A Few Thoughts on YA Novels

I'm on track to finish reading at least four YA/J-Fic novels this month, which is by no means a huge amount, but compared to most months, quite significant for me. What I'm discovering is that some writers remember what it was like to be a teen and can transfer those memories into the here-and-now of the 21st century. But some don't and can't. (I certainly don't want to fall into that category.)

M.T. Anderson either remembers what it was like to be a teenager or he's very observant of teenagers (or maybe both). I'm almost finished with Burger Wuss, a tale of teenage revenge at a fast-food restaurant. Even though the book is nearly ten years old (which qualifies as ancient history in YA literature), Anderson's portrayal of teen angst, betrayal, injustice, humor, satire and the general rollercoaster of emotions are spot on. He understands.

So does Ann Dee Ellis. Her debut novel This is What I Did: rings true to what I've seen in encountering teenagers in 15 years of teaching.

But I've sampled other novels that are disappointing in their portrayal of teens, some of which feel like Wally and Beaver have been dropped into 2008 America. While the characters aren't perfect, they're a little too noble and unrealistic, children of parents who stepped out of a Father Knows Best episode. The stories themselves aren't bad, but appear to have been written by good writers who maybe haven't been around kids for awhile.

The lesson for me as a writer is to observe teens more, to try to understand their motivations, desires, needs (You get the opportunity to do that at the info desk, believe me.) and make that appear on the page.

As a reader, I'm finding that the literature is as broad as in any genre. It's all over the place and seems to be expanding further every day. That's probably a good thing, if you can find the time to discover more of it and separate the wheat from the chaff.