YA and adult are separate genres, providing individual spaces for their intended audiences, but we see with reader preferences that it’s not always black-and-white. Likewise, many books toe the line between the YA and adult, making it even less clear-cut. So the question is, with these fine lines, what’s our understanding of the YA and adult fiction divide?
According to Goodreads, young adult literature encompasses books intended, marketed, and published for adolescents and young adults anywhere from 13-18 years old. It’s a rough range, as some expand that boundary to include 12-year-olds or constrict it to cap it at 17-year-olds, but what’s necessary to consider are the genre’s distinguishing features. First, while filled with diverse settings, plots, and multi-faceted characters, YA stories predominately feature adolescent protagonists—not children or adults. As such, their storylines and themes typically center on the “challenges of youth” and its unique experiences: growing up and self-discovery. On the other hand, there’s adult fiction—and the developing new adult subgenre. New adult books span the divide between YA and adult, with adult protagonists ranging from 18-25 years old. These books feature issues related to the transitional period of becoming an adult, like university or the working world. Within and after this period, we get wide-ranging adult fiction: a genre intended for adults, typically depicting adults.
However, a book characterized as YA or adult is more than just its intended audience, characters, or experiences within the storyline; it’s also its style and themes. Firstly, based on Writer’s Edit, YA fiction often prefers present tense prose from a close third or first person point of view. This choice lets us get close to the characters as they experience fast-paced action. Adult fiction typically reflects on the past, mostly utilizing third-person (sometimes omniscient) narration in a longer, ‘lyrical’ manner. Secondly, a common misconception is that YA literature doesn’t express the mature themes of adult fiction just because it’s for a younger audience. While some themes are more apparent in their respective genres, like identity in YA or marriage and parenthood in adult literature, YA isn’t barred from nuanced, thoughtful portrayals of mature themes. The distinction lies in how these mature themes are expressed—and how far the author will go. For example, take violence or sex in YA. These elements can exist, but the author omits explicit details for its adolescent audience, making it less graphic. This omission doesn’t mean that YA isn’t taking these elements seriously, just that they’re navigating them differently.
With all that said, the distinctions matter, but by no means does this prompt universal agreement. Many explore that wiggle room between YA and adult fiction as our understanding of these genres changes with time. Initially, the book that prompted my exploration of the two genres was The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon. The story is about Paige Mahoney, a clairvoyant living in 2059 Scion London and working as a criminal in the underworld. Besides clairvoyance being outlawed itself, when she gets arrested for murder, she’s abducted and held captive in Sheol I, formerly known as Oxford, where the unearthly Rephaim hold power. As she works toward her escape, she discovers dark secrets about her society and realizes just how far the corruption truly goes.
The book is usually labeled as adult, but many, including myself, make the case that it spans both categories. In a supernatural dystopian world that seeks to control a voyant’s gifts, the story revolves around Paige discovering her inner strengths as she combats tyranny, honing her powers as a dreamwalker. Similarly, a large part of her identity is her Irish origin. After escaping the Imbolc Massacre, she was forced into Scion London as a child, making it even harder for her to find her place amidst persecution. Her personal growth and geographic displacement highlight core YA themes: growing up and self-discovery. While 19-year-old Paige doesn’t fit the age range of YA protagonists, she still experiences a significant “coming of age” as she develops from an extremely independent woman to a competent rebel leader. Like most YA novels, The Bone Season utilizes a first-person perspective, and the mature aspects, such as violence, swearing, and sexual content, aren’t graphic.
What do we take away from this? Personally, I think the ways these genres overlap and distinguish themselves showcase the beauty of fiction. Genres aren’t just one thing, and everyone can connect with them in their own ways. We know what to expect when we hear YA or adult, but for some of these hybrids, the variety is exhilarating. Let us know what you think!
Danielle Hartshorn, Pine Reads Review Writer and Editor