Earlier today, I came across a thought provoking article on BuzzFeed posing this very question: Is Young Adult Fiction the New Chick Lit? It's an interesting concept, and one that I inadvertently touched on a few weeks ago when I talked about the growing need for a New Adult genre. When it comes to chick lit, maybe I'm still not quite at the right age to be able to fully relate to it. Or maybe I'm just too jaded. I get annoyed reading about these protagonists in their mid-20s, living fabulously in a big city with a pretty decent job as someone's assistant, weekends filled with a bursting social life and their biggest problem is finding Mr. Right.
I mean, come on. Really? I'm 24 and I can honestly say that while I have been incredibly fortunate in my life, it doesn't look anything like that.
But I have no problems escaping into the world of YA for quite a lot of my fiction choices (which you probably already know if you're reading this little blog of mine haha). Because I've already survived my teen years somehow. I can relate to that level, or at least that age and time in my life. It can be messy and feel complicated (especially once you live through what comes next) and there are constant highs and lows you have to navigate. And thank goodness there are so many talented writers out there writing for young adults who refuse to believe that teenagers and fans of these books can't or don't want to handle the tough stuff, the big questions. It's simply not true and we know this because the bar is continually being raised and pushing the limits of genres time and time again.
So for me, I guess the answer is yes, YA has filled the void that a generation before me probably would have satisfied with chick lit. And I still hope that the emergence of New Adult happens and happens soon as a type of literature more in line with what other 20-somethings like myself can find on bookshelves, with protagonists and stories we can relate to.
But what do you all think? Comments are always welcome, and happy reading!
Yes!!! Great post. That's EXACTLY how I feel about chick lit vs YA. I feel that all the time when I read chick lit - especially when the protagonists are 23, 24, 25 and living in some big city looking to get married. I'm like, sheesh, I had no idea my life was so off (though really it's not)! I think that's part of the reason I love YA so much and looking forward to getting into New Adult too :)
ReplyDeleteGreat minds think alike! I'm so glad that I'm not the only one who feels this way =)
DeletePreach it, sister! LOL
ReplyDeleteI agree with every single thing in this post. It's hard to relate to the protagonists in their 20s who have it all figured out when you are not even close to how they are portrayed. YA has filled that void for me, yes, haha. And I'm starting to read more New Adult as well. :)