Young adult literature

"Juvenile fiction" redirects here. For children's fiction, see children's literature.

Young adult literature (YA) is typically written for readers aged 12 to 18[1][2] and includes most of the themes found in adult fiction, such as friendship, substance abuse, alcoholism, and sexuality.[3] Stories that focus on the challenges of youth may be further categorized as social or coming-of-age novels.

The earliest known use of term young adult occurred in 1942.[4] The designation of young adult literature was originally developed by librarians to help teenagers make the transition between children's literature and adult literature,[5] following the recognition, around World War II, of teenagers as a distinct group of young people. While the genre is targeted at adolescents, a 2012 study found that 55% of young adult literature purchases were made by adults.[6]

  1. ^ "Young Adult Book Market Facts and Figures". The Balance. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  2. ^ Randall, Rachel, ed. (2014). 2015 Novel and Short Story Writer's Market. Cincinnati: Writer's Digest Books. pp. 498–500. ISBN 978-1-59963-841-6.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Wells was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Young adult - Word History". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  5. ^ Dunning, Stephen (1962). "Criticism and the "Young Adult Novel"". The High School Journal. 45 (5): 208–213. JSTOR 40366769.
  6. ^ "New Study: 55% of YA Books Bought by Adults". PublishersWeekly.com. 13 September 2012. Retrieved 14 May 2023.