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Discussion Thread - Young Adult Fiction Society | Penana
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Discussion Thread
Andrew Knight
#1
An all-inclusive place to discuss anything and everything YA! Talk about plot lines, characters, meanings, and anything else you'd like about any piece of YA fiction, published or not!
10 years agoReply
Nicole Armas
#2
This is just my two cents on YA but I find the vast majority of books directed towards teenagers are awful and too cliched (Twilight and the Hush, Hush are such abominations). It's as if the authors don't think young people have the intelligence to understand or appreciate good literature so they publish garbage on the insulting assumption that teenagers will read it. However, there are good YA books and series like the Hunger Games or Divergent but the vast majority are awful.
10 years agoReply
Andrew Knight
I could not agree with you more! I almost feel a little cheated by the YA garbage that's out there today because readers have associated the bad writing with a good genre, and they're hesitant to give it a chance. I think good YA fiction resonates well with adults, not just kids, and that's how you can tell what's quality.
10 years agoReply
Nicole Armas
@Andrew Knight, Exactly. The Outsiders and the Catcher in the Rye for example are typically books directed towards a younger audience (both books are used in Canadian schools for English) but they're books from the YA genre that all ages can really enjoy and appreciate. It's definitely not the genre itself that's the problem, it's the standards the writers are held to.
10 years agoReply
Andrew Knight
@Nicole Armas, I'd really like to see that standard change, and I think that's why I'm so drawn to the genre. I mean, I don't consider myself some kind of fantastic writer or anything, but I'd like to contribute. Besides, writing for young adults is awesome; they're in their formative years, and they are so empowered by words on the page. I know I was!
10 years agoReply
Nicole Armas
@Andrew Knight, For sure! I find a lot of the novels I have read so far in my time in high school has really influenced my writing and given me inspiration.
10 years agoReply
Andrew Knight
@Nicole Armas, which is great, because there really are some great YA authors out there. I'm pretty sure my work is most influenced by J.D. Salinger, John Knowles, and a little John Green. Maybe some Kurt Vonnegut
10 years agoReply
Nicole Armas
@Andrew Knight, There certainly are. Oddly enough, the authors I always liked were the writers from the Victorian era and even Shakespeare. Mind you, I don't think my writing reflects their style of writing at all (although I have tried) but I always liked how flowery their language was.
10 years agoReply
Andrew Knight
@Nicole Armas, I think that was the age of incredible language. Those writers had such command of prose it's nothing short of jaw-dropping! Shakespeare, Spencer, Both Dickens, Thoreau, Wodehouse, all of them!
10 years agoReply
Nicole Armas
@Andrew Knight, They certainly did!
10 years agoReply
Nicole Armas
@JellyKat, I haven't heard of either of those books but I'll be sure to check them out. But wow is "Not For Me" really that bad???
10 years agoReply
Andrew Knight
@JellyKat, "so good that it made me cry" is always an excellent review. Evoking emotion in a reader is a must for great writing!
10 years agoReply
Nicole Armas
@JellyKat, Oh okay XD
10 years agoReply
Frances
#3
I just read the 'Maze Runner' series and thought it was a blast. But honestly, wasn't a fan of 'Divergent'
10 years agoReply
Andrew Knight
Man, I need to get out and read... I used to read all the time (}almost literally) but now I'm terrified of being unintentionally influenced by other authors work while I'm producing my own stuff...

What about Divergent didn't you like? I've heard all good things.
10 years agoReply
Nicole Armas
Maze Runner was amazing! I couldn't put those books down! I found Divergent to be very similar to the Hunger Games but I thought it still an enjoyable enough read.
10 years agoReply
Frances
#4
I thought she just did a spin off of Hunger Games, also it felt kind of like a dystopian version of Twilight, like the author just wanted to write a really sexy hero for the main character (that is based on herself) to fall in love with. I mean, I guess she had that overriding theme of 'accept yourself and be yourself' but it kind of got lost in the melodramatic teenage hormones.

No offense if anyone liked them!!! It's nothing personal. It was an entertaining read but I am surprised it got made into a movie. Nothing I'd write home about
10 years agoReply
Nicole Armas
I totally get where you're coming from. I admit I didn't really buy into the romance of the novels, it didn't seem genuine.
10 years agoReply
Andrew Knight
Kind of reminds me of The Host. I mean, I loved the concept, but the freaking four-way love rhombus, or whatever?! Couldn't get past that.
10 years agoReply
Andrew Knight
I can say that as a writer I've fallen victim to creating a fantasy lovechild in some of my characters... when I pulled away from that, though, I immediately saw the writing get better
10 years agoReply
Frances
#5
Honestly, I love writing romance. I think it's why I am such a harsh critic of it when I read it. Too many perfect characters falling in love out there in YA fic. It screws kids up, I swear.
10 years agoReply
Andrew Knight
@JellyKat, I think they key to romance is realism. It's hard to write love if you haven't felt heartbreak! Frances and I have the benefit of having me our soul mates already (I'd like to believe) so I think that is a huge factor.
10 years agoReply
Andrew Knight
@JellyKat, which is maybe why you have trouble with romance (which makes sense). I'm sure there's a way to study it to get better at writing it, but authenticity is important
10 years agoReply
Bobby
#6
I never used to write YA and I haven't read YA really since I was a young adult myself... But I think I've been writing a lot of it lately. I think? Tbh I'm a little hazy on exactly what the definition of the genre is. Cliches aside, at its core is YA just fiction primarily marketed to young adults? Or am I missing something you think?
10 years agoReply
Andrew Knight
You're right. Though I like to include "works that are about young adults" as well to sort of broaden the genre a little. Adolescence is an important subject, whether it be the subject of the work or the targeted audience of the work
10 years agoReply
Alef Magnus
@Andrew Knight, which brings up a good question. Are YA only focused on teens aged 14-19 dealing with friendships, early relationships and school or does it also include 20-24 college peeps and straight out of college demographic still lost at adulthood?
10 years agoReply
Andrew Knight
@Alef Magnus, actually, there's a sub-genre named "new adult" that focuses on college age individuals. I just learned that while going through the submissions processes for publishing.
10 years agoReply
Andrew Knight
@JellyKat, me neither until a few weeks ago. Must be a new thing
10 years agoReply
Alef Magnus
@Andrew Knight, Oh wow. I did just type it on search and yep it is legit. Deemed as the older YA, and only recently coined in 2009. This actually helps. My problems with YA in the past has always been about not relating to it anymore because I was in that age where I was so focused on working/getting corporate. So having that genre really helps if readers are looking for something to relate to on their current state.
10 years agoReply
Andrew Knight
@Alef Magnus, and you really don't see too many stories that center around 20-24 year olds, huh? Usually it goes from about 14-18 and then 25+
10 years agoReply
Alef Magnus
@Andrew Knight, Yeah I haven't really read any story about someone just getting out of college and trying to get work. It's like a big hole in everyone's lives that no one wants to talk about. Cause it's either sad, traumatizing, or boring.
10 years agoReply
Andrew Knight
@Alef Magnus, nail, meet hammer! Yeah, "new adulthood" can be a real bummer haha
10 years agoReply
Bobby
That actually makes a lot of sense. I haven't actually written any meaningful YA yet, but when I do I want it to be meaningful to adolescents and adults alike
10 years agoReply
TheFukurō
#7
Dang this is reallly old
2 years agoReply
Andrew Knight
#8
Reading back on this makes me realize how much time has passed.... wow.
2 years agoReply
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