Leslie Manning asked Leslie Tall Manning:

What should I keep in mind when reading YA vs Adult fiction?

Leslie Tall Manning I posed this question myself since I am not only a writer and a reader, but also a private tutor who works with students on the best ways to analyze literature. We read a lot of classics together, but also many current books, and a large percentage of these are YA.

Is there really a difference between reading YA and reading Adult? You betcha. Firstly, as a writer begins the task of writing a new book, she has to define who her audience is. If an author is writing specifically for a 12-14 year-old girl, the language, humor, tone, nuances, and so on are going to be way different than if she were writing for an adult female. Many young people do not read adult books unless specifically assigned by a teacher. Conversely, many adults read young adult. I have adult friends who only read young adult.

It is important to keep in mind for what age the book is written. If I read Curious George, I understand that it is for early readers. If I read Wonder, I know that it is written for tweens. If I read The Hunger Games, I understand that it is written for older tweens to young teens. And if I read something like Thirteen Reasons Why, I know ahead of time that it is for the higher end of teenagedom. Going to the extreme, if I read Fifty Shades of Grey, well, obviously this is for adults (or at least it was written to be so, though we don't always have control over what our teens read!) Again, this does not mean I cannot enjoy the book as much as the age group for which it was created, it just means I have to look at it through a special lens.

While it is not the reader's job to analyze what type of audience a novelist is writing for, it is important that we try to read a story for what it is. If you are 30 and you read a book for a 14-year-old, do not expect sexual situations, too much cussing, or disturbingly graphic scenes. And if you figure out the ending, good for you. That does not mean that a typical 14-year-old will. Authors believe in treating our audiences accordingly, and also treating them like the intelligent people they are. But when we read books, and later review them, we must keep in mind the actual mindset of the person the book was written for. Your opinion of a book should not be diminished because you are a grown up and you chose to read a YA. And when you write your review of these books, you should keep this in mind.

Writers work their asses off to please the reader. Be smart, be kind, and above all else, be gracious. No writer is out to get you, to offend you, or to write a book they think you will hate. All writers want to do is please their audience, whether old or young. : )

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