I don't know about you all, but I much prefer the term 'YA' or 'Young Adult' as opposed to 'Teen.' My library has recently transitioned from having spine labels on the books saying 'YA' to 'Teen,' as well as a lot of other local libraries. I am so not a fan of this, despite being a gigantic fan of my library. They have also labeled the YA section the 'Teen Space.' And NO, I am not at all trying to get down on the library, as this has apparently become the norm. I know a lot of bookstores and libraries now seem to use the term 'Teen' now exclusively as well.
Why is this a bother? Well, for starters, a lot of people, including myself, who read YA are NOT actually teens. Being 22, I am, however, a young adult. Entering a section called Young Adult, of which I am, would make me feel a lot less creepy and pedophile-ish than loitering around a teen section.
Also, the term 'Teen' really only encompasses a rather small population: ages 13-19. Young Adult, however, really broadens that... a much larger range of the population is considered to be a young adult. And ya know what, even if you're no longer a 'young' adult... who cares? Authors would be thrilled that their books are appealing to a broad range of people. We were all teens once, or still are, so YA books are really easy to relate to. While the majority of my reading is done in the Adult arena, I do enjoy YA sometimes for a nice change of pace... even though I'm not a teen!
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I like the YA term better too... though I still feel a little silly in that section, cause I know I'm well over the general age intended for that section.
ReplyDeleteWhat really bugs me about the YA section though is that SO MANY classics are shelved over there. Who knows how many adults miss those because they don't think to look for Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, or Hemingway in YA? And maybe it's just me, but I probably couldn't understand some of those books when I was around the 13-16 age. I didn't even know about most of them.
I always thought that it would make more sense if "Teen" fiction was considered the 12-16 age category, and didn't touch on themes of sexuality. And "Young Adult" fiction was 16 to 21, dealing with more mature themes but not including smut. And then there is now "New Adult", which I think is for people in their early 20's who want a good romance, but nothing too graphic....
ReplyDeleteBut sometimes they seem to blend, as though the author isn't quite sure who the target audience is.
"Young Adult" is a term used by many disciplines but means different things to each. When a psychologist says "young adult" he may mean something different than a librarian. A young adult may be some 18-early 20s because they are in fact, legally speaking, young adults. The ALA defines a young adult as someone aged 12-18.
ReplyDeleteEven though the term young adult may have some ambiguity I'm with you. I don't like labeling some books as just for teens when they appeal to such a wider audience. Librarians may be trying to coral stinky, noisy teens into one area though. It bothers me when designated teen areas have more-or-less keep out notices to non-teens. Not cool.
I consider YA to be more than just teens, I consider 18 - 21 year olds as YA. If it was labeled teens I probably won't even try some of them. YA is not my favourite but I do enjoy some.
ReplyDeleteThat surprises me, as "Teen" seems like a much more limited group than "Young Adult". Now that you mention it, I do remember seeing a bright yellow "Teen" sticker on the spine of some of the YA books I've checked out.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to hang out in the Teen Space either! Would make me feel unwelcome. They were probably trying to come up with a way to appeal to teens, but I think it was a bad move on the part of the library system.
I'm with you on the YA thing -- I am not a young adult, really, but I am certainly not a teen! :)
ReplyDeleteI prefer YA too :)
ReplyDeleteThat is a really good point! My old library used to have a teen section, and while I did successfully ignore those labels, I did feel intimidated (yeah that's right!) around all those teenagers who were reading around those shelves. My current library however has a young adult section, and I hope it stays that way, because I barely notice the teens around.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post, Steph! I happen to start my writing career as a YA author with two novels! Of course, my first editor decided to call me a Teen Fiction author, which I was fine with because my first book was about a 14-year old girl. But, with my second book, I feel that my books belong in the YA genre, which, I agree, is a much broader term--it reaches to a wider audience range. And, like you, I also like to read from the Adult and YA subjects. So, in answer to your question, I don't mind being called a Teen Fiction author by some, but, in all due respect, I always refer to myself as a Young Adult author.
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Excellent post, Steph! The term 'teen' is much less broad than 'YA.' I suppose they can mean 2 different things to people though because some view teens as 13-18 and young adults as 19-25. Changing the library section's name to 'teen space' was probably intended to appeal to teens more. I think there needs to be some clarification in the bookish world between 'teens' and 'ya' because of the suitability of content.
ReplyDeleteUgh! I've been wondering this lately too. Every time I go to Barnes and Noble I definitely feel a little silly heading straight to the teen section...YA just makes so much more sense!
ReplyDeleteI've noticed this too, and I'm not liking it. It makes me feel like I'm some sort of a creep. :(
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the motivation is strictly to appeal to actual teens since they already have the age range of people who actually can be classified as young adults thriving?
Did my comment go through now?
ReplyDeleteOh good, let's try this again. Young ADult is what I prefer. Teen can range from 13-19 and that is a big difference in age, you are right.
ReplyDeleteYoung Adult novels cover some pretty hefty topics and should be geared towards older teens and adults.
My library still uses YA, my old bookstore still uses YA. I'm guessing maybe publishers may be looking to create a newer genre called teen for younger teen books, like middle grade?
I am in complete agreement with you! Teen just sounds limiting, isn't engaging, etc., etc. Young Adult encompasses quite a bit more than teen - and for me, I'm in my late thirties! I don't want to read a book that has the word "teen" on the side of it - I don't like it and it's also just not accurate!
ReplyDeleteI'd be curious to know why your library chose to make the change. And, is this "Teen" section right next to the children's section?
ReplyDeleteThe reason I ask is that in our used bookshop, we have a separate area for children's books, and within that area, there are shelves labeled "Teen"; however, when we get new releases, Shadowfever, for example, we put them with the adult new releases, and they sell better there...I think you are right about the "weirdness" factor; it makes it hard for adults to feel comfortable in an area designated for kids...