatic way?
We all live through new beginnings and endings, heartbreak and
rebirths, closed doors and open windows. When we feel hopeless or
stuck, a great YA novel brings us back to a place of hope and
opportunity where anything and everything is possible, if we just
turn the next page in our books—and our lives.
BIO:
Kimberly
Kinrade was born with ink in her veins and magic in her heart. She
writes fantasy and paranormal stories for children, YA and adults and
still believes in magic worlds. Check out her YA paranormal
novels Forbidden
Mind and Forbidden
Fire and
her illustrated children's fantasy chapter books Lexie
World,
and Bella
World,
all on Amazon.
She
lives with her three little girls who think they're ninja princesses
with super powers, her two dogs who think they're humans and her
husband, also known as the sexy Russian Prince, who is the love of
her life and writing partner.
Follow the tour:
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10/15 My Other Book Blog Review and Giveaway
10/15 For The Love Of Film And Novels Spot Light, Review, First Chapter, and Giveaway
10/15 The Cover by Brittany Interview & Review
10/16 A Soul Unsung Guest Blog and Giveaway
10/16 The story of a girl... Review
10/16 Simply Infatuated Interview and Giveaway
10/16 The Bunnies Review Review
10/16 Eternally Books Guest Blog, Review, Interview, and Giveaway 10/16 Rea's Reading and Reviews Review
10/17 The Avid Reader Interview
10/17 My Cozie Corner Review and Giveaway
10/17 Andi's Young Adult Books Spot Light,, Guest Blog, Review, First Chapter, and Giveaway
10/18 Dahl's Doll Spot Light
10/18 Reader Girls Guest Post, Review, and Giveaway
10/18 A Date with a Book Review, First Chapter, and Giveaway
10/19 Nette's Bookshelf Reviews Review and Giveaway
10/19 Lissette E. Manning Spot Light and Review
10/19 Princess of Pages Review
10/19 Doctor's Notes Review and Giveaway
10/19 Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books Review, Interview , and Giveaway
10/19 A night’s Dream of Books Review
10/19 The Clumsy Coquette Review
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