Reading YA Fiction

For all my love of classics and books I believe should be classics… a guilty pleasure is definitely young adult fiction. Although, a recent section in New York Mag is affirming me that this pleasure isn’t quite so guilty, but rather a love for a burgeoning new genre of literature that is perfectly acceptable to enjoy. How lucky.

I’m not sure what it is about these books – but on occasion, after reading a myriad of slightly heavier (or simply less gripping) subjects I find myself craving a good YA page turner.

Given that the characters are all probably 14-17, every love is the greatest, heartbreak the worst, fight the most monumental… for example, Tris and Four in the Divergent Trilogy… have practically Romeo and Juliet level of desperation to be together. Same goes for Hazel and sweet Augustus in “The Fault in Our Stars” although the complexities there are not a dystopian world, but cancer. Something very much of this world.

And the story of Auggie in “Wonder” will cause anyone, regardless of age or maturity to rethink how we approach and treasure those who might not look like us.

It’s nice to read about a place where decisions aren’t rational; challenges are from another world (often dystopian, scary and imagined as the US many downtrodden years from now) and kids find true love at age 14 and fight like crazy for it.

As strange as it may sound, the books are actually quite refreshing.