Long before I jumped into book blogging world, there were only two age group of reader I knew : adult and children. During my first days of being active in Goodreads, it took me hours to find out what YA stood for (let alone its target) and I was quite amazed. Hey, book world is a dynamic one, you have to keep up with the latest trend.
It seemed to me that this YA thing was taking over the market. I mean, almost every books was labelled as YA, and when I looked at the rating, they're almost 5 stars full. So, I decided to give this new (to me, anyway) thing a try and guess what? It didn't impressed me much.
I don't know it was because I picked the wrong books or whatever, but deep down I knew YA fiction was a little bit overrated. I mean, what makes a book YA? The teenager characters? I know some people may disagree with me, but to determine an age group for a book it's the content that matters, not how old the characters are. Take The Famished Road or Roseflower Creek for an example. The book is narrated by a child, but by all means, they're far from being childish or teenage-ish. Now here are some of my problems with YA books:
Many characters think the world revolve around them
I just don't like this attitude and it is my biggest pet peeves in YA books. Throw one boy and a girl in a chaotic situation and suddenly the world is in the need of them. Come on, a good story is a realistic one. It's pretty impossible for the universe to depend on them, when they're even not old enough to vote in an election. This kind of book will never get 5 stars from me. Oh, this also includes characters who are unbelievably stubborn (I'm a teen, it's my typical personality, deal with it!). Yes, teens can be stubborn but when he/she thinks everyone is incapable, then he/she got a problem.
Mary Sue and Michael Sue
She/he is beautiful/handsome, extremely talented, kindhearted and every boys/girls falls for her/him. I find this character very often in YA novels and it's very annoying. And please don't get me started on the love triangle thingy! I have had enough of them. I know there are tons of talented writers out there, why the same recipe? Here's a wake up call : yes, teens experience this puppy love thing but lemme tell you the truth love triangle isn't the norm, unless you are an extremely popular-almost-celebrity kind of guy or gal. Normal teens are too busy with homework, most of them are too romantically ignorant to experience it. Humans have flaws, triangle love is overrated. Perfect character with love triangle sucks. Deal with it.
Exaggerated violence
This is for the so called YA dystopian fiction. A terrifying book doesn't have to be saturated with violence, for heaven's sake. Rowling did a great job describing cruel Voldemort without excessive blood. I dislike it when the book is full of blood but the story is just flat with no depth at all. A gore book with no real plot is just a dull book, end of story.
There's (almost) no stand alone book in YA lit
I am no fan of waiting and I hate it when I have to sit back for a year to find out what happens next. Please bear with me, I am no longer young and my memory strength is getting shorter and shorter everyday. When I finally get the book I'd have forgotten the whole story, and in case I do not enjoy it, I'd be in rage. That's why I always read series when the final book is out. Sometimes people just only want to read one book, and be done with it. Looks like YA lovers just love waiting...
... then again, maybe I'm not the targeted reader
Maybe I am just too old and cranky for YA literature. I'm 28, a mother of two, maybe I should just stick with adult books or even children books if I want to read something very light and easy.
So, what do you think of YA fiction? YA-y or nay?
See also:
Why I am Not Really into Crime Books
How I Pick Books to Read
