Defending YA (Again?)

Adults are reading YA as well, but the books are written and should remain written for teens.

— Kat Kennedy (@_KatKennedy) September 16, 2015

@GraemeSimsion First it was adults reading YA books and now this. I think a moral panic is in order.

— Penelope Ann Russon (@eglantinescake) August 7, 2015

@EpicReads i think you should respond to the argument that adults should not read YA because they're adults.

— blondefairy1975 (@blondefairy1975) March 12, 2015

These comments are all from various different times this year. One from March, one from August and one dated three days ago. As those of you on Twitter might know, there has been a lot of discussion on adults reading YA.

I'm sure, if you have been following the blog this year, you will remember my post in February responding to THAT Slate article. But it seems that, despite all of the wonderful arguments from readers, some adults will never learn, and I'm back here again defending YA.


Listen up adults, because I've said it once and I'll say it again. People have a right to read what they want to read, and they also have a right to not be judged for their preferences.


What you haters can't seem to wrap your brains around is the fact that teens are not stupid, and YA is not stupid. I know because, lone behold, I am not unintelligent.

When an adult is reading YA, it is not beneath them. They are not sacrificing a sophisticated 'adult' book for a 'trashy' or 'dumb' teen one. There are so many elegantly written Young Adult books and so many adult ones that I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole because when I look at them I can feel brain cells dying.

In case you didn't know, teenagers are just as smart as their fully-grown counterparts. If I wanted to pick up an adult book now and read it, I could. And I would be able to enjoy it just the same as an adult would. So please just stop with the stereotypes and just try to understand that people will read what they want to read and trying to say they can't is idiotic.
 
If you're an adult who doesn't read YA then fine, good for you, go read whatever you want. But for goodness' sake don't - please don't - judge others for reading YA.

Thank you for reading this post. I hope that this is the last time that I have to see so much stereotyping and discrimination against YA.

Let me know what your thoughts are by leaving them in the comment box at the very bottom of the page. Thanks x