The reasons I read more YA than adult is because there are more strong female characters and because I'm 56 y.o. and living the story through a young, kick ass woman makes me feel young again!
I just turned 50, and I read a lot of YA as well. I also enjoy knowing that there's probably not going to be any torture or gore! That being said, some of my very favorite characters are from YA books, and I get super attached to them :)
I read the first two books in Tracy Deonn's Legendborn Trilogy in February back to back. At the end of the fight scenes it took me a minute to catch my breath. I can't wait for the final book to come out. I'm easing back into reading as a hobby after years of not reading for pleasure. There's so much to discover now! I'm really excited.
I think YA fantasy explores emotions and relationships better than adult, from my experience. ALTHOUGH I wonder if this is more down to the author; most YA fantasy books are written by women and adult fantasy, by men. This would be an interesting (although arguably more controversial 😂) topic to explore.
Katie Leslie agreed, very controversial but still worth exploring. This video observed YA Fantasy is faster paced, more diverse, and more character driven. It’s also dominated by female authors. Regular Fantasy is mostly Western European, sword & sorcery, driven by setting, and less twisty in plots. The questions are, are these observations true or a public misperception? If true, is this a result of YA being a more adaptable genre, or is it strictly because more women are writing YA? Are more women in YA because it is more adaptable? Is all of this a consequence of business oriented conservatism on behalf of the publishers? It would be interesting to see if these trends are consistent in the self published/Indy communities. I know at least one male author in Indy YA who focuses on female protagonists, relationships, and twisty plots, but I don’t know if he’s an anomaly (Aaron Michael Ritchey, ARMAGEDDON GIRLS is maybe his best known, but my favorite is his standalone ELIZABETH’S MIDNIGHT). Meantime, I’m also working on a YA with a female protagonist, and trying to focus on relationships and character development, though I have an irresistible urge to keep fleshing out that world building.🧐🤨😶
I think there’s some truth to this :) If I’m not mistaken (feel free to correct me if I’m wrong) women tend time score higher in emotional intelligence tests, so that could play a role in why emotions are explored in ways we perceive as “better.” Though of course, no one element is true for all! 😊
Elliot i think my favorite things about YA books is the pacing. The fact that they don't waste no time getting to the point of the story and getting you emotionally wrapped early on. I love the emphasis on the romantic relationships and character bonding. With YA books you will know fairly early on if you are gonna like the book or not usually in the first few chapters. I think these books are more of my style. Hope you are feeling well and have a great happy reading day 💜📚☕
A happy reading day to you! I agree that the pacing in YA is fantastic. And yes, the emotions tied in are usually done quite well, especially if the character is fleshed out 😄
Totally agree with the "cozy" remark. Sometimes I can appreciate really dark and gritty worlds and characters, but other times I'm just not really in the mood to "go there," you know?
Well thanks 😄 And yeah, it’s sometimes hard to dive into something really “epic” when you have a lot going on or work a lot, or just aren’t in the mood!
A thing that I adore about YA (and also Manga for that matter) is that I feel like they're more... Daring or creative in their settings sometimes. There's stories that I just feel like they wouldn't work in adult books. That isn't to say that adult books aren't creative or unique in their own way, but the main reason I read YA books is because the setting intigues me and makes me want to discover more of it. Adult worlds are better build a lot of times, but YA just.. explores more within it's boundaries I think.
Just wanted to give you a shout out for not swearing in your videos. I have no problem with it, but I know your videos are safe to watch in front of my kids, and I appreciate it. 😊♥️📚
*Amazing things about YA books:* The Magic System (either complex or soft) and history/lore. That's the main reason I'm planing to have more books to read to.
Funny seeing you posting the best of YA while Daniel is posting what he hates about YA, lol. If you had to pick ONE series in YA for a non-YA reader, what would you choose?
I get the ones in cans that are caffeinated, and those ones have another flavor: strawberry citrus. It’s the best, although I used to drink black raspberry in the original ones 😄
I think many ya fantasy books show more character growth because they are coming of age and still trying to figure out who they are as a person. I think the reason I love Mistborn even more is because it has that feel of a young adult fantasy but it bridges into adult as Vin grows.
