SOPHIE LI

Author-illustrator

Let’s Chat! Reading YA as an… adult?

Hey everyone!

So, today I’m going to broach a topic that comes up once in a while on the blogosphere, though it is something that I haven’t talked about officially here on Sophie’s Corner. Until today.

First things first: Guys, a little mini confession here.

I’m a… *gulp*

Adult?

(Psst…. the question mark is there because despite paying my rent and working a full-time job and taking care of one or more dogs for quite some years now, sometimes I still feel like I am faking it. For all the adults out there, when does adulting end?! Please tell me!!)

The thing is, although I am an adult age-wise, I still read YA books. And part of me wonders if I should graduate from YA books, just like how you would graduate from the multiplication table after grade school, mandatory gym classes after high school, exams and all-nighters after university, etc etc etc. But no matter how much I try to read books in the adult genre, I always gravitate towards YA books.

That being said, in the past year or so, I’ve been feeling conflicted about YA books. Despite my love for the genre, there are some aspects that annoy me, that makes me wonder if I’ve outgrowing this genre.

Today I’m going to talk a bit about why I still read YA: the things that I love about the YA genre, and…. (unfortunately) some aspects of the genre that get on my nerves.

What I love about YA

1: It’s light-hearted.

There are exceptions of course, but I love that there are some fluffy, light-hearted YA reads out there that I know are guaranteed to be fun and fast-paced reads.

2: It’s not too serious.

Along a similar note, I find that books in the adult genre tend to be very heavy and serious and… it’s too much. Being an adult is HARD. You got to drag your butt (pardon my French) to work and do chores and take care of dependents (children, dogs, and otherwise) and I read to get away from all that.

3: YA books can be super funny.

I love the sense of humour in the YA books that I read (especially the YA contemporary genre.) Sometimes we could all use a good laugh! For some reason I don’t find the adult books I read to be as funny?

4: I feel young again?

Saying this makes me feel old lol 🙂 But then again, youth is a state of mind!

5: The faster pacing!

I am super impatient and the number one reason that I DNF books is because of slow pacing. One of the things that I love about YA books is that they tend to be faster paced, and they keep my attention.

6: The focus on relationships

What I love about the YA contemporary genre specifically is that romances tend to be sweet and adorable. I also like that there is often focus on other relationships such as family and friendships without getting too heavy.

7: Diverse representation (LGBTQ+, mental health, various cultures and ethnicities, etc)

I can’t speak much about adult fiction in this aspect since I haven’t read much adult fiction in general, but I really love that there is so much diversity in YA fiction. In fact it’s becoming an expectation of new releases in YA that there is representation from various groups. I think this is awesome and it really encourages kindness and acceptance.

What (sometimes) annoys me about YA

As much as I love YA, there are aspects about some YA books that annoy me. Don’t get me wrong, there are books in this genre that I really love and don’t annoy me at all. These are just some traits that I find in some YA books that my eyes rolling.

1: Parental figures

I like it when parents are portrayed in a positive and relatable way. However sometimes parents are overbearing, irresponsible or… non-existent. I mean I’m sure there are parents like that out there, but they should be portrayed as real people, with flaws as well as positive traits.

2: Insta-love

Oh, insta-love! I don’t think that this is specific to the YA genre (then again, I don’t really read adult romances so I don’t know?) This is a whole new can of worms, but bottom line is, when I catch a whiff of insta-love, I am out.

3: Unrealistic stuff

In some YA books, things aren’t too realistic. Like, a genius 15-year-old with an IQ of a gazillion who beats out all the adults? Like, the 20-year-old who is the CEO of a corporation that he founded, who the whole world bows down to? Also, picture-perfect endings where girl and guy, after losing touch for years, meet on a plane after achieving their dreams? Call me jaded, but life doesn’t always happen this way?

The bottom line is, there are still many things that I enjoy about YA books. It’s about being on the lookout for books in the genre with some of the pet peeves that I can’t stand (see above), and staying far away from them. In the upcoming year, I’ll be venturing out a bit into the adult realm of reading, but YA will still be home base for me.

