In Defense of YA // Part #2

Note: There have been some bookish-community-related issues that have been bothering me lately, so my posts for September are going to be more ranty. Here is a list of my ranty posts so far: 

ZENITH // So. Many. Trolls.

How About We Don’t Bully Authors (Or Anyone Else, For That Matter) 

Allegiant // Discussion

Also, if you’re looking for other posts from me, there’s still time to enter my giveaway. And if you haven’t read my interview on Victoria’s blog, feel free to check that out. 

Some of you may remember the post I wrote last year in response to an article telling adults they should be ashamed to read Young Adult books. Well, about a month ago, someone posted another article against YA, and I’m upset enough to respond once more, only this time I'm not feeling as nice or as tolerant. 

*awkward laughter all around*

For those of you who don’t want to read this latest article (Why young-adult-fiction is a dangerous fantasy) or give it pageviews, never fear. I really wish I could just annotate the entire piece, but for legal reasons, I can’t exactly do that. So I’m just going to summarize and respond to each individual argument. You're welcome. 

(Arguments in bold.)

YA fiction robs teens of the chance to become literate adults.

To be fair, he’s not saying YA fiction is making it so teens don’t learn how to read. But he is saying that YA makes it so teens don’t learn how to process and analyze what they read, which is essentially just as bad. 

About 75% of my reading diet is YA (probably more), and I got an 800 on the reading portion of the SAT (pre-2016 scoring method). But sure, if you say my reading habits are making me illiterate, I guess I’m illiterate. 

Of course, the SAT is not a perfect test, yet I do think it’s a fairly decent judge of how well a person can analyze reading material, among other things. I’m only 19, though, so what do I know? 

Young adulthood is not a legitimate state of being.

“Oh yes, back in my day, we went straight from childhood to adulthood.” Well, good for you. First of all, no, you didn’t. Secondly, when people did skip from childhood to adulthood a long time ago, they did so because they quit school at eighth grade (or sooner) and switched right away to their day-to-day job. They didn’t have those extra four years of school during that awkward, coming-of-age stage—those extra four years where they’re forced to live at home and still be young when their mind is telling them to establish their place in this world. It was the modern education system that imposed this prolonged state of adolescence on us, so as long as we still have high school, young adulthood is here to stay. But don't ever mistake it for a state of being that is to be looked down on or patronized. 

YA is “nothing more than gossip fodder” akin to the contents of the tabloids you find at the checkout.

I think anyone who says this with all honesty has either been reading all the trashiest YA they can find (because yes, some of YA is trashy—a lot of Adult books are trashy too), or they have been reading YA wrong. And I rarely accuse people of reading things wrong, because who am I to judge? But if you can’t read a wide sampling of YA and see that at least portions of it have worth and merit, then you're missing something. And while we’re at it, THE LORD OF THE FLIES is YA, so don’t give me any of this, “Teens shouldn’t read YA—they should read classics instead” nonsense. This is not a matter of either/or. 

Teens are reading less nonfiction because publishers think we’re too stupid (or maybe we’re actually too self-obsessed).

Somebody, restrain me. 

Let me introduce some useful concepts to you, sir. Here is the thing. Nonfiction is for learning, predominantly. Fiction, on the other hand, is more for escape (although you can learn a great deal from it). Teenagers have school. School is hard and very stressful. Also, there is homework. A LOT of homework. (I’m using short sentences so you can follow my logic.) Pardon me for suggesting this, but WHY THE HECK DO YOU THINK TEENS WOULD VOLUNTEER TO READ STUFF THAT SEEMS LIKE MORE SCHOOLWORK WHEN THEY ALREADY HAVE SCHOOLWORK COMING OUT THEIR EARS? 

I like nonfiction, but most of the nonfiction stuff I read is not in books—it’s in articles online. I have read one nonfiction book in 2016 so far, and I have two others on my TBR right now. I refuse to feel ashamed for not reading more nonfiction, even now that I'm not in school. 