Romance in both YA and 'adult' fantasy books is a prickly pear. I don't read heaps of fantasy books, so my example might need expansion. How romance is shown in both demographics could be the difference between wish fulfillment and dramatic effect. YA stories trend toward the wish fulfillment with romances that either work or are complicated by love triangles. With the YA love triangle as a version of a complicated relationship. Adult fantasy romances are generally in a book with a whole lot of world building, and are just part of the setting (I mean, the population comes from somewhere, yeah?). The adult fantasy romance is then more complicated by the world or the story and will often have troubles because the story gets in the way of the romance. What kind of romance exists in stories really comes down to the drama of the story. Is the romance the story or is it just part of the story?
I'm just getting back into fantasy after I stopped reading fiction in about 2009 and the landscape is so different from what it used to be, Fey were still big in YA in like 2006 btw
5:00 From what I've read,, Adult fantasy has stayed mostly in Europe inspired words for awhile, but that is setting, not plot. YA does have more diverse setting inspirations, but the plots are really similar.
I don't think that its fair to say that most of adult fantasy is European inspired. Ignoring the fact that Europe is diverse and multicultural, there are literally hundreds of non-European inspired fantasy books. The problem is that people dont look beyond the most popular authors.
Yup, this exactly. There truly is a wide variety out there if one is bothered to look. Because I mean, conversely, after a while I thought all the YA books I was reading were similar, so honestly I think it's a matter of preference.
Believing that I can make a difference as one person was so big for me when I was a teenager. That's was part of the magic for me when it came to YA. It also inspired me to believe I could become a writer.
A little while back, I found the first 3 books in a YA Fantasy series in a Value Village/Goodwill type store (I like these stores, because most have large book selections, where I can get 3 or more books for price of a new one). The series is called *"Fablehaven,"* and the author is Brandon Mull. It's a very good story(stories) so far. I'm almost halfway through the third book already. Going to have to go on amazon or ebay soon to look for the rest of the books in the series. That thrift store doesn't have them, nor does our local used book store "Sunrise Books" ( which is surprising, because that place has almost everything...lol...they have floor to ceiling, front to back, thousands, if not tens of thousands, of books in that store) Anyway, I'm rambling... What I was wondering was if You had read any of Mull's other works? And maybe, possibly, hopefully, kinda suggest something from him I should specifically look for? (I say specifically, because I'm enjoying *"Fablehaven"* so much, that I'll probably grab anything with his name on it right now. lol)
I think my tastes have been heavily influenced by growing up with journey to the west, watching anime, historical Chinese dramas, comedy skits, and reading manga. It’s a very different atmosphere if you get what I mean? That is why I tend to be frustrated with a lot of YA books which tend to have that distinctive “written by an English monolingual” flavour. I don’t mean to sound offensive, and it’s not really anything to do with race, it’s simply the way stories are written in different cultures. There are of course, many which I do enjoy, such as Scythe, Strange the Dreamer, The Queens Thief series etc.. but I’m finding myself gravitate more towards adult books or classics recently. It may also be because I tend to have a hard time understanding the main characters of YA books for whatever the reason may be, and plot driven characters tend to intrigue me more than character driven plots. I think YA is fairly simply to read and quite a fun “class of books”, but I think the conventions are starting to wear down on me and I need a break.
I'm 23 and I read pretty much an equal amount of ya and adult books and I can say that I relate much more to YA characters. The fast pacing and readability is also a plus for ya in my opinion.
I love YA fantasy, it's perfect when you want something a bit quicker to read than a dense adult fantasy!! I also feel like romance is often better in YA than adult haha!! And the covers are always gorgeous!!
I often relate to YA characters when it comes to what someone has gone through or grown from! Example: I related to Nannerl in The Kingdom of Back with her journey wanting to play music and having people considered better than her and get more hype than her. That’s so similar to how I felt with my classical piano journey growing up. But adult characters I can relate to the emotional journey at this stage in life better - usually, at least - such as Sancia from Foundryside or Mark Watney from the Martian. While I am not a thief who can hear things talk to me nor am astronaut stranded on Mars, the train of thought and problem-solving and emotional reaction to stimulus is much more similar to how I process things now, at 26-almost-27 than the vast majority of YA characters. (However, I felt so similarly to most YA characters in high school, so that’s an interesting point as well!)
I think all of what you said is why there’s value in both age ranges! Especially your last comment about relating when you were younger. It’s not that adults can’t relate to YA characters, but rather that I would hope young people could relate to them, since the age range is technically for 12-18 😄
YA tends to use a bigger font than adult books so even though some of them are chunky, I can read them really fast. I do have moments when reading YA books when I think to myself “I’m too old for this” and it’s usually something to do with cringey teen romance. I’m 30, happily married and I’m so glad that the dating drama part of my life is over! But I have read many good YA books and many terrible ones. Thankfully, my library has a really robust YA section so I can try a series before I commit to purchasing.
