As a book lover who believes that Young Adult and commercial fiction can be as wonderful and well-written as the latest award-winning literary tome, I’m fascinated by a recent discussion about what young adults are reading.
An X recently shared an excerpt from a piece in Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. The implication? Students once read (and loved) classic literature… and now they don’t.
This is a problematic view, to be certain. Other X s were similarly confused by the idea that young adults reading books meant for young audiences is an issue. One shared that a YA novel was comforting and relatable when they had lost a friend. Others pointed out that Percy Jackson isn’t child’s play ⏤ it’s actually clever and incredibly well-written. I can appreciate the beautiful prose and literary legacy of Wuthering Heights as much as the next person, but unless you’re living in the 1800s and brooding in some moors (maybe that’s how you spend your Friday nights, no judgment), you might not find it super relatable.
YA books, on the other hand, paint pictures of modern life and often depict universal moments like fights with friends, first loves, and the painful yet necessary journey of closing the gap between who you are and who you’d like to be. They might also involve pens that turn into swords, sea monsters that try to drown you, and fathers that turn out to be gods. What’s so wrong with that?
As many pointed out, it’s wonderful when people read, period, and there’s no need to split hairs over what they “should” be reading. While the professor quoted in The Atlantic might think this is a new issue, it’s actually not. Back when J.K. Rowling wasn’t a horrifying disappointment, everyone said people weren’t “real” readers if they dove into the Harry Potter series. The same thing happened with the Twilight craze. At the same time, people praised kids and teens for spending time with books instead of staring at TV screens. Today, we’d say we’re glad when “the youths” look at a physical novel instead of scrolling through TikTok 24/7. Is reading good, not good, or somewhere in between? The mixed signals are bouncing off the walls like Patronuses.
If I think about my favorite books from both high school and university, I wouldn’t necessarily mention a classic. I loved Sarah Dessen’s coming-of-age romances, sought out memoirs like Prozac Nation, and also some so-called women’s fiction. Sure, I enjoyed Turn of the Screw in grade 12 and appreciated the wry sarcasm of The Catcher in the Rye as much as everyone else, but the creepy horror tale and witty take on “phonies” were different and more interesting to me than typical classics.
The heart of the matter is that readers are going to read (just like bakers are going to bake, according to Taylor Swift) and bookworms are likely to seek out both classics and popular books alike. Others just aren’t into reading. According to the enjoying romance novels, YA fantasy (looking at you, Fourth Wing), celebrity memoirs, scary thrillers, and any other story that appeals to you. Those are the kinds of books on my TBR list. Let’s not police what stories people enjoy, shall we?
Published: Oct 3, 2024 06:11 pm