'What is YA, anyway?'

I've gotten this question a lot lately, and it's one that I don't mind repeating myself in answering. But just to be sure you get the point:

YA = YOUNG ADULT

Way back in the in the 1940s people had this radical idea that there was a certain age demographic who weren't really considered children, but they were not yet adults. They had their own interests, hobbies and trends, and they also had a lot of purchasing power. Thus, was the birth of the teenager, and shortly after that came the genre of Young Adult literature.

Even if you've never heard the term before , I'm sure you are familiar with the titles of lots of YA books.

The Great Gatsby

Harry Potter

The Outsiders

Twilight

The Catcher in the Rye

The Hunger Games

Gossip Girl

The Fault in Our Stars

To Kill a Mockingbird

Any of these ring a bell?

The truth is, YA is more popular now that ever before, a moneymaking fact Hollywood has been pretty quick to pick up on. Following the profitable film adaptations of the Harry Potter series, books like Twilight, The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Maze Runner and The Fault in Our Stars hit the big screen, and they all raked in some serious dough. But how? It's not like all the teenagers everywhere are dumping all their allowance or babysitting money into movie theaters ... right? Right. 

YA books and (and movies) have been so successful because they're not just for young adults! They're also for old adults, and just regular adults too!

One of the reasons YA books speak to such a wide audience is because they oftentimes relate to self-identity and discovery, or offer serious commentary about issues like equality, depression, suicide, addiction, the loss of a loved one, etc. These are issues the majority of people generally first come to contact with during their teen years, but they stay relevant the entire rest of their lives. 

The complex plot lines and multifaceted characters of YA don't just make for a fun, leisurely read or escape – YA can also provide a sort of affirmation about what a reader may be feeling or thinking during one of the most crucial periods of his or her life.

Much like everything else in the world, the YA genre is continually changing, and so are young readers' interests. We've finally exited the supernatural woods filled with vampires and werewolves, and I think we're just about ready to leave the futuristic dystopian world (at least for now). What comes next? I'm not quite sure, only time will tell. But one thing is for sure: YA is here to stay and be enjoyed by all.

Image via Tumblr.

For further reading:
-Five YA Books You Seriously Need to Read
-A Brief History of Young Adult Literature