The good thing I observe with YA sci-fi novels is that they don't need to explain or assimilate the technology of the era by focusing on the characters' points-of-view. The humanity of the characters play out in the plot while every scene moves in the world that the author built without presenting intricate details of the environment, technology or system. 🤓
So basically there’s less info dumping? :) I appreciate that as well-not always, but often I find that the things within the world develop more organically 😊
@@ebnovels Yes. There isn't much of a complex out-of-norm construct for the readers to immerse themselves into in order to appreciate the world built into the story. YA develops more story arcs, conflicts and resolutions among characters that can play out even without or with little help from the norm that they move within. 🤓 PS. Finally! Elliot has noticed and replied to one of my comments. Feels good to get noticed apart from enjoying the content of your videos. Keep it up! 🙏
“Diverse” also doesn’t just mean diverse in terms of ethnicity, it can mean more representation for LGBT people, disabled people and generally all the sorts of people who are left out of mainstream fantasy.
True Einstein, but the text she referred to was speaking about diverse "cultures" but she did elaborate by saying, it actually refers to "different points of view" or "more varied range of perspectives."
I apologize if how I worded it didn’t seem like I was including those groups, but “different perspectives come from different life experiences” was my way of saying that.
I actually submitted that comment and while, yes, diversity is much more than ethnicity, I was specifically pointing out the fantasy based on different cultures because that’s my personal favorite part of YA fantasy! I was not commenting on the meaning of diversity or all that that entails, just that I love seeing fantasy based off of other types of the world besides Europe. Also more diverse mythology and folklore rather than just Greek or European. I have found some in adult fantasy (The Daevabad trilogy is my fav), but I find that YA has a lot more. Anyway, I was very specific in my comment so I think Elliot was just responding to what I said. If you’d like to add to my comment to include more aspects of diversity in YA fantasy, maybe you could recommend some of your favorites?
I am well aware that Medieval Europe has been flogged to death as a backdrop so it is nice to see something else. Change the environment and lots of other things change too: weapons, culture, religion, even swear words. Far too many writers change one thing and nothing else, and that's boring. I once beta read someone's fantasy: it was set in the modern day world but with magic, and there was something about terrorists. I put it to the author that if magic existed, why would terrorists bother flying planes into buildings? Would world history be the same? He had no answers to these questions. I have no idea whether it got published.
I think YA protagonists are easier to relate to because everyone can remember that feeling of wanting to be a special teen/kid. Even as an adult people can look back and remember daydreaming about being the chosen one, or feeling bored or boring and wanting to get caught up in some supernatural fantastical thing. And there is more diversity in YA so there's a wider net thrown, where as a lot of Adult protagonists can feel more repetitive sometimes.
I said the same thing in one of the other videos on this series but I’ll say it again: I’ve never read a good romance in adult fantasy, yet I have read quite a few romances I love in YA. I don’t have any strong negative feelings towards adult romances though, I can easily look past it them and focus on the plot. Yet with YA the bad romances make me strongly dislike the book.
YA fiction contains a ready-made story arc ie "growing up". So if the writer wants to add more then it can easily done, if necessary. I'm not mad keen on romantic subplots; rather I tend towards people starting out as strangers and learning to be friends. Finding a suitable plot arc for an older character can be difficult because the older they get, the harder it is for them to learn or grow, but occasionally their ingrown prejudices can be tipped upside down. (btw I've finished "A Time of Courage". The editor has missed some glaring logical and continuity errors.)
I've been avoiding ya because I'm not, meaning the writing will be less mature. Moralistic, no people with adult character defects, drug alcohol or sex problems. This vid convinced me to try some . Of course I read maybe 10 books a year so we will see.
James Baird The Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo is upper YA in which one character is addicted to gambling and another deals with addiction to drugs. As far as YA with dark or adult plots and mature subjects, there are some good ones out there! When Everything Feels Like The Movies by Raziel Reid is really controversial YA; parents actually petitioned to get a literary award it won revoked due to the content (sex and sexuality, drugs, abuse, suicidal ideation, more drugs, violence, obsession, etc.) There's lots of great gems in the YA circuit, definitely worth looking into!
I’m a big advocate for reading what you want to read! If some of the plots don’t interest you, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. However, idk if fantasy in general tends to focus on those things-it seems like you might be better of finding that in contemporary.