I have no problem with nonfiction. If you drop an interesting nonfiction book in my lap, I will read it. But I don’t seek nonfiction out. Eventually, the longer I am away from school, the more I will want to read it. But I’m not going to force myself to read more nonfiction because I don’t want someone to think I’m stupid or self-obsessed. Honestly, teenagers ARE more focused on themselves BECAUSE THEY ARE LEARNING WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEIR PLACE IS IN THIS WORLD. That is not necessarily a bad thing. 

Get of your literary high horse. 

Rather than reading YA, teens should be engaging with books from intelligent adult minds (in other words, those adults who write YA aren’t intelligent).

Don’t make me laugh. Please, I beg of you. 

I hate laughing. 

Teens shouldn’t be reading YA—they should be reading books about growing up and becoming adults (i.e. coming-of-age stories). 

*blinks* 

Because Young Adult literature is never about coming of age. It’s only ever about young adults in various situations trying to find their place in the world as bad things happen to them and make them grow up and become adults before their time. So….um…yeah, absolutely no coming-of-age stories here. 

Publishers have been turning teenagers off to reading by producing sub-par literature. 

I refer you to my previous point about not making me laugh. 

In all seriousness, yes, sometimes publishers publish something in YA that makes a bunch of seasoned readers roll their eyes, but committed readers will always find something worthwhile to read. We are not quitters, and we don’t have the attention span of a caffeinated gnat. Give us some credit, please. Also, unlike what you seem to think, we’re deeper than your average melted ice cube. 

YA is causing adolescent behavior in adults (in reference to politics especially). 

No, actually, I think that’s poor parenting. 

In conclusion, don’t patronize teenagers. Just don’t. Young is not a synonym for stupid, and you would know that if you took off your “I’m a seasoned, worldly adult” sunglasses and actually looked at us. Sure, there are plenty of stupid people out there—stupid babies, stupid teens, stupid adults, stupid ninety-year-olds. Age isn't a factor. 

I don’t even care if you don’t like reading YA. If Adult novels are your shindig, then I respect that. But if you don’t like the food, don’t spit on it—leave it for someone else to eat and mind your own plate. The world is large, and you are small. It is not your place to shame people or police what everyone else is reading. 

Just a few thoughts. 

Well, that’s it for today, my little coffee beans. Have you read the article? What are your thoughts on the issue? What are some of your responses to his arguments?

That Pesky Balance Issue: In Defense of YA

First off: The lovely Heather of “Sometimes I’m a Story” has nominated me for The Addictive Blog Award! Thank you, Heather!

 

 

The rules are as follows:

• Thank the person awarding you. (*clears throat* *yells loudly* THANK YOU, HEATHER!!!)
• Share a little about why you blog and how the journey started.
• Paste the blog award on your page.
• Nominate 10 other bloggers you feel deserve the award.

 

However, as with the last time I was nominated (which was The Lyric Medley Tag), I’m not going to follow these rules to a T. Instead, here’s a link to an interview I did with blogger Adriana Gabriella which went up on Saturday. Basically, I talked about my blog and how I started and stuff like that—so you can skip on over if you want to read it, or you can ignore it and go on your merry way. As for the tags, I don’t follow too many blogs, so I’m only going to tag T. A. Christensen.

 

And now for the main attraction:

 

Last week I read an article expressing the sentiment that adults should be ashamed to read Young Adult literature. Basically, the author of the piece argues that, while it is fine for teens to enjoy these novels, grown-ups have far better books to read. To be fair, I am summarizing this woman’s writing, and I invite you to read the article for yourselves.

As I reviewed it, I found myself angered by the overall tone. However, I don’t want to label this woman as a snob, because I can’t see her heart. And while my initial reaction was to stand up in defense of YA, I do have to admit that she makes a few good points. So rather than staunchly supporting my side against hers, I’d like to see if there’s a middle ground. After all, this isn’t about shaming anyone.

 

Argument One: The author contends that no one would present books like Veronica Roth’s DIVERGENT as real literature.