Whether you are a teen or an adult, how do you guys feel about YA fiction?

Sophie Li

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80 responses to “Let’s Chat! Reading YA as an… adult?”

  1. Hannie Avatar
    Hannie

    The pacing is my primary reason for reading YA! I love how quickly things move along! I also just generally relate more to YA still because I’ve been a teenager, but I have not been a 40-year-old divorced housewife, which is what it feels like a lot of adult literature is about.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Hello Hannie! Glad to hear from another adult YA fan 🙂 Haha yes I know what you mean. It is also sometimes easier for me to relate to the younger characters in YA novels, rather than the much older characters in adult novels.

      Liked by 1 person

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    2. Sieran Lane Avatar
      Sieran Lane

      Hmm Hannie, for the 40-year-old divorced housewife, I’m guessing that’s more common of literary fiction than of genre fiction? My views are biased, of course, since most modern English adult fiction I read are gay romances (usually male-male). But most protagonists I read about are in their 20’s and 30’s. Some are divorced, but most have never been married. (Some live in societies where gay marriage isn’t legalized, but that’s another matter.)

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  2. confessionsofayareader Avatar
    confessionsofayareader

    I love YA and I’m 41. I think that it’s mostly because I don’t feel my age, but I also like to escape from adult problems. Also, as you mentioned, I see so much more diversity in YA. I don’t mind instalove, so that’s not an issue for me. As long as I’m still enjoying the books, I’ll keep reading them.

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      I’m happy to hear from another adult YA fan!! I feel the same way! Sometimes adult books are way too heavy, and I am just looking for something light to read after a long day. You are right in that whatever genre we read, the important part is to enjoy the books 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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  3. meandinkblog Avatar
    meandinkblog

    I was saying yes to every point you made. I love YA and I am very comfortable in it so I always gravitate to it and happily find lots of books I love. I definitely love the humour in YA books and that the have a fast pace. But I definitely see things that are done in them a lot which makes you want to try other things. I have trying to be more diverse in my reading but I am probably the same as you— I want to try adult books but YA will always be there for me. 😊
    Great post!!! 💛

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Hello! Yes the humour and the face pacing are my favourite aspects about YA novels! Looks like we’ll both be reading adult books in the near future. Keep me posted about how you would compare the two genres 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. meandinkblog Avatar
        meandinkblog

        Yes they are really good!! It does– I am excited to see what I think. I will do. I will be interested to see what you think as well!! 😊

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Sophie Li Avatar
        Sophie Li

        Will keep you posted 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Taylor @ Bloggable Books Avatar
    Taylor @ Bloggable Books

    I suppose some would consider me an adult; graduated college, paying rent, full time job… but I definitely don’t feel like one! I still love YA books but I understand some of your points that are annoying.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Hi Taylor! I absolutely agree here. I’ve been an “adult” for a while though I still feel like a kid in many ways haha. I don’t think adulting ever ends! Glad to hear from another adult YA fan!! 🙂

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  5. paperbacks.and.planners Avatar
    paperbacks.and.planners

    I’m almost 30 and still love YA. I do read lots of adult books too but it’s so easy to escape into YA books. I love the fast pace, the rep, the lightheartedness. I love a good heavy book, but sometimes I just want to forget about adulting and read about a bunch of attractive Fae 😂😂

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      I’m so happy to hear from another adult YA fan!! I absolutely agree! YA books are so much easier to get into, especially after a long day of adulting. Usually I try to space out the long and heavy books with some light-hearted YA reads 🙂

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  6. floatinggold Avatar
    floatinggold

    I can understand your confusion.
    To me, no book is off limits. One day I might feel like picking up a kid’s book. What’s wrong with that? Other days I will read the most serious of books. It just depends on what you feel in that moment and what the book is about.
    To me, YA is a rather vague and wide genre. Or maybe I’m just misguided. A character from my NaNo is in early 20s. Is that too old to be a YA?

