My Changing Perspective as an Adult Reading YA
You know, I didn't think I'd aged that much until I
recently celebrated by twenty first birthday and I realised I was no longer a
teenager. I'm. Twenty. One. How did that happen? It
feels like I aged faster than the speed of light and now I'm no longer the
dancing queen.
But has that changed the fact I read YA? Heck no.
But has it changed how I view my reading of YA? I think so. There's
something so comfortable about reading YA, and having studied some creative
arts subjects in university, adult literature is sometimes too difficult for me
to wrap my head around. Most days I want to curl up with a YA book and feel at
ease with soft romances, cool sci-fi operas, or a fantasy world where people
have magic because who doesn't like magic?
Since becoming an adult, I felt a sudden pressure
to read adult literature such as literary and historical fiction, non-fiction
or the classics. Not following the Stella Prize or Man Booker Prize shortlists
felt like a crime, even though those books are phenomenal. As belittling as
this perspective may be (and how close I have come to socking someone in the
face for telling me YA is inappropriate for me to read), it's important to
remember that people will enjoy a variety of books in their reading life. And
while I do enjoy other genres, YA has always been my go-to genre because, quite
simply, I love reading it.
But now all I can think to myself is: Am I
allowed to read YA anymore? Have I changed too much to read YA? Here
is how I now tend to view YA since entering the realm of adulthood.
Instead
of immersing myself as the protagonist, I start to feel nostalgic.
There is a level of escapism that comes with
reading YA. Maybe it's the idea of a world divided by factions, or a place
where AI's take over a space ship and have you question your morals *cough* Illuminae
*cough*. I know for sure if I were in The Hunger Games, I'd be the
first to go. Just take away my glasses and I have nothing going for me.
Or maybe it's the first time getting drunk, or
holding someone's hand, or having your first kiss after saving the world from a
zombie invasion. It's these moments that give me that warm fuzzy feeling of
contentment rather than heart palpitations. I only really started reading YA contemporary
and SFF this year, and if anything, they brought me back to reading and
reminded me of who I used to be. The nostalgia is real, yo.
The
thought process behind decision-making is so different compared to adult
literature and that's what's awesome.
I'll usually find myself covering my eyes to hide
from second-hand embarrassment or gripping the pages screaming internally
because young protagonists make decisions that 21-year-old Sofia never
would. These decisions are, more often than not, reckless, irrational or
sometimes insane, and that's what's so beautiful about them.
I recall Randa Abdel-Fattah saying at #AllDayYA
that those things we feel at sixteen or seventeen are so intense and new and we
experience so many things for the first time. We never get those moments back
and while these characters are wading through this uncertain time of their
lives, we're making slight connections to our own lives. It's incredible.
Of
course, there's always that awkward moment when I agree with the parent instead
of the teenager.
I feel like a backseat driver with these characters
sometimes, especially when the protagonist sees their parent as a problem. I
totally get that perspective because that used to be me, but now, all
those strict rules on alcohol, drugs and curfews make sense. Or I've
actually aged 100 years and I'm now babbling incoherently about agreeing with
my parents. They are right sometimes, you know.
While I
am no longer the target audience, I feel no shame in reading YA.
Long gone are my days of being seventeen and
experiencing high school drama, even if they do feel like yesterday. Rather
than feeling like YA is for me, I've placed myself in a situation where
YA is a genre I can read among others like sci-fi, fantasy, literary fiction,
etc. There is no shame in enjoying YA; there are a lot of adults who read it
and it's a dominating genre in my book collection.
YA novels
make great page-turners and bring forth a strong collection of voices and
literary masterpieces.
There are some fantastic voices in YA that might
not be found in adult or middle grade literature. We just celebrated the 20th
anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and look at
the profound impact of that series on so many readers to this day. Other
amazing stories like The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak, The
Mortal Instruments trilogy by Cassandra Clare, The Raven Cycle
series by Maggie Stiefvater, Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by
Becky Albertalli, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by
Ransom Riggs and Cassandra Jean. The list goes on, and where would some of us
be without these stories?
So maybe I do agree with my parents sometimes and I
enjoy reminiscing on being seventeen. But there is no right or wrong book for
you to read. If you enjoy the classics, go for it. If middle grade is your
thing, read the heck out of it. And if YA is your go-to genre like mine, then
why stop reading it? We change as people and the books we read will impact us
no matter what age we are. Reading is an experience and it's amazing to see how
many new stories we get to indulge in every day.
You can find Sofia @ The Literary Casanova, Goodreads, Instagram and Twitter
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