YA books not just for YAs anymore

By Rhiannon Lotze Converged Citizen Staff

The popularity of young adult novels with adults has been growing and may now be at an all-time high.

The term “young adult” was first coined in the 1960s by the Young Adult Literary Services Association. It was created as a way to describe a genre of books written for readers from 12 to 18 years of age.

Since then the genre has yielded thousands, if not more novels. However, YA books have been growing in popularity with adults.

According to a 2013 study published by Bowker Market Research, 86 per cent of YA novels are bought and read by people 18 years of age and older.

While it is unclear why YA popularity is increasing with adults, there are many theories.

“I think first and foremost, the movie adaptations of popular YA have introduced adults to this demographic of literature,” said librarian Martha Martin. “Having seen and enjoyed these movies, adult readers have gone on to read the later books in the series.”

In the past two decades, more than 50 book series have been made into films. The three most recent YA-to-movie adaptations, Maze Runner: Scorch Trials, Insurgent and The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies, grossed nearly $1.5 billion alone.

As a reader and author of YA novels as well as a librarian, Martin also said she feels like YA fiction has as many varieties and themes as adult novels but is easier to read, which may appeal to adult readers.

Canadian Author Marina Cohen said that she feels YA also offers adults an escape.

“I think reading fiction is about escapism,” Cohen said.  Cohen has written six novels, all for the YA genre and also reads mostly YA fiction. “Children’s and YA novels create extremely rich and fantastical worlds. It’s so easy to slip into them.”

“Books with a teen protagonist, such as The Catcher in the Rye, have been popular for over half a century with adults though it wasn’t called YA at that time,” said Cohen about when YA became popular. “A pivotal point, however, may be the enormous popularity of Harry Potter. Adults began reading Rowling’s novels to their children and enjoying them just as much. This opened the door to adults reading other YA authors, such as Suzanne Collins and John Green.”

While many reasons exist as to why YA fiction has become popular with adults, perhaps it boils down to something as simple as what Shadow and Bone author Leigh Bardugo said on Twitter: “because we never stop coming of age.”