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Definitely 🙂 It’s never wrong to go with your gut feeling when it comes to choosing a book!
      I believe the term “young adult” refers to teens (ages 13 to 18) however perhaps can be stretched to include maybe 19 or even 20. I think early 20s would technically be “new adult”, or adult.
      I have the same problem in classifying some of the novels that I’ve written, in which the characters are in their early 20s and the content of the book didn’t seem to fit in with the adult literature genre haha.

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      1. floatinggold Avatar
        floatinggold

        Some of us will just be big kids forever.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Sophie Li Avatar
        Sophie Li

        Haha yes! And I think that’s a good thing 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      3. floatinggold Avatar
        floatinggold

        I cannot disagree with that.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. L.M. Durand Avatar
    L.M. Durand

    I’m an adult in my thirties, and love YA. I think everything is amplified at that age and I love how raw emotions can be. Like you said, it’s often light-hearted, funny, and fast-paced, which is perfect for me!

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Hello 🙂 Yes you are right that emotions are more dramatic in YA books which can be fun to read. It is so much easier for me to get into YA because of the faster pace and the light-heartedness. Glad to hear from another adult YA fan 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. L.M. Durand Avatar
        L.M. Durand

        I’m the same way. I like reading YA books for this exact reason. 😊

        Liked by 1 person

  8. Sarah Stubbs Avatar
    Sarah Stubbs

    The older I get the more picky I get about YA, but I still love it! There are some stories that can only be told from a YA perspective and I’m not going to miss out just because I’m a young adult!

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Sarah Stubbs Avatar
      Sarah Stubbs

      *not a young adult* oops

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Sophie Li Avatar
        Sophie Li

        Lol! we are all young adults at heart 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Hello Sarah! Yes I am definitely more picky about YA books now, and there are some books that I might enjoy more if I were younger. You are right that some stories are better told from a YA perspective. I especially love coming of age stories 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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  9. Marie Avatar
    Marie

    To be honest, I feel like…. we’re kind of all pretending we know what we’re doing as adults, but we’re totally faking it 😂 at least, I know I am, but well I’m also still considering myself as a young adult, so… I don’t know if that counts? 😂
    This is a GREAT post, I loved it! I am always craving and turning towards young adult books, because I adore how they explore the complex emotions and coming-of-age times, these kind of books are my favorites, about self-discovery, growing up and so on. I love the imaginative worlds, the feeling that you can change the world, the pacing and the relationships in these books. I don’t know, I can’t explain why, I’m just drawn to them always for now haha 🙂
    Lovely post! ❤

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Hey Marie! Haha yeah I know what you mean. I feel like every adult is trying to put on their proper and serious face, though we all have our weird and child-like side I think 🙂
      I love your comment because I also like how emotions are explored much more deeply in YA books (at least compared to the few adult books that I’ve read!) I enjoy stories about coming of age and growing up as well. The more I think about these things the more I want to keep reading YA haha 🙂
      Thank you Marie ❤

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  10. corastillwrites Avatar
    corastillwrites

    I read plenty of YA and I’m 31. My 60-year-old mum is a big John Green fan. A well-written YA book is a great read for anyone, though you do make some good points about irritating tropes that recur. Boo to insta-love! And when every powerful character in a fantasy/sci-fi novel is under 25, it does make you wonder about the political structure of the world they inhabit.

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      That just goes to show that anyone can enjoy YA! I do agree that a well-written YA book can appeal to all age groups! I am thinking about books like The Book Thief which transcends its classification as a YA book.
      Haha I hear you. Sometimes I can’t help but roll my eyes about the 15-year-olds who manage to save the world without any adult help lol 🙂 I don’t think us adults are that useless!

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      1. corastillwrites Avatar
        corastillwrites

        Maybe the grown-ups are too busy tidying up after the teenagers to save the world!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Sophie Li Avatar
        Sophie Li

        Haha yes! That’s true. In between going to work and doing chores, I wouldn’t have time to save the world even if the opportunity is there in front of me 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      3. corastillwrites Avatar
        corastillwrites

        And in post-apocalyptic dystopias, I guess teenagers have less homework, so they need something to keep them occupied!

