Young adult fiction is taking over TikTok for all of the right reasons. It’s targeted at teens, but most adults read it too. Some of the best-selling books of 2022 come under the genre of young adult fiction.
So what actually is it? Perhaps you’ve read your fair share of YA fiction without even realising.
What is young adult fiction?
Well, it’s works of literature that target teenage interests. It’s usually set in a school environment or an environment in which the characters are growing up. It takes on some complex themes, often involving maturity, first loves, and family.
Ultimately, the stories in young adult fiction try and be as relatable as possible for teenagers. Something like Jane Austen is certainly not young adult fiction at all. But someone like John Green, whose characters are teenagers dealing with relatable issues.
A lot of young adult fiction comes in the form of series. The Hunger Games is for young adults. So is the Heartstopper series too. It’s easy for teens to become invested in a series they relate to.
Who are some young adult authors?
John Green is perhaps the most well-known author. His work has reached a multitude of young adults who find comfort in reading novels similar to their situations. J. K. Rowling is also considered as a young adult writer, but the Harry Potter series is not necessarily akin to the YA tropes.
Young adult fiction is also relative to the audience it attracts. Whilst Harry Potter is about wizards and magic, it’s original audience was lots of teenagers. Taylor Jenkins Reid doesn’t write inherently young adult themed novels, but her success on TikTok has meant her novels are reaching teens.
Have you read young adult fiction?
Perhaps unknowingly, you have. Due to apps like TikTok, lots of novels are pouring into the young adult genre. Authors like Coleen Hoover, Madeline Miller and Ali Hazelwood are all enjoying their time as young adult authors due to BookTok’s obsession with their work.
Lots of adults enjoy young adult fiction anyway. It can be nice to reminisce on what life was like as a teenager. Lots of YA books are also sensitive to time periods. So, if you were a teenager a while back, you might learn a lot on what it’s like being a teenager now. Young adult fiction will always be a popular genre to delve in to!