 

Sweeping statements like this automatically weaken a person’s argument because if the reader can find even one exception to the assertion, then the thread unravels. If I start with the premise that all monkeys are pink—well, you’d only have to produce one non-pink monkey to undermine my platform. True, I wouldn’t argue that Roth’s writing is all that spectacular, style-wise. And I wouldn’t insist that she is on level with Leo Tolstoy and William Shakespeare. But like “real” literature, DIVERGENT skillfully highlights the human condition. In Roth’s dystopian world, the five factions of Chicago cling to their respective virtues (Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, Erudite), misguidedly believing that this system can fix their problems. Unfortunately, human nature has already begun to assert itself, and the structure is crumbling. Messages like this are what make George Orwell’s 1984 and ANIMAL FARM so relevant—Socialism doesn’t work because corruption invariably derails the train of progress.

DIVERGENT and its companions, INSURGENT and ALLEGIANT also deal well with the issue of betrayal and forgiveness. In fact, though I may be just outside the twelve-to-seventeen-year-old YA target audience, I still came away from the trilogy with a few new insights. When I became an adult, I didn’t become “too good” for Veronica Roth’s stories.

 

Argument Two: The author contends that Young Adult books are too simplistic and satisfying. Whether their conclusions are happy or tragic, they always wrap up neatly. On the other hand, she reasons, Adult novels tend to be more complex and to leave more ambiguous loose ends untied. YA aims for instant gratification and escapism while Adult literature is often messy, uncomfortable, and intricate (thus more worthwhile).

 

This argument has some validity. But again, it deals in sweeping statements. True, many YA novels may lean toward the simplistic side, but there are exceptions. (Also, there’s something to be said for elegance in simplicity and not gilding the lily.)

Nova Ren Suma’s beautifully-written Young Adult novel, IMAGINARY GIRLS, is a prime example. Not only does the work center on the relationship between two sisters (a refreshing break from the popular romantic focus), but Suma is not satisfied with superficiality and groan-worthy dialogue. Ruby, the main character’s older sibling, is incredibly selfish and manipulative yet also surprisingly selfless and hypnotic. Some readers might find it more comfortable if she were one or the other—bad or good—not both at the same time. But that’s human nature; we are complex and layered. Furthermore, Suma succeeds in talking around the narrator, thus conveying two messages at once—what Chloe believes is happening and what is actually happening, a line that often blurs. Not to mention the ending, which left some reviewers dissatisfied and confused.

As for the charge that adults read YA purely for escapist reasons—maybe so. Answer me this, though. Why do people pick up Harlequin novels, if not with the same motives? How many of those blush-worthy paperbacks do you think will end up on the classic shelves some thirty or forty years from now? My goal is not to bash anyone, but I would like point out that this isn’t a “target audience issue”. We read to learn, yes, but we also read to escape. And that search for instant gratification, or what have you, is not limited to one age range or one section in the book store.

Furthermore, should I be ashamed to enjoy taking a vacation from the real world? If I read Charles Dickens to escape, does that make GREAT EXPECTATIONS and DAVID COPPERFIELD poor literature? In other words, does my motive change the value of what I am putting into my mind?

Frankly, I understand that YA novels tend to have more satisfying endings. I agree. But you know, life is rough and I’m not always up to reading books like John Steinbeck’s OF MICE AND MEN or Upton Sinclair’s THE JUNGLE, stories that just make you want to punch the universe. And I sometimes get tired of the cynicism and resignation I have encountered in adult novels, so I can understand the pull of YA with its freshness and vitality. If I want to sober myself with sad, confusing, messy events—well then, I can just read my journal. Fiction often presents beauty in order to make life more bearable—that is an admirable function.

What I’m trying to say is: We have good literature and we have poor literature, and those two categories aren’t limited to a single age range or to a single genre. No adult should feel embarrassed to read Young Adult novels. There’s no need to forget the people that we were and the issues that we faced; looking back doesn’t mean letting go of your maturity.

And teens! Don’t be afraid to read outside of your age range too. After all, if my fourteen-year-old self could enjoy Leo Tolstoy’ WAR AND PEACE, then I’m sure there’s something out there for you too. (And if you want a list of recommendations, I would be happy to supply it.)

Bottom line, please read without shame. Rant over. Now excuse me, I have a YA-SciFi-Fairytale calling my name.