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Sophie Li Avatar
        Sophie Li

        Yes, that’s true 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  11. Margaret @ Weird Zeal Avatar
    Margaret @ Weird Zeal

    Fellow adult YA reader! (Although I too feel like I’m still faking being an adult. When does that stop?)
    Yep, I love YA for all the reasons that you talked about, especially the diverse representation that you just don’t find in a lot of adult (though I think that’s slowly changing). At the same time, certain things about YA bother me too (insta love – UGH), but I don’t think I’ll be moving on anytime soon! 😉

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Hey Margaret 🙂 Lol yeah I am totally feeling the imposter syndrome when it comes to being an adult. I don’t think it ever stops? I’m not even sure if I want it to stop, because I kind of want to hang on to the idea of being kind of young? (At least at heart? lol)
      Yeah the diverse rep in YA is amazing! Insta-love is cringe-worthy, which is why I rely on reading reviews so I can avoid these books lol 🙂

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      1. Margaret @ Weird Zeal Avatar
        Margaret @ Weird Zeal

        (I definitely understand wanting to hang onto the idea of being young 😂)

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Sophie Li Avatar
        Sophie Li

        I’m glad 🙂 🙂

        Like

  12. Mel Avatar
    Mel

    I totally relate to this post! I have loved YA fiction since I was a teen, but recently I’ve been wondering if I should be…growing out of it maybe? I don’t feel like I am for the most part because I still really enjoy most of it, but I sometimes feel weirdly guilty about liking YA even though I definitely think people should read what they want to read. I have tried to branch out of YA also, but ultimately I think I just love YA regardless of being an adult. This was such a great post! Thanks for sharing it ❤

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Hey Mel! Yeah I get what you mean. Part of me does feel guilty about reading YA novels and I wonder if I should be growing out of the genre. On the other hand, I absolutely agree that we should read what we want to read. Reading is for our enjoyment after all! I’d say we should read the books that make us feel happy 🙂

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  13. Kay Wisteria | Hammock of Books Avatar
    Kay Wisteria | Hammock of Books

    I’m a senior in high school, so still a young adult but not for much longer, but I love it so much I can’t imagine stopping reading it!! ❤ ❤ ❤

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Hi Kay! First of all, that’s awesome that you’ll be graduating soon! I think YA is a genre that’s always there for you when you want to read more of it. As an adult, I still feel that I can relate to YA books (sometimes even more than adult books haha.) At the end of the day, I think you should read what you want to read!

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  14. thewolfandbooks Avatar
    thewolfandbooks

    Adult fiction is barely diverse… It’s *slowly* getting there. But I don’t see myself represented in adult fiction too much. If it’s Literary, it’s people who are married or have a secure job or have kids. If it’s fantasy, it’s very serious and people die a lot. Haha. I do like Adult Fantasy if I’m tired of YA tropes, but I usually find myself returning to YA in the end. I loved this post!

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Yeah I think you are SO right and that’s the reason why I don’t read adult fiction haha. It’s a bit heavy at times (whether literary or genre fiction) and it just isn’t as relaxing to read as YA books (although there are exceptions!) So in general I like to switch between adult and YA once in a while, and most of the time I read what I feel like 🙂

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  15. Will Read for Booze Avatar
    Will Read for Booze

    I am also… an “adult” and I am still trying to figure out how to make it stop. I feel you on the “am i growing out of this?” internal monologue. You know that meme that’s like “you know you’re an adult when you start to relate more to the parents than the main characters”?

    No, Ariel, you are definitely a child at 16 and you should listen to your father.

