7 Struggles Of Being An Adult YA Reader

I love reading young adult books. I may be past the “target age,” but what does that matter? People who believe that children’s books are only for children are seriously missing out on a ton of great literature. As an adult who loves YA literature, I've definitely encountered some hate, some side-eye, and a whole lot of judgment.

The truth is, I love YA novels. I love romance, too. And genre fiction. And classic literature. And literary fiction. I think each and every genre has something to offer, and there are good and bad books and authors within each one. That's why I just can't deal with people who criticize YA as badly written (really, every single YA book is badly written? OK.) or those who criticize YA because it deals with “teenage” issues. Seriously, you can’t remember what it was like to be a teenager? Or do you just not realize that teenagers are people too, and their struggles are relatable to all age groups?

If you’re an adult who loves to shop in the YA section of the bookstore, you’ve probably experienced the following feelings…

1. You Feel Defensive When You Walk Into The YA Section

You know those people who refuse to read children's literature are missing out. Still, you can't help feeling slightly defensive when you walk into the YA section and start browsing. Are people staring at you? Do they know how old you are? Do they understand how great YA books are???

2. You Grab Some "Serious" Books To Balance Out The YA Novels

At the library, you sometimes "balance out" your stack of YA novels with a few "serious" books. If you have literary fiction and classics mixed in with young adult, no one can judge you, right?

Right?

3. You're Up To Date With All The Books The Teens Are Talking About

Some people may scoff at your YA collection, but those people are probably super out of touch with young people. You, on the other hand, can have a lengthy conversation about the latest popular teen series, because you've obviously read it. And you have lots of opinions.

4. You Mentally Pretend That The Characters Are Your Age

Let's be real: often, characters in young adult books act much older than they actually are. When I was 15, I spent most of my time doing homework and... well, reading YA books. Fifteen-year-olds in said books are usually saving the world and/or going on elaborate dates with very mature significant others. So it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to imagine them as being older than their canon age — after all, they usually have the wisdom and experience to match.

5. You Get Extremely Excited When YA Books Are Made Into Movies

Young adult series are being made into movies constantly, and you are LOVING it.

6. You Roll Your Eyes When Everyone Starts Reading A YA Book You Read Ages Ago

The minute a YA series becomes a bestseller or becomes a movie, everyone wants to borrow your copy. These are often the same people who made fun of you for reading it before it was popular. After all, you read the series ages ago and knew it would be the next big thing. All you can do is say "I told you so," and hope they come out of the experience a YA lover.

7. You're Always Ready To Defend Young Adult Books

No matter how many times people berate you for reading YA, you know that it's an awesome genre, and you will always be ready to defend it. Because at the end of the day, you know what awesome worlds lie within the pages of these books.

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