Teenage Kicks

Young adult (YA) literature has grown fast: so fast that many people still don’t really know what it is. What is YA fiction? Come to that, what is a young adult? Why are so many YA books being read by adults? Aren’t they all about beautiful young people in clichéd romantic relationships? If some YA novels really are excellent and complex, surely they are wasted on the young?

Young adult books are aimed at young people (from early teens to early twenties) and normally have teenage protagonists. They deal with themes and issues that concern young people: first love, grief, family problems, the horrible process of trying to become an adult.

Catherine Johnson, author of The Curious Tale of the Lady Caraboo, sums up YA’s appeal: ‘[It] does complex characters and situations in a totally accessible way. Big ideas are laid open. Plus it’s such a brilliant time to write about – full of firsts.’