    Sorry. I’ve been feeling like this a lot lately with YA books. I can barely remember to do my laundry before I run out of clothes, let alone save the world, and I’m almost 30…

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Haha YES I know what you mean. There are some YA books that I read where I am starting to sympathize with the parents. “Oh gosh, that is a tough kid to have to deal with…”
      Yeah I feel you there, adulting is hard!! 🙂

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  16. Kelly | Another Book in the Wall Avatar
    Kelly | Another Book in the Wall

    This is such a great post, Sophie! I truly love so much about the YA genre, but definitely agree that some aspects of it can be annoying – the lack of positive parental figures is certainly one of those reasons for me. Haha. What I love most about this genre, is the focus on relationships and the coming of age themes! ☺️

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Hello Kelly 🙂 I absolutely agree with you, I love coming of age stories and I really enjoy reading about relationships when it comes to YA books 🙂

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  17. artyplantsman Avatar
    artyplantsman

    I am 52 and read a lot of YA! It is not all light hearted escapism either – the Hunger Games books are unbearably bleak at times for instance. But I love that YA has the imagination often lacking in so called adult books!

    I love Terry Pratchett. My favourite of his books? The YA Tiffany Aching series. Both funny and really wise and poignant!

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Hey Darren 🙂 Yes I love the imaginative stories in YA as well. I remember you mentioning that you like Terry Pratchett. I will have to check out the Tiffany Aching series some time

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  18. Beth (Reading Every Night) Avatar
    Beth (Reading Every Night)

    I don’t feel like an adult either Sophie, in fact I’m wondering when I will start along with wondering when being an adult will be over as well! 😐
    Still I read YA all the time, and I don’t feel like I should graduate to adult books. There are things that annoy me about the genre (the parent thing and insta-love are two major ones of mine too) but there’s so much more representation in books now, so many important stories like THUG and books focusing on mental health and diversity, that I feel like the genre is not just for young adults.
    Maybe one day that’ll change, but for now I read what I enjoy and what I enjoy is YA!
    Great post. I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on this topic. 🙂 ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Hey Beth 🙂 Haha I have a feeling that adulting never really ends, and maybe it is a good thing to hang onto the feeling of being young!
      Yeah I love the representation in YA books. It’s great that we have books with diversity and books that talk about mental health, and I agree like there are many books like THUG that go beyond their label as a “young adult” book.
      I always felt that I needed to transition into adult books now that I am older, but after hearing from so many other adults who read YA, I feel like it is perfectly fine to continue reading YA haha 🙂 After all I guess it is about reading what we want to read, and what makes us happy 🙂

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      1. Beth (Reading Every Night) Avatar
        Beth (Reading Every Night)

        It never does, we’re thrown into it without warning and there’s no escape (too dramatic? Maybe, but true). 🙂
        Exactly, there’s so much more to YA than there used to be when I was a teenager. I’ve kind of grew up with the genre and seen it evolve as my own reading tastes have evolved. I think there’s still plenty more places for it to go and hopefully I’ll never get bored of it. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Sophie Li Avatar
        Sophie Li

        Haha yes! When I turned 18, I definitely didn’t feel like an adult. Then the years went by and suddenly I am 28 and doing things like paying bills and doing chores every weekend?! lol 🙂
        That’s interesting that you grew up with the YA genre! I’m curious what trends you’ve noticed compared to the YA books you’ve read before?
        I read a lot of Babysitters Club, Series of Unfortunate Events, etc. But as a teen I actually read mostly adult fiction (I was rebellious haha.) Interestingly now I am reading way more YA than adult 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Beth (Reading Every Night) Avatar
        Beth (Reading Every Night)

        It sneaks up on your doesn’t it? 🙂
        I mean the first YA books I really picked up were the Twilight ones. I went through the whole vampire trends, then there were a lot of books featuring angels, and then it was the dystopian craze when the Hunger Games was released. Now the trend seems to be diverse books which I’m hoping is a trend that just keeps growing and growing. 😀

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Sophie Li Avatar
        Sophie Li

        Yeah I remember when everyone was reading Twilight and Hunger Games! You are right that for a while there were lots of vampire novels and even TV shows, and then dystopian series. I am definitely liking the diverse trend now as well 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      5. Beth (Reading Every Night) Avatar
        Beth (Reading Every Night)

        Yeah you have those trends for a while and then they seem to fade away. I haven’t seen a vampire book being released in years.

