Young Adult Fiction: Issues and Trends

A ‘marketplace phenomenon’ of the twentieth century, a ‘bright spot’ in an otherwise fluctuating literature market and an integral part of the lives of many teens, Young Adult literature is a ‘powerhouse’ in the publishing community, as well as in schools and homes, reaching out to both non-readers and readers alike. Not necessarily a mirror to the world, Young Adult literature is an experience, a form of living—A way of sharing lives together, of communicating sorrows and joys and most importantly, providing a voice for the youth, sometimes skeptical while at other times upbeat. YA literature remains a strong draw as it touches readers in very real ways. It offers a landscape in which teens relate to the characters, situations, challenges of puberty, bullying, young love, self-esteem, and coming-of-age. However, the YA novel’s primary subtext is usually about identity construction. Young adults are constructing their sense of self and the books they read may be a part of that process. Since young adult literature exerts a powerful influence over its readers at a particularly malleable time in their identity formation, we ought to approach YA literature with the same careful scrutiny, even if it is written about and to young adults rather than by them. Young Adult Fiction: Issues and Trends, is a humble effort to probe the genre of Young Adult Fiction, its dimensions, and its ever-changing and unique components. The anthology presents a collection of fifteen essays examining current issues and trends in YA fiction like realistic fiction, romance/sexuality, dystopian fiction, and mixed genre fiction. Hence, it will undoubtedly prove valuable to the students, researchers and scholars of English Literature. Read more