Why Do Adults Read Young Adult Books?

It is a question that has been doing the rounds for years. Why do adults read young adult books? Before you can even begin to ponder that question, perhaps it is more relevant to ask what makes a ‘young adult’ book? To begin with, let us agree that ‘young adult’ is actually not a genre and young adult books can belong to several genres including horror, fantasy / science fiction or historical fiction.

Perhaps it is would be correct to say that young adult books are those which are marketed at the young adult age group, roughly between 12 and 18 years of age? One look at the special adult editions of the Harry Potter books or the white editions of the Twilight books puts that theory to rest – they were clearly marketed to adults.

The most accurate answer then is that young adult books feature teenage protagonists and are primarily aimed at young adult readers. The books certainly appeal to readers outside of that age range too, both younger readers and adults, but why do adults like them so?

Many people say it is because they are shorter, simpler and less dark than adult books but one only has to read the incredibly dark Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the ridiculously long Breaking Dawn or Garth Nix’s complex Old Kingdom series to know that is not the case.

I think it has to do with magic, escapism, imagination, pop culture and accolades.

Magic

Before the explosion of Harry Potter and Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, it seemed that your only options if you wanted to read young adult fiction were high school dramas full of backstabbing and politics. There was certainly no magic and no appeal to the older market.

But then something incredible happened. Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer arrived on TV, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Northern Lights were released, Goosebumps and Vampire Diaries gained in popularity and suddenly we were living in a world of magic, sorcery and supernatural forces beyond our wildest imaginations. When you look at what was happening in the real world, is it any surprise adults began to turn to books aimed at the young adult market?

Escapism

Which brings me neatly to my next point. Whether they were promising a brave new world or a very scary future, young adult novels have embraced other worlds, dimensions and timelines in a way that adult novels seems to attempt in a much more clumsy manner. Sure, an entire library of Urban Fantasy novels attempt to do the same thing but they are so busy explaining to adults why they can’t necessarily believe what their grown up brains, logic and experience are telling them that their execution is less than smooth.

In children's and young adult books, these worlds just are. Another world in the back of your cupboard? A knife that can cut between worlds? An entire world of magic and wizardry? Of course it’s possible.

(As a side note, perhaps that is why I loved The Southern Vampire Mysteries so much. They did the same thing).

Imagination and Inventiveness

I’m one of those rare people who loves my job and is happy to let people think that being an accountant is boring but let’s face it, if I used imagination and inventiveness in my daily life, I’d land up in jail. This is where young adult books step in. I’ve read many books where the protagonist is a wizard or sorcerer but each time the author has come up with a vastly different idea of how that magic happens. Luke Manchett (from Leo Hunt’s Thirteen Days of Midnight) and Sabriel (from Garth Nix’s Old Kingdom series) are both necromancers who travel to the realm of the dead but their abilities and those worlds are completely different.

Young adult books stimulate the imagination, put us in the shoes of the protagonists and take us on adventures beyond our wildest imaginations. And that is just in the first chapter.

Pop Culture

Sure, books are the superior medium, the thinking person’s source of entertainment but who doesn’t like the big screen, bright lights or the occasional night in on the sofa? The allure of young adult books is that they have permeated every corner of pop culture and it is not just teens who are being drawn in. Whether it is sipping Butter Beer at the Warner Brother Studio Tour or watching the latest Maze Runner film, adults are just as likely to be there as children and teens. My personal favourite is when young adult series come to the small screen and I’m especially excited to see Daniel Handler’s A Series of Unfortunate Events which is coming to Netflix on January 17, 2017. If you’re unfamiliar with Daniel and his alter-ego Lemony Snicket, think very dry, extremely outlandish and altogether strange.

Accolades

The final reason has to do with awards and accolades. Despite what you might think about young adult books, there is some gripping, important and award-winning material being released, the type of books that might change your life and will certainly change your outlook. This year was the year I discovered the Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature and I have read books that dealt with racism in the Deep South, poverty and persecution in Mexico, school shootings, mental illness and the Operation Hannibal evacuation during the Second World War.

What they lacked in magic and escapism, they made up for in superb storytelling and the introduction of themes and scenarios that I barely knew about before reading these books. Which just goes to show that there is something for everybody in the world of young adult fiction.

What do you think? Do you read young adult fiction and if so, what are your reasons for doing so?

