Why young-adult fiction shouldn't be a "guilty" pleasure

By Jemma Daley 

My Name is Jemma, I’m 21 Years Old, and I Read YA Fiction.

I sit here writing this story, feeling personally attacked by one of my so-called 'Facebook friends' who decided to share a very hurtful article. Against YA had the purpose of shaming adults who read books “written for children” (young adult books targeted at 12-17 year-olds) by insisting that adults need to be reading books that expand their viewpoints and encourage them to empathise with characters different to themselves. Hence, why a 21-year-old reading about a moody 17-year-old girl trying to choose between a vampire and a werewolf might cause mature intellectual types to “roll their eyes”. Well boy, do I have something to say about that.

I’d be lying to you if I said this article didn’t lead to a personal existential crisis. “Am I the most shallow, uncultured, unintelligent adult in the world?” Maybe. But that has nothing to do with the fact that I’ll devour a young adult book in one sitting. In fact, after a thorough check of my Goodreads page, I discovered that 86% of the books I have read were YA novels. This isn’t completely ludicrous considering I’ve only officially been of adult age for four years, but why does it even matter? Reading is reading. At the end of the day I spent more time skimming paper and absorbing words than I did in front of a screen.

What makes it even worse, is that I’m an English major. In my first-year English class we went around the room declaring our favourite books . When most people were gushing over Stephen King or Dan Brown (yes this is how limited my knowledge of adult book authors is) I was secretly chanting “Harry Potter?” But did I admit this cold, twisted secret to my class? No. I was obviously shamed into lying and blurted out The Picture of Dorian Gray to fit in with the cool kids. However, after some much-needed reflection, I have become outraged at the stigma that forced me to keep my YA addiction hidden for so many years.

I’m a uni student. I have spent the past four years of my life ‘being intellectual’. I go to class, I analyse the use of gender in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, I go home and read fifty pages of Middlemarch, I write one thousand words on how newspaper articles portrayed the Victorian bushfires in 1939, the next day I give a presentation on how marketing principles can be implemented in creating a new communications strategy. I spend my whole life ‘being intellectual’ - exercising that beautiful brain of mine. Why can’t I come home and collapse into a sappy YA romance without feeling ashamed?

After digging a little deeper, I discovered a similarly skewed NY Times article that had the audacity to proclaim; “Let’s have the decency to let tween girls have their own little world of vampires and child wizards and games you play when hungry. Let’s not pump Justin Bieber in our Saabs and get engaged at Cinderella’s Castle at Disneyland. Because it’s embarrassing. You can’t take an adult seriously when he’s debating you over why Twilight vampires are O.K. with sunlight.” Yes, indeed Mr Joel Stein. I’ve read Twilight and actually enjoyed it and therefore, I must possess the same tendencies as a 12-year-old girl who dances around her bedroom with a cardboard cut-out of Justin Bieber covered in red lipstick stains.

Why do people like Stein not also question the disposition of men to play video games and foosball? Because there is an innate taboo associated with the teenage girl’s life. Teenagers are young and stupid; they have no emotional intelligence and deserve to be treated like children. Teenage girls, especially, are the 'Jenny Humphrey' types who turn from sweet and innocent sweethearts into selfish brats with dark eye-liner who dropout of school to start a career in fashion. They are the 'Bella Swans' who would live and die for some random pale guy they met a week ago. They are the 'Brenda Walsh’s' who eternally suffer from emotional angst and an irritating tendency to never appreciate anything their parents do for them. Fictional Teenage girls only fit into certain boxes which are subsequently slammed shut and shoved under the bed.

But please don’t try and tell me that Katniss Everdeen wasn’t one of the most badass heroines of our generation. Tris Prior took down a whole corrupt society and you’re going to sit there and tell me that her story isn’t worthy because she’s just a teenager and therefore automatically lacks credibility? I can’t believe I have to go this far but I have two words for you: HERMIONE GRANGER. 55% of YA readers are over the age of 18 and there's a reason for that. YA books are becoming more diverse, intelligent, and radical than ever. Take Angie Thomas' The Hate You Give as an example. The story follows 16-year-old Starr Carter as she navigates racially-charged police brutality in modern America. In fact, many critically acclaimed novels utilise the young adult perspective to highlight some of the world most pervasive struggles. Markus Zusak's The Book Thief provided many young readers with their first glimpse at one of the world's greatest tragedies from the perspective of a nine-year old. To Kill a Mockingbird explored issues of race and inequality through the experience of beloved young characters Jem and Scout. An adult lacking these classics from their reading repertoire would be declared an amateur.

Yes, I believe that every once and while it’s important to venture out of your comfort zone and read from the perspective of characters that surprise you. And yes, YA characters are young and flawed, but that doesn’t make their experience any less enlightening or entertaining for adult readers.

To lose sight of this, is to forget the basic function of a novel, enjoyment. I don’t come home from a long day of work thinking “hmmm I really feel like challenging my mental capacity so I might dive into a psychological crime thriller” (if that’s enjoyment for you then congratulations you’ve been blessed with a gift). I read books for escapism. That’s my right. Whether it be crime, fantasy, contemporary, thriller or romance. This doesn’t just apply to YA books. If you want to come home and indulge in an episode of Bachie or KUWTK then don’t be embarrassed. Everyone has a guilty pleasure. And hell, why should we feel guilty? We live in a tough world, faced with ugly realities every day. If I want to go home and pretend I’m actually a 17-year-old girl with the power to kill anyone I touch, that’s what I’m going to do. And I won’t apologise for it.