Most young adult librarians will tell you that young adult literature is a comparatively modern genre. Now, it's certainly arguable as to exactly when novels written with a teen audience in mind first started to appear. Are Dickens's Oliver Twist and Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer the first real books for young adults? Or should we count the beginning of the "teen literature golden age" as the 50s and 60s, when The Catcher in the Rye and The Outsiders were published? Others might argue that it wasn't until the 70s and 80s -- when authors such as Judy Blume, Lois Lowry, Robert Newton Peck, and Madeleine L'Engle gained mainstream popularity -- that young adult fiction really took off.
But regardless of when you decide teen literature became a mainstream genre, there's no denying that we're in something of a teen lit renaissance at the moment. Much of this burst of popularity is due in no small part to J.K. Rowling, who published her first Harry Potter book in Great Britain in 1997 (the book would make its stateside debut in 1998), and whose famous series would, over the years, grow from best-selling children's book series to worldwide phenomenon.
Harry would pave the way for other, explosively popular teen novels -- Percy Jackson, The Hunger Games, Maximum Ride, and Twilight, the latter of which ushered in a plethora of teen paranormal romance fiction (House of Night, City of Bones, the Shiver series, and Hush, Hush, to name but a few). If the 70s and 80s were the Golden Age of young adult fiction, we're clearly in the Silver Age now.
But if Harry Potter and the Twilight series opened the door to a new generation of teen literature, it also opened the door to another new phenomenon: adults reading books "intended" for kids.
In some ways, this isn't really a new phenomenon at all. Adults have been reading stories with teenage protagonists for years: Oliver Twist, Tom Sawyer, and Holden Caulfield just for starters. But those books weren't considered "young adult literature" the way the Harry Potter books are today; even The Catcher in the Rye, with its quintessential teen protagonist, was originally marketed to adults. Harry and Twilight were considered "children's" books from the start -- and yet a substantial part of their readership is made up of adult readers.
And it's not to say that this is simply a matter of adults reading their children's books. Enough adults are purchasing teen books for themselves that they constitute a complete audience for these books in and of themselves. "Adult" editions of the Harry Potter books were published in Great Britain (the idea being that grown-ups might be too embarrassed to be seen in public reading a children's novel, so sophisticated new covers were given to the books to leave them looking more "mature"). Grown-up fans of the Twilight series can join groups like Twilight Moms, clubs devoted to adult members of Stephenie Meyer's vampire series. And you'd be surprised how many adults confess (because it is usually a sheepishly-admitted confession) to being big fans of Percy Jackson or The Hunger Games.
The opinions for why grown-ups are suddenly devouring kid lit vary with each person you ask. Some people will tell you that adults are tired of heavier, serious fare and are looking for the light escapism that young adult lit brings you. Other people (fans of The Hunger Games, for instance) are quick to point out that there's nothing inherently "light" about the entire teen lit genre -- there are plenty of teen books that deal with heavy issues and high stakes -- and that adult readers love them for exactly that reason.
As for me, I suspect both theories are right. Even if I weren't the Teen Services Librarian here at MPL, I'd still have a deep affection for many of today's most popular young adult novels. I can tell you that the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson books are indeed a lot of escapist fun: who doesn't enjoy reading a fast-paced, funny, high-rise adventure about wizards and demigods, mysteries and quests, monsters and magic?
And yet these books -- like much of young adult literature -- aren't simply brain candy. I think the other reason so many adults are picking up today's teen books is because most of these stories are telling a universal tale, one that readers find appealing regardless of their age. Young adult books, perhaps more than any other genre, tell and retell the archetypal tale of the Hero's Journey, the story of a hero undertaking a quest and facing trials and obstacles before transforming into a truer version of themselves. Although many people refer to these as "coming-of-age tales," there's no denying that this most elemental of stories is one that everybody can relate to -- no matter how young or old. Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Lyra Belacqua, Meg Murray -- they all star in their own fantastical adventure series, but their stories are as much about determination, courage, and sacrifice as they are about flying cars and golden compasses.
Young Adult Literature today is smart, fun, and can make for a great read for anyone, teenager or adult. And its stories are also about something, which makes it a satisfying read on more than one level. So the next time you stop by the Library, be sure to check out our Teen Collection.
I'd be happy to recommend some of my favorite titles to you.
-- Post by Ms. B
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