Mundane secrets of the YA-YA authorhood

[prog]

Here is a troll for my kid-lit friends: What defines a young-adult (or even childrens') novel? I mean, what makes a given work of fiction YA versus, er, "grown-up"? Is it just a matter of PG-13-or-lower content with (usually) young central characters?

Comments

[magid.livejournal.com]

just a matter of PG-13-or-lower content with (usually) young central characters?

Actually, I've read YA books that have dealt with things like rape, abuse, murder, etc, so I wouldn't go by content as much as by central characters. Still, there are books that libraries classify as YA that I wouldn't, for one reason or another.

[queue.livejournal.com]

I found this. Elsewhere, I found that "Young Adult Literature" means anything intended for people ages 12-18.

[ex-colorwhe.livejournal.com]

There's no hard-and-fast rule. As magid says, though, it's not about PG-13 ratings; YA books do have rape, murder, abuse, violence, and -- yes -- sex. Not as much sex as adult books, but some. (Not enough, says YA critic/editor Michael Cart, and I tend to agree with him.)

That said, though, here are a few general guidelines:
1)YA books usually have a narrative viewpoint that is not too far in the future from when the narrated story took place. Maybe simultaneous with the story, maybe a few months or a year later. If some of the story took place when the now-YA-narrator was a smaller child, by all means the YA viewpoint can look back years; but compared to the latest part of the story told, the narrator (or implied narrator) is not usually much older. Compare this to many adult books that have teen protagonists but are told with the perspective of many years of hindsight.

2)YA books often end with a bit of optimism, a slight implication of hope for the future rather than the opposite. Not always, by any means (Chocolate War is a notable exception, and there are more), but often. This doesn't mean Neat Sweet Perfect happy endings, but in the sense that most books end with either "and all hope is lost" or "there is still hope," YA books often include the hope.

3)YA books tend to have story. As opposed to some pomo adult novels that have a lot of description and setting and philosophizing but not much plot. jadelennox can address this better than me.

Hope that helps. :)

[rserocki.livejournal.com]

I was going to write a carefree response, but I feel a bit meek after reading all those thoughtful and literate posts. Isn't Catcher in the Rye considered a YA story? Yet it has the f* word. (I think it is a very good YA book, though. I'm mentioning the book because by some definitions, it would not be a YA story.) I saw The Lord of the Rings in the YA section at an airport bookstore. Although I don't have much of an opinion myself, I wonder sometimes if a book is classified as YA simply by virtue of where a bookstore decides to put it? Or who the publisher decides to market the book towards? Or what the writer says? (e.g. "Yeah, this book has plenty of cursing on every page, blood, guts and sex, but I'm saying it's meant for YA and I'm sticking with this label.") I saw a DVD for the graphically violent Watership Down cartoon in the children's animation section of Tower Records, and learned it was there by virtue of being rated PG, content notwithstanding.

[cookieboyginge.livejournal.com]

slightly to noticeably larger typeface.

i do not think that Catcher in the Rye was intended exclusively, or even primarily, for an 11-18 yr.old audience.

i am not always very helpful.
(hi. j.)