Week 7

Assignment 2:
New Adult: Needless Marketing-Speak or Valued Subgenre?

It doesn't matter to me when the term “new adult” began being used, but for library services, I believe it, or another term with similar meaning, is useful.  It doesn’t have much pizzazz but neither do most of our categories, they have just been around longer and maybe we are accustomed to them.  

Because teens develop so much between thirteen and nineteen, I believe the term is helpful.  It allows readers to find (or steer away from) books whose characters are in early adulthood and therefore may be dealing with more mature content.  

 

YA Comes of Age doesn’t seem to shed any new light, perhaps because it was written four years ago.  I think it is wonderful that adults read so much young adult literature not only because there is some great material but also because it is nice to have something to share with a younger generation.  As our culture shifts, it sometimes seems that we share less with people who are not our age.  Reading the same book can create a connection. 

As far as what sells, I suppose someone will keep writing whatever people have an appetite to buy or borrow. 




Assignment 3:
Forever Young Adult caters to adults who like YA and romance.  As the website says, “you can let your inner Lady Nerd loose and swoon over fictional characters without shame (while sipping on a cocktail).”  It is meant to be informative as well as entertaining and amusing.  It shares Book Reports, book club lists (that link to active groups), movie information and more. 

The Book Reports as they are called are quite detailed, beginning with the cover and continuing on rating “talky talk,” “swoonworthy scale,” and more.  Each category has a rating and a blurb.  Anyone can submit a review to Forever Young Adult but they won’t guarantee it will be posted.  The authors of the Reports vary, including reviewers from Kirkus. 

For someone who enjoys this type of fiction and wants to be a part of a community, this site will be a great find!

  

John Green Books is a wonderful resource and easy to navigate.  It includes all the ordinary author information plus a lot more.  For each of his books, there are answers to many questions that he has been asked about his ideas and characters.  Also included is “Vlogbrothers” which is a video blog often done with his brother.  These are eclectic pieces covering a variety of topics that inspire curiosity and mindfulness as well as just plain fun.  They often deal with the everyday world and the interactions we have.  I have known he is a great author, I can now see why people “follow” John Greene.

Assignment 4:


After looking at the Penguin and Macmillan imprints, the trend in teen fiction continues to include dystopian, science fiction, and realistic fiction.  What I find surprising, is the lack of teen and young adult that that have no romantic ties.