The Quiet Concert: Thoughts for Thursday (7)

Nov

2013

Thoughts for Thursday (7) - Am I Being Unfair to YA?

Welcome to Thoughts for Thursday! This feature is our outlet to talk with you about whatever we currently have on our minds. It might be bookish, it might not! Now for this week's thought:

Am I Being Unfair to YA?

Sometimes I criticize books for being too juvenile, or too simple, or having stupid female leads, typically accompanied by a low rating. Usually I think I have a right to. These are my opinions based on my reading experience and I am allowed to express them. But occasionally I wonder if I am being unfair. Unfair to the author, to the book, and to the YA genre in general.

I am an adult reading young adult. I am reading books that are generally targeted for an audience younger than myself. Should I take that into greater consideration when reading young adult? What might annoy present day Nicole, might not have bothered High School Nicole. Back then my life was simple and my problems were juvenile and I'm sure I acted stupidly on more than one occasion. So do I have a right to sit here and say this book is no good because of A, B, and C based on my life now when the author might be speaking to the me I was then? Or should I take greater care to judge a book from a younger perspective? Maybe I should adjust my baseline? Is that even possible? I don't know but I do know that I don't want to do any book a disservice.

I know these are my opinions, and this is my blog, so to some extent, I should be able to say whatever I want, right? And I do. But sometimes I wonder if I would be a better reviewer if I put my feelings in context, rather than expect readers to put my review in context.

Have you guys ever thought about this? Let me know what you think.

I will leave you with one of my favorite youtube videos at the moment, which popped into my head when thinking about being unfair. Enjoy.

Comments (14)

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littlebookstar 68p · 592 weeks ago

I've thought about this too although I'm not an adult yet since I am only 17. I think when I review, I base my rating on my feelings and how organized the plot of the story is. I know I'm not the expert in how to review a book so I just go along with how I felt with the book. I think you should follow on what you think NOW and not the high school of you. That's just my opinion though. Great topic :D Really hard to answer hehe.

1 reply · active 592 weeks ago

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Nicole · 592 weeks ago

It is a hard answer. I am no expert either so I do just say what I feel. I'll just keep trying to be clear about how and I feel and why and watch out to never sound mean.
My recent post Stacking the Shelves (47) - Nov 22nd

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mel1704 86p · 592 weeks ago

I might be an adult in age, but I don't really feel much more adult then when I was.. let's say 16. I've always been like this, so I think when I find a character incredibly annoying, I would have think the same way when I was younger. They sometimes just make stupid mistakes - and isn't reading and reviewing always about your feelings? So yes, perhaps you would have liked X character years ago, but you are reading the book NOW. I think it wouldn't be fair if you weren't honest about that. There are enough books where you do like the character, right? So it's not as if every YA character annoys you :)
My recent post Review 216. Aimee Carter – Pawn.

1 reply · active 592 weeks ago

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Nicole · 592 weeks ago

That's a very good point Mel! I don't dislike many YA books. These things I dislike are definitely in a minority of my reads. And I might have felt the same when I was in High School.

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Jeffrey · 592 weeks ago

A good book is entertaining across age groups. Adults can read young adult and middle age books and enjoy them if the book is engaging. Whether it reaches to the child inside us or simply entertains because it is a well crafted tale, an adult opinion on a book intended for younger ages is just as valid as one from its "target" audience.

1 reply · active 592 weeks ago

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Nicole · 592 weeks ago

Very well said, Jeffrey. I think this is a wise way of looking at it. There are plenty of well crafted YA books and that is why I continue to read and enjoy this genre.

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jackieleasommers 34p · 592 weeks ago

I think the best YA books can stand up there with any others! So, yes, I think it's fair to judge them harshly! I write YA, and I know that more than half of my readers will be adults. The book has to be good on its own merit!
My recent post What is the Greatest Human Quality?

1 reply · active 592 weeks ago

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Nicole · 592 weeks ago

It's great to have an author's perspective on the subject so thank you for taking the time to comment! It's good to know YA authors anticipate an adult audience too. These comments make me feel better, knowing that a great book should be able to transcend a genre.

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Pam@YA Escape · 592 weeks ago

The only thing I try to keep in context when reading is not really based on my age but based on the characters' ages. Since YA books have teenage characters, I try not to judge them too harshly for making mistakes (they're dealing with end of the world, dystopian nightmare, paranormal craziness and they're only 16 or 17 years old!) And I forgive them for being obsessed and/or hormonal when it comes to the opposite sex because well...they're teenagers! :)

But other than that, I think the books should be judged based on what you think/feel about it, no matter what age you are and whether you think you're the intended audience or not. And there are plenty of authors who don't necessarily write a book with the teenager as the intended reader, it just happens to be about a teenager and the book is marketed as a YA (I read something recently where Marie Lu said that she didn't write Legend as a YA book).

So that's my two cents.
My recent post Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

1 reply · active 592 weeks ago

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Nicole · 592 weeks ago

I could probably do a better job of that - considering the MCs age more. I will try! And that's another great point - just because it's marketed as YA, doesn't mean that was the intended reader. Legend doesn't read young at all. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!!

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bookaddictsguide 51p · 592 weeks ago

It's really, really hard to say! I think I find some characters less relatable and more annoying because the age I am now.... But in a way, I also feel like I would feel pretty similar for most if I had been reading these as a teen. I've re-read books that were middle grade and that I fell in love with as a kid (like The Giver) and still love them today! I think I still have a lot of the same views as to what bothers me and what I enjoy, but I will definitely admit that some of those things have probably changed with age as well.
It's hard to say, but I wouldn't call it unfair at all. You're rating books based on how you felt about them at the current time. That is totally fair! I know YA is technically for young adults, but it's also become popular with so many other age ranges and a lot of adults so I think that's perfectly OK to rate however you deem fit! :)

1 reply · active 592 weeks ago

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Nicole · 592 weeks ago

I do think my opinions have changed as I have gotten older and the more I read but I don't know if it's a drastic difference. So it's very possible young Nicole would have felt similarly. And it seems everyone is in agreement that a good book should span generations. (Why didn't I think of this). I think plenty of YA books do. So I feel much better. :)

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Danie · 592 weeks ago

I'm 23. I'm past my teenage years (thank god), and occasionally there are moments when a character frustrates me because I'm saying "this is not something you should be doing!!!" Especially insta-love. It drives me nuts! I don't date someone for a week and then decide WE'RE GOING TO BE TOGETHER FOREVERRRRRR.

But then I remember...at 16, I was "head over heels in love" with my boyfriend too. I said stupid things too. I was a jerk to my Dad too. I thought with my hormones instead of my head too. So I guess that all factors into the review. I think overall, YA authors do a really good job portraying teenaged characters.
My recent post If We Were Having Coffee…

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Kay · 592 weeks ago

You know I was just thinking about this since the Gretchen McNeil book I read. I think that sometimes maybe I am too harsh on young adult books since they are indeed for teenagers and I am older and sometimes teenage stuff is just too much and I find it annoying. On the other hand, I feel like sometimes it is bad teenage stuff that would even be annoying if I was a teenager, if that makes any sense at all. Also, in the end I think since it is your opinion and your review that you can handle this situation however you want. Especially since I think that since most young adult books can be enjoyed by adults that this really shouldn't be to big of a deal, for example, I enjoy young adult books a lot even with the teenage stuff obviously so maybe those books are just better. Okay this is a really confusing response and my thoughts are everywhere so I do apologize.

P.S. Love your new header.
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