        Liked by 1 person

      6. Sophie Li Avatar
        Sophie Li

        Yeah that’s true!

        Liked by 1 person

  19. Women’s History Month Reading Challenge ANNOUNCEMENT | #WHMReadingChallenge – Weird Zeal

    […] into Books | Jayati @ It’s Just a Coffee Addicted Bibliophile | Book Princess Reviews | Sophie @ Sophie’s Corner | Sarah @ Written Word Worlds | Marta @ The Cursed Books | Xandra @ Starry Sky Books | Dezzy @ The […]

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  20. Kaleena @ Reader Voracious Avatar
    Kaleena @ Reader Voracious

    Believe me… the feeling of not being a real adult never goes away. I am 35 and still feel like I am faking it! I also still read YA fantasy and science fiction, mostly because I enjoy the stories and pacing … and not feeling like a real adult also means the narratives of finding yourself and coming of age resonate with me. I don’t enjoy YA contemporary though, mostly for the reasons you listed. I almost view YA as a way to telling the story just as much as the age of the protagonist.

    But don’t worry – you aren’t the only one!

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Hey Kaleena! Yeah you might be right that adulting never ends 🙂 I think it’s not a bad thing to be a kid on the inside.
      I also don’t enjoy contemporary YA as much as I used to because of the reasons here. Especially in the past year, it’s been the YA fantasy/sci fi genres that I gravitate towards. Although I like reading about relationships, sometimes YA contemporary is a bit much.
      Coming of age stories always resonate with me as well 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Kaleena @ Reader Voracious Avatar
        Kaleena @ Reader Voracious

        You’re right, there’s nothing wrong with being young at heart! And for me I’ve been happily single & not dating for like a decade now, so I just don’t reach for or related to romance or relationships. Maybe someday, not now! I just want to go on adventures! (and figure out who the heck I am)

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Sophie Li Avatar
        Sophie Li

        Relationships and romances are not for everyone. I think it makes sense to do and read what your heart is into at the moment 🙂

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  21. Let’s Chat! Good & Bad Reading Habits – Sophie's Corner Avatar
    Let’s Chat! Good & Bad Reading Habits – Sophie's Corner

    […] that means YA. I’ve very rarely ventured into adult books in the past year or so, which I won’t get into much here. I read most notably YA contemporary, sci-fi and fantasy, and that’s because I know these are […]

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  22. Sieran Lane Avatar
    Sieran Lane

    Hey Sophie, sorry I’ve been so behind on blog hopping lately that it’s not even funny. XD I have probably read many more adult novels than you have, but most of the adult books I read are gay romances, lol, so you can take my opinions with a grain of salt. (I believe you have read tons more YA books than I have too.)

    Haha amazingly supportive and astoundingly awful 2D parents are quite common in adult novels too. I’ve read many insta-love adult romances as well. As for unrealistic stuff, hmmm well, there are those impossibly selfless heroes. From reading the news, these people do exist, but I imagine they are very rare. I don’t mind reading about rare people, though, lol.

    On your pros for YA, haha there is a ton of diverse representation in adult novels too. Maybe I’m biased because almost all I read are gay romances, which is already diverse in itself. But even among authors of adult novels generally, there is a big trend towards being more inclusive of different ethnicities, religions, abilities, neurodivergencies, social classes, etc.

    For relationships, I wouldn’t say all, but many of the adult novels I read also highlight important platonic relationships, such as a close relationship with a parent, sibling, best friend, etc. Aww, I know there is dark stuff, but many of the romances I read are quite sweet and cute too. XD Just because there’s a lot of steamy sex doesn’t mean they can’t be an adorable couple as well! (So you see I’m basically trying to rebut as many points as possible, lol, hope you don’t mind, but it’s fun to write this.)

    LOLLL for slower pacing, I suspect that you’re talking about literary classics and certain genres/ types of books. (Some fantasy can be quite slow, like Lord of the Rings. Even George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire can be rather slow. I find that sometimes Stephen King’s pacing can be sluggish too, but then I’ve only read The Shining and It so far.) However, I find that the vast majority of contemporary gay romances are quite rapid. At first I wasn’t used to such speed and would complain about how fast it is. But I later got used to it. I think adult romances written in the 21st century, are quite fast-paced in general.

    All right. I can’t say that reading adult novels make me feel young. If anything, they sometimes make me feel old. (Slowly but surely, I’m growing older than many of the heroes. =_= These young guys in their early and mid-twenties… AHHHH!)

    Ahahahaha! Quite a lot of adult novels can be very hilarious too. It really depends on the author’s personal voice and style. Even though I love Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunter universe (YA), I have to say that it isn’t super funny. There is humor, but not that much, imo. But in general, yes, there seems to be a larger percentage of laugh-out-loud books in YA vs adult fiction. The types of humor can be different too. Adult fiction may have more dark humor and more sexual innuendos than YA, but again, this is a big generalization. (I love dark humor and gay innuendos, though. As long as the innuendos aren’t the done-to-death boring ones.)

    About adult novels being too serious, again, it depends on the book and author. One book I recently adored, is indeed very heavy. It talks about drug addiction, obsessive compulsive disorder, amputation due to losing a limb in war, childhood sexual abuse, etc. It’s still really optimistic and hopeful, though, and I have a crush on one of the heroes. On the other hand, there are also many silly and lighthearted books, like the Law of Attraction and the Drop Dead series by Peter Styles. So many random funny moments! Many of Abraham Steele’s gay wolf shifter romances are quite light and humorous as well.

    Again, I get the feeling that the heavy and even dark impression you get from adult fiction, mostly comes from literary classics and literary fiction? Probably not from modern adult gay romance novels, haha.

    Hmm perhaps there is a more equal ratio of heavier vs lighter novels in adult fiction compared to YA, and a greater lighter to heavier novel ratio in YA compared to adult fic.

    Once again, given that most of the modern English adult novels I read are gay romances, my opinions would not be representative of modern English adult fiction in general. (I say modern and English, which discounts all literary classics, all the Chinese books I read, and all the translated books I read from other languages.)

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Hey Sieran!

      No worries! I’ve been pretty behind on blogging as well (and well, life hahahah) :’) I am happy to hear your perspective since you read adult fiction much more than me.

      I agree with your points here. My understanding of adult fiction is quite limited, and you’re right that most of the adult fiction that I’ve read are classics. The points in this post are generalizations based on my experience with adult fiction, which of course is not representative of all adult fiction out there! I can imagine that adult fiction can be diverse (especially in subgenres) and light-hearted/humorous, and YA fiction can be the reverse 🙂

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  23. Sieran Lane Avatar
    Sieran Lane

    Hey I just wanted to clarify that I do love YA as well. I don’t think I have a preference for YA or for adult fiction, tbh. As long as it’s queer or trans, lol.

    But I noticed that I’m more ageist when it comes to hetero romances. I prefer it if the protagonists, especially the guy, are below the age of 20. However, for gay romances, I don’t mind even if they are in their 30’s or even 40’s. I’m a lot more open-minded about huge age differences (e.g. 20 years apart) for same-gender romances, and a lot less accepting towards big age gaps in het romances. Especially if it’s a much older man and a much younger woman. Always makes me feel like the old guy is taking advantage of the young girl. *Shivers* I’m more open-minded in real life, though, since there are some real-life straight couples I’m fond of who have great age differences.

    But yes, I must admit that I have double standards when it comes to age preferences in gay vs straight romances!

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      That’s interesting that you have age preferences in the protagonists that you read, depending on the genre. Come to think of it, I suppose I prefer protagonists who are below the age of 40 (this threshold has creeped up over the years LOL as I grow older) since I can relate to them more. Yeah I agree that I am a bit creeped out by big age gaps, especially an older male and a much younger woman. It just seems a bit stereotypical for me? (unless the novel takes place in a historical context which would make more sense.)

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  24. Dani @ Perspective of a Writer Avatar
    Dani @ Perspective of a Writer

    Love this post Sophie! ❤️ I so agree about adult books. In fact I have a post about this in my drafts… I think they are so heavy, sleep inducing and borrrrrrrrring! And YA books are more diverse, faster paced and focus on relationships. I like the weight and ton of YA too. I do wish that YA authors went with a more realistic bent even though it doesn’t have to be realistic like adult books… just a tad more believable at times. Especially things that are just about research and not about putting teens in adult situations. 😉

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Yeah! Although there are some adult books that I end up enjoying, usually I am put off by the slower pacing and the heaviness haha. Glad that you feel similarly Dani 🙂
      I agree that I also enjoy YA books that are more grounded, and wish that this could be the case for more YA books 🙂 It would be great for teens to be portrayed as teens rather than placed into adult situations haha.

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  25. February Wrap-Up and March Goals! – Sophie's Corner Avatar
    February Wrap-Up and March Goals! – Sophie's Corner

    […] Reading YA as an adult! […]

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  26. haidanwrites Avatar
    haidanwrites

    Ah I can definitely see how this could be a popular topic for discussion! I too see the two sides of reading YA as an adult. I find that my main reason for reading them is that I find they’re actually better written (related to your point about pacing). Teens can totally tell immediately if a novel is boring so writers have to step up their game in this genre! I hope to one day be able to write some good YA myself (after I get some practice in).

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Definitely! I love the faster pacing of YA novels. YA writers really know how to reel readers in haha 🙂 I’ve been primarily writing YA as well, since it is the genre that I read the most often. I don’t think I’ve asked before but was your previous novel YA or adult?

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  27. theorangutanlibrarian Avatar
    theorangutanlibrarian

    Yeah I do get what you mean about beginning to feel jaded by the unrealistic aspects of YA, but I still enjoy it for the most part and love your reasons 😀 Great post!

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Yeah, same here 🙂 I think we should read what we love to read, whether it is YA or adult fiction, and we can still love and enjoy YA no matter what age we are!

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  28. thebookofjess7504 Avatar
    thebookofjess7504

    You should read whatever you want! I love YA too for almost the same reasons as you!

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      Absolutely 🙂 I think as long as we love YA we can’t “grow out” of it, no matter how old we are!

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      1. thebookofjess7504 Avatar
        thebookofjess7504

        So true!

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  29. Malka @ Paper Procrastinators Avatar
    Malka @ Paper Procrastinators

    I very much can relate to everything you mentioned in this post! I tend to gravitate towards YA for all the reasons you listed. I’m comfortable reading YA. I know all the books, all the tropes, all my favorite authors.

    Whenever I pick up an adult book I feel like I’m walking into uncharted territory, and I’ve found that I don’t tend to like the same genres in Adult books as I do in YA. While I love contemporary YA, I generally dislike the plot of most Adult contemporaries, but I enjoy Adult fantasy as much or maybe more than YA fantasy.

    There may be downsides to YA, but that’s my happy place, so for now I’m going to keep on reading it, even as my age leads me more and more toward becoming an Official Adult TM.

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    1. Sophie Li Avatar
      Sophie Li

      I definitely know what you mean in that I am more comfortable with reading YA as well. I feel like I know what to expect when I pick up a YA book, for example in YA fantasy and sci-fi there is usually a romance subplot that is cute or the characters have great chemistry/tension (or both!)
      Yeah I get that about adult books being an uncharted territory. While I like YA sci-fi, I recently picked up an adult sci-fi and it’s been really slow and hard to get into haha.
      I feel like we are never too “old” to read YA, and that we can only grow out of YA when we feel tired of the genre, whether it is when we are 20 or 30 or 40 or 50 or never!

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  30. 2020 Reading and Blogging Goals – Sophie's Corner Avatar
    2020 Reading and Blogging Goals – Sophie's Corner

    […] Reading YA as an Adult […]

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