With blockbuster best sellers like J.K. Rowling’s, Harry Potter Series and Stephanie Meyer’s, Twilight Series, Young Adult Literature has become a booming business. Even James Patterson stepped into the action when he co-authored the book “Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life.”
YA literature is written for adolescents and young adults, usually those ages 14 to 21. YA shares the fundamental elements as all fiction, in regards to character, plot, setting, theme, and style. Theme and style are often lower ranked in importance to more tangible elements (plot, character, and setting) which appeal more readily to young readers.
The majority of YA stories portray an adolescent as the protagonist, rather than an adult or child. The focus is on the challenges of youth. YA literature spans all genres. Some themes include identity issues, sexuality, bullying, family struggles, and many others.
Some Amazon and Barnes & Noble recommendations for YA fiction:
Suzanne Collins – Mockingjay (The last book in The Hunger Games series)
Sarah Dessen – Someone Like You
Charlaine Harris – The Sookie Stackhouse series (This is a great series)
Jeff Kinney – Diary of a Whimpy Kid series (My kids love these)
Stephanie Meyer – The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