I have to be honest, I just don't even bother with YA anymore. I read a fair few YA dystopian series back in the day and I got a bit sick of it after a while, mostly because of the emotional immaturity of the protagonists and the incessant focus on romantic love and... yes, freaking love triangles. 😅 And honestly, like even at the time the fact my age was similar to the main characters' ages didn't help me relate to them? I would relate if the personalities were similar, but that's it. Besides, you can have younger main characters in adult fantasy, especially with works that feature multiple POVs, whereas I don't feel you can say the same (or at least not to the same extent) with YA fiction, which focuses on young characters almost exclusively. In that specific sense, it's actually less age-and thus experience-diverse. (Not that I think there's anything wrong with an adult being a fan of YA by the way! All preferences are valid. 😊)
IMO the best thing about YA is the relative absence of "purple" prose, but some authors take this to the extreme and turn the book into a basic/simplistic read. I agree that YA books often have a fast pace, especially when it comes to action. But once again, when that is taken to extremes, the constant action can become rather repetitive and boring ( for me, at least ). Another positive for YA is that sometimes it's just nice to feel young again and put yourself in the protagonists shoes !
Yes indeed to that last part! I don’t necessarily disagree with the first part, but I’ll add this: I think that’s true for adult fantasy as well, and I also think there are a lot of people that don’t know the difference between middle grade and YA. I’ve seen people say Percy Jackson is YA, that sort of thing.
That is a very hard question. Honestly, I think it has less to do with the genre than with the writer. I know that's a non answer but my inability to decide is stressing me out so I'm leaving it at that. haha.
I typically don't like YA but I will give credit where it's due. It seems like whenever I find a fantasy in a cool and creative setting with cool cover art, it ends up being YA. I wish more adult fantasy writers would start getting away from the pseudo-European culture. (not that I don't love my pseudo-European fantasy too) The only YA books I've enjoyed are indie ones. I've found the more popular it is on goodreads the more cliche and cringy the insta-love romance is that everybody apparently can't get enough of lol
Your comment about adult fantasy being a bit stagnant and stuck in this whole swords and sorcerers, quasi-medieval/European setting is one of the top reasons I'm more drawn to YA than to adult fantasy. I see so many Tolkien-inspired worlds in adult fantasy, one after another, and I think...isn't anyone tired of seeing the same thing over and over again? It's called 'fantasy.' That means it can literally be anything. Look like anything. The only limitation is the writer's imagination. It just feels like there's a bit more room in YA for stuff that's more off the wall since the YA umbrella covers a multitude of genres within itself. So if your fantasy bleeds a bit sci-fi or steampunk or political thriller or horror....that's fine! It's all good. It's all YA. I think that freedom of being able to blend genres might make it a bit easier for YA fantasy specifically to feel less stagnant. There are definitely trends, as you said, but those trends are always changing, so it feels like the landscape of the genre as a whole is also constantly changing. It's fresh and exciting. But seriously, if you present me with a world I've never seen before, one that doesn't look like anything else I've read, you've got me hook, line, and sinker. It's a never-ending quest, but I always get super stoked when I find one.
The reasons I read more YA than adult is because there are more strong female characters and because I'm 56 y.o. and living the story through a young, kick ass woman makes me feel young again!
That is one of the best reasons to read YA I've ever heard!! 😍
That’s a really cool perspective thank you for sharing!
I just turned 50, and I read a lot of YA as well. I also enjoy knowing that there's probably not going to be any torture or gore! That being said, some of my very favorite characters are from YA books, and I get super attached to them :)
I read the first two books in Tracy Deonn's Legendborn Trilogy in February back to back. At the end of the fight scenes it took me a minute to catch my breath. I can't wait for the final book to come out. I'm easing back into reading as a hobby after years of not reading for pleasure. There's so much to discover now! I'm really excited.
I think YA fantasy explores emotions and relationships better than adult, from my experience. ALTHOUGH I wonder if this is more down to the author; most YA fantasy books are written by women and adult fantasy, by men. This would be an interesting (although arguably more controversial 😂) topic to explore.
Katie Leslie agreed, very controversial but still worth exploring. This video observed YA Fantasy is faster paced, more diverse, and more character driven. It’s also dominated by female authors. Regular Fantasy is mostly Western European, sword & sorcery, driven by setting, and less twisty in plots. The questions are, are these observations true or a public misperception? If true, is this a result of YA being a more adaptable genre, or is it strictly because more women are writing YA? Are more women in YA because it is more adaptable? Is all of this a consequence of business oriented conservatism on behalf of the publishers?