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Book Review: The Dragon Book, edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois

Fantastical beings as old as time, crafted from magic and fire: dragons are the legendary creatures of mythology that have captured the dreams and imagination of people for thousands of years.  Dragons have been cast in countless roles and have represented both good and evil, honour and duplicity, wisdom and instinct.  Dragons enjoy a prominent position in European and Asian folklore and a new collection of short-stories seeks to breathe new fire into the dragon mythology. 

Soon to be released in a brand-new paperback edition, The Dragon Book features nineteen magical stories from the masters of modern fantasy.  Edited by Jack Dann and Garder Dozois, The Dragon Book includes stories from Garth Nix, Cecelia Holland, Diana Gabaldon (with Samuel Sykes), and Diana Wynne Jones, amongst other big names.

The Dragon Book is an excellent collection of stories and I was impressed by the invention and imagination of the authors.  None of these stories was typical and each story was full of twists and turns, humour and magic.  It was intriguing to discover how each author interpreted the subject and to read about nineteen different worlds, each with their own magic and unique dragons.

The Dragon Book began with “Dragon’s Deep” by Cecelia Holland, a tale of war, pillage and abduction set in a medieval fishing village.  It was followed by “Vici” by Naomi Novik which was set in ancient Rome.  Set in ancient times, both stories conformed to my traditional image of dragons as creatures of the past.

That was challenged by the funny and decidedly modern tales that followed.  Set in an Asian city, “Bob Choi’s Last Job” by Jonathan Stroud had the air of a hardboiled detective novel, while Kage Baker’s “Are You Afflicted by Dragons?” was set in a cheesy seaside hotel.

I had wanted to read The Dragon Book because I am a fan of Garth Nix and I wasn’t disappointed in his story “Stop!”  In just ten pages, Nix weaves a tale of an ancient and radioactive dragon that wreaks havoc at a military base and nuclear testing facility.  Not all of the stories were so short, however. 

At 36 pages, “The Tsar’s Dragons” by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple was an intriguing tale set on the eve of the Russian Revolution, featuring none other than the Mad Monk, Rasputin.  It felt really long though and was a difficult story to plough through, although it was certainly worth it in the end.  Conversely, “Humane Killer” by Diana Gabaldon and Samuel Sykes was almost 60 pages long but it was much easier to read!  It was a crazy story about two pairs of misfits and outcasts (a magician and a dead knight, and a crusader and his heathen counterpart) that clash while trying to destroy a dragon.

My favourite story in the collection was “Ungentle Fire” by Sean Williams.  This was a story of a young dragon’s apprentice named Ros and his quest to reclaim his freedom and return to his true love.  It was a beautiful and lyrical story that absolutely captured my imagination.  I loved the setting of the canyon and the barren landscape and was astounded by the visualisation of dragons made of webs, dust, stone, water and cloud.  I will certainly be looking out for more of Sean Williams’ works.

“A Stark and Wormy Knight” by Tad Williams was a very cute take on the classic bedtime story, told my a dragon mother to her young child and special mention goes to the touching “JoBoy” by Diana Wynne Jones and “Puz_le” by Gregory Maguire.

I couldn’t possibly mention all of the stories but those were the ones that stood out for me.  It is the type of collection that is full of treasures and each reader is certain to find at least one or two favourites.  It is worth noting that this collection of stories is not suitable for younger readers and I would recommend it for readers aged twelve and over.

I had heard of many of the authors featured in this volume but had read pitifully few of their works.  That is certainly due to change now as each of the authors impressed me and I now have a to-read list longer than my arms.  I am certain that a lifetime wouldn’t be enough to make it through their works but I can certainly make a start!  I’ll also be looking up Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois’s other anthologies, such as Wizards and the upcoming Ghosts by Gaslight: Stories of Steampunk and Supernatural Suspense by Jack Dann and Nick Gevers.

This is a magical collection of stories and one that I am glad to have on my bookshelf.  The new paperback edition will be released by Anderson Press on May 5, 2011.

Buy The Dragon Book at Amazon.co.uk¦ Amazon.com

Article written by me and first published as Book Review: The Dragon Book edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois on Blogcritics.

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Book review: Across the Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories - Garth Nix

I have never been a fan of short stories but I had to read this collection by Garth Nix because it includes the final epilogