Why YA Fiction?

So, a question I've gotten a lot from family and friends is "Why young adult fiction? Aren't you too old for that?" Absolutely not! Just because it says YOUNG adult doesn't mean that people over the age of 21 aren't allowed to read it. (And for the record, I may be over 21, but I'm still under 30 and plan on staying that way. Hah!) It just means that the general audience for which the novel was written is younger. This also means that the plot line and character development isn't usually bogged down with unnecessary description or overly complex plot lines that you'll sometimes find in adult oriented literature. You can still find rather steamy romance (though not as graphic as romance novels!), extraordinary action, and unique complex situations. It's just aimed at a younger audience.

Nowadays, with the current generation of teen readers, the books really don't vary that much from young adult to adult. For example, one of my absolute favorite young adult authors, Shannon Hale, has written a couple adult novels and they still feature the same whimsical, conversational style that I adore. (hrm, I wonder who else I know writes that way? OH YEAH! Me, duuurrrrr) The main characters in these books are just adults instead of teens and are facing more real world situations (well, sort of) that will probably appeal to an adult audience more than her usual YA audience.

So, yeah, the short answer to the question is..... BECAUSE I WANT TO. :) Like the title of the blog says, I'm never gonna grow up! Keep an eye out for the first review to be published exclusively on this blog - "The Iron Queen" by Julie Kagawa. I am eating this book FOR BREAKFAST so I am sure the review will be up soon. (BTW - You can read more of my reviews over at shortandsweet on Goodreads.com.)