It would be interesting to see if these trends are consistent in the self published/Indy communities. I know at least one male author in Indy YA who focuses on female protagonists, relationships, and twisty plots, but I don’t know if he’s an anomaly (Aaron Michael Ritchey, ARMAGEDDON GIRLS is maybe his best known, but my favorite is his standalone ELIZABETH’S MIDNIGHT). Meantime, I’m also working on a YA with a female protagonist, and trying to focus on relationships and character development, though I have an irresistible urge to keep fleshing out that world building.🧐🤨😶
I think there’s some truth to this :) If I’m not mistaken (feel free to correct me if I’m wrong) women tend time score higher in emotional intelligence tests, so that could play a role in why emotions are explored in ways we perceive as “better.” Though of course, no one element is true for all! 😊
Daniel Greene: My Problem With YA Fantasy
Elliot Brooks: THE BEST THINGS ABOUT YA FANTASY
The thing I like the most about YA is that it can be read by a wide age group. Parents can read it with their children and come together over a book.
I think that’s so lovely! I had a student ask me for some book recs once, and it was really fun getting to connect with her that way 😊
Elliot i think my favorite things about YA books is the pacing. The fact that they don't waste no time getting to the point of the story and getting you emotionally wrapped early on. I love the emphasis on the romantic relationships and character bonding. With YA books you will know fairly early on if you are gonna like the book or not usually in the first few chapters. I think these books are more of my style. Hope you are feeling well and have a great happy reading day 💜📚☕
A happy reading day to you! I agree that the pacing in YA is fantastic. And yes, the emotions tied in are usually done quite well, especially if the character is fleshed out 😄
Totally agree with the "cozy" remark. Sometimes I can appreciate really dark and gritty worlds and characters, but other times I'm just not really in the mood to "go there," you know?
I do know! It all depends on what you’re wanting when 😊
the best thing about ya fantasy is that it is emotional and you can lose yourself into it ;)
I think that’s true 😄
But sadly it is mostly poorly written so it comes off as fake or overly dramatic
What is it is not considered poorly written is a matter of taste and opinion 😊
I definitely read more YA because of how light and fast-paced they are. I also appreciate your comment on diversity. That's how I see it as well 😊
Well thanks 😄 And yeah, it’s sometimes hard to dive into something really “epic” when you have a lot going on or work a lot, or just aren’t in the mood!
A thing that I adore about YA (and also Manga for that matter) is that I feel like they're more... Daring or creative in their settings sometimes. There's stories that I just feel like they wouldn't work in adult books. That isn't to say that adult books aren't creative or unique in their own way, but the main reason I read YA books is because the setting intigues me and makes me want to discover more of it.
Adult worlds are better build a lot of times, but YA just.. explores more within it's boundaries I think.
Just wanted to give you a shout out for not swearing in your videos. I have no problem with it, but I know your videos are safe to watch in front of my kids, and I appreciate it. 😊♥️📚
I identify with the”Lord Ruler” from Mistborn
*Amazing things about YA books:* The Magic System (either complex or soft) and history/lore. That's the main reason I'm planing to have more books to read to.
Yay, I enjoy those elements too! Have you read Crown of Feathers? The history elements of that book are great :)
@@ebnovels Sadly I didn't. But thakns for the recommendation. Adding this to my wishlist.
Yes I love the friendships 😭❤️
Me too!
Funny seeing you posting the best of YA while Daniel is posting what he hates about YA, lol. If you had to pick ONE series in YA for a non-YA reader, what would you choose?
I'd choose Wardstone Chronicles
Ice drinks are awesome! Black raspberry and Cherry Limemade are the best. :)
I get the ones in cans that are caffeinated, and those ones have another flavor: strawberry citrus. It’s the best, although I used to drink black raspberry in the original ones 😄
Ooh it would be cool if you did a list of ya and adult fantasy that capture the essence of the genres as a final episode in the series.
I think many ya fantasy books show more character growth because they are coming of age and still trying to figure out who they are as a person. I think the reason I love Mistborn even more is because it has that feel of a young adult fantasy but it bridges into adult as Vin grows.
Romance in both YA and 'adult' fantasy books is a prickly pear. I don't read heaps of fantasy books, so my example might need expansion. How romance is shown in both demographics could be the difference between wish fulfillment and dramatic effect. YA stories trend toward the wish fulfillment with romances that either work or are complicated by love triangles. With the YA love triangle as a version of a complicated relationship. Adult fantasy romances are generally in a book with a whole lot of world building, and are just part of the setting (I mean, the population comes from somewhere, yeah?). The adult fantasy romance is then more complicated by the world or the story and will often have troubles because the story gets in the way of the romance.
What kind of romance exists in stories really comes down to the drama of the story. Is the romance the story or is it just part of the story?
I'm just getting back into fantasy after I stopped reading fiction in about 2009 and the landscape is so different from what it used to be, Fey were still big in YA in like 2006 btw
5:00
From what I've read,, Adult fantasy has stayed mostly in Europe inspired words for awhile, but that is setting, not plot. YA does have more diverse setting inspirations, but the plots are really similar.
I don't think that its fair to say that most of adult fantasy is European inspired. Ignoring the fact that Europe is diverse and multicultural, there are literally hundreds of non-European inspired fantasy books. The problem is that people dont look beyond the most popular authors.
Yup, this exactly. There truly is a wide variety out there if one is bothered to look. Because I mean, conversely, after a while I thought all the YA books I was reading were similar, so honestly I think it's a matter of preference.
Believing that I can make a difference as one person was so big for me when I was a teenager. That's was part of the magic for me when it came to YA. It also inspired me to believe I could become a writer.
A little while back, I found the first 3 books in a YA Fantasy series in a Value Village/Goodwill type store (I like these stores, because most have large book selections, where I can get 3 or more books for price of a new one).
The series is called *"Fablehaven,"* and the author is Brandon Mull. It's a very good story(stories) so far. I'm almost halfway through the third book already. Going to have to go on amazon or ebay soon to look for the rest of the books in the series. That thrift store doesn't have them, nor does our local used book store "Sunrise Books" ( which is surprising, because that place has almost everything...lol...they have floor to ceiling, front to back, thousands, if not tens of thousands, of books in that store)
Anyway, I'm rambling...
What I was wondering was if You had read any of Mull's other works? And maybe, possibly, hopefully, kinda suggest something from him I should specifically look for? (I say specifically, because I'm enjoying *"Fablehaven"* so much, that I'll probably grab anything with his name on it right now. lol)
@@juliakra01
Thanks :-)
I think my tastes have been heavily influenced by growing up with journey to the west, watching anime, historical Chinese dramas, comedy skits, and reading manga. It’s a very different atmosphere if you get what I mean? That is why I tend to be frustrated with a lot of YA books which tend to have that distinctive “written by an English monolingual” flavour. I don’t mean to sound offensive, and it’s not really anything to do with race, it’s simply the way stories are written in different cultures. There are of course, many which I do enjoy, such as Scythe, Strange the Dreamer, The Queens Thief series etc.. but I’m finding myself gravitate more towards adult books or classics recently. It may also be because I tend to have a hard time understanding the main characters of YA books for whatever the reason may be, and plot driven characters tend to intrigue me more than character driven plots. I think YA is fairly simply to read and quite a fun “class of books”, but I think the conventions are starting to wear down on me and I need a break.
I'm 23 and I read pretty much an equal amount of ya and adult books and I can say that I relate much more to YA characters. The fast pacing and readability is also a plus for ya in my opinion.
I agree YA tends to have some pretty interesting premises
I love YA fantasy, it's perfect when you want something a bit quicker to read than a dense adult fantasy!! I also feel like romance is often better in YA than adult haha!! And the covers are always gorgeous!!
I like your take on diverse. 👍
I often relate to YA characters when it comes to what someone has gone through or grown from! Example: I related to Nannerl in The Kingdom of Back with her journey wanting to play music and having people considered better than her and get more hype than her. That’s so similar to how I felt with my classical piano journey growing up. But adult characters I can relate to the emotional journey at this stage in life better - usually, at least - such as Sancia from Foundryside or Mark Watney from the Martian. While I am not a thief who can hear things talk to me nor am astronaut stranded on Mars, the train of thought and problem-solving and emotional reaction to stimulus is much more similar to how I process things now, at 26-almost-27 than the vast majority of YA characters. (However, I felt so similarly to most YA characters in high school, so that’s an interesting point as well!)
I think all of what you said is why there’s value in both age ranges! Especially your last comment about relating when you were younger. It’s not that adults can’t relate to YA characters, but rather that I would hope young people could relate to them, since the age range is technically for 12-18 😄
YA tends to use a bigger font than adult books so even though some of them are chunky, I can read them really fast. I do have moments when reading YA books when I think to myself “I’m too old for this” and it’s usually something to do with cringey teen romance. I’m 30, happily married and I’m so glad that the dating drama part of my life is over! But I have read many good YA books and many terrible ones. Thankfully, my library has a really robust YA section so I can try a series before I commit to purchasing.
The good thing I observe with YA sci-fi novels is that they don't need to explain or assimilate the technology of the era by focusing on the characters' points-of-view. The humanity of the characters play out in the plot while every scene moves in the world that the author built without presenting intricate details of the environment, technology or system. 🤓
So basically there’s less info dumping? :) I appreciate that as well-not always, but often I find that the things within the world develop more organically 😊
@@ebnovels Yes. There isn't much of a complex out-of-norm construct for the readers to immerse themselves into in order to appreciate the world built into the story. YA develops more story arcs, conflicts and resolutions among characters that can play out even without or with little help from the norm that they move within. 🤓
PS. Finally! Elliot has noticed and replied to one of my comments. Feels good to get noticed apart from enjoying the content of your videos. Keep it up! 🙏
Ah, I’m glad I was able to see your comment! I try to get to as many as I can, but sometimes my days get quite filled 😅
I was wondering if you watched Daniel Greens recent video about his problems with YA. Would be interested about your opinion to that topic :)
“Diverse” also doesn’t just mean diverse in terms of ethnicity, it can mean more representation for LGBT people, disabled people and generally all the sorts of people who are left out of mainstream fantasy.
True Einstein, but the text she referred to was speaking about diverse "cultures" but she did elaborate by saying, it actually refers to "different points of view" or "more varied range of perspectives."
I apologize if how I worded it didn’t seem like I was including those groups, but “different perspectives come from different life experiences” was my way of saying that.
I actually submitted that comment and while, yes, diversity is much more than ethnicity, I was specifically pointing out the fantasy based on different cultures because that’s my personal favorite part of YA fantasy! I was not commenting on the meaning of diversity or all that that entails, just that I love seeing fantasy based off of other types of the world besides Europe. Also more diverse mythology and folklore rather than just Greek or European. I have found some in adult fantasy (The Daevabad trilogy is my fav), but I find that YA has a lot more.
Anyway, I was very specific in my comment so I think Elliot was just responding to what I said. If you’d like to add to my comment to include more aspects of diversity in YA fantasy, maybe you could recommend some of your favorites?
I am well aware that Medieval Europe has been flogged to death as a backdrop so it is nice to see something else. Change the environment and lots of other things change too: weapons, culture, religion, even swear words. Far too many writers change one thing and nothing else, and that's boring.
I once beta read someone's fantasy: it was set in the modern day world but with magic, and there was something about terrorists. I put it to the author that if magic existed, why would terrorists bother flying planes into buildings? Would world history be the same? He had no answers to these questions. I have no idea whether it got published.
Hi Elliot, I love your videos! I was wondering what music is playing at the end of your videos? It's absolutely beautiful.
I think YA protagonists are easier to relate to because everyone can remember that feeling of wanting to be a special teen/kid. Even as an adult people can look back and remember daydreaming about being the chosen one, or feeling bored or boring and wanting to get caught up in some supernatural fantastical thing. And there is more diversity in YA so there's a wider net thrown, where as a lot of Adult protagonists can feel more repetitive sometimes.
I said the same thing in one of the other videos on this series but I’ll say it again: I’ve never read a good romance in adult fantasy, yet I have read quite a few romances I love in YA. I don’t have any strong negative feelings towards adult romances though, I can easily look past it them and focus on the plot. Yet with YA the bad romances make me strongly dislike the book.
YA fiction contains a ready-made story arc ie "growing up". So if the writer wants to add more then it can easily done, if necessary. I'm not mad keen on romantic subplots; rather I tend towards people starting out as strangers and learning to be friends. Finding a suitable plot arc for an older character can be difficult because the older they get, the harder it is for them to learn or grow, but occasionally their ingrown prejudices can be tipped upside down.
(btw I've finished "A Time of Courage". The editor has missed some glaring logical and continuity errors.)
I prefer both YA adult fantasy and adult fantasy. I hope ur dad doing better?? Keep safe 😊📖💙
I've been avoiding ya because I'm not, meaning the writing will be less mature. Moralistic, no people with adult character defects, drug alcohol or sex problems. This vid convinced me to try some . Of course I read maybe 10 books a year so we will see.
James Baird The Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo is upper YA in which one character is addicted to gambling and another deals with addiction to drugs. As far as YA with dark or adult plots and mature subjects, there are some good ones out there! When Everything Feels Like The Movies by Raziel Reid is really controversial YA; parents actually petitioned to get a literary award it won revoked due to the content (sex and sexuality, drugs, abuse, suicidal ideation, more drugs, violence, obsession, etc.) There's lots of great gems in the YA circuit, definitely worth looking into!
I’m a big advocate for reading what you want to read! If some of the plots don’t interest you, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. However, idk if fantasy in general tends to focus on those things-it seems like you might be better of finding that in contemporary.
There's some who use YA as an excuse for poor writing, and that's unforgivable.
I have to be honest, I just don't even bother with YA anymore. I read a fair few YA dystopian series back in the day and I got a bit sick of it after a while, mostly because of the emotional immaturity of the protagonists and the incessant focus on romantic love and... yes, freaking love triangles. 😅 And honestly, like even at the time the fact my age was similar to the main characters' ages didn't help me relate to them? I would relate if the personalities were similar, but that's it. Besides, you can have younger main characters in adult fantasy, especially with works that feature multiple POVs, whereas I don't feel you can say the same (or at least not to the same extent) with YA fiction, which focuses on young characters almost exclusively. In that specific sense, it's actually less age-and thus experience-diverse. (Not that I think there's anything wrong with an adult being a fan of YA by the way! All preferences are valid. 😊)
IMO the best thing about YA is the relative absence of "purple" prose, but some authors take this to the extreme and turn the book into a basic/simplistic read. I agree that YA books often have a fast pace, especially when it comes to action. But once again, when that is taken to extremes, the constant action can become rather repetitive and boring ( for me, at least ). Another positive for YA is that sometimes it's just nice to feel young again and put yourself in the protagonists shoes !
Yes indeed to that last part! I don’t necessarily disagree with the first part, but I’ll add this: I think that’s true for adult fantasy as well, and I also think there are a lot of people that don’t know the difference between middle grade and YA. I’ve seen people say Percy Jackson is YA, that sort of thing.
I relate more to adult protagonist. That said, I don't read a lot of epic fantasy.
What genre would you say has the most relatable characters for you? :)
That is a very hard question. Honestly, I think it has less to do with the genre than with the writer. I know that's a non answer but my inability to decide is stressing me out so I'm leaving it at that. haha.
Hahaha, how dare you!
I typically don't like YA but I will give credit where it's due. It seems like whenever I find a fantasy in a cool and creative setting with cool cover art, it ends up being YA. I wish more adult fantasy writers would start getting away from the pseudo-European culture. (not that I don't love my pseudo-European fantasy too)
The only YA books I've enjoyed are indie ones. I've found the more popular it is on goodreads the more cliche and cringy the insta-love romance is that everybody apparently can't get enough of lol
I'm not sure what young adult is. My first two novels have main characters that are 19 and late 20s so does that make my books young adult?
Your comment about adult fantasy being a bit stagnant and stuck in this whole swords and sorcerers, quasi-medieval/European setting is one of the top reasons I'm more drawn to YA than to adult fantasy. I see so many Tolkien-inspired worlds in adult fantasy, one after another, and I think...isn't anyone tired of seeing the same thing over and over again? It's called 'fantasy.' That means it can literally be anything. Look like anything. The only limitation is the writer's imagination.
It just feels like there's a bit more room in YA for stuff that's more off the wall since the YA umbrella covers a multitude of genres within itself. So if your fantasy bleeds a bit sci-fi or steampunk or political thriller or horror....that's fine! It's all good. It's all YA. I think that freedom of being able to blend genres might make it a bit easier for YA fantasy specifically to feel less stagnant. There are definitely trends, as you said, but those trends are always changing, so it feels like the landscape of the genre as a whole is also constantly changing. It's fresh and exciting.
But seriously, if you present me with a world I've never seen before, one that doesn't look like anything else I've read, you've got me hook, line, and sinker. It's a never-ending quest, but I always get super stoked when I find one.
Wait .... better family dynamics? The parents are always dead or dysfunctional or the protagonist would be in bed by nine!
Well it’s fantasy, so idk if they’d have much of bedtime regardless 😆 But I think they’re also including siblings in this :)
Second!!!!!!!!!?!!?!?
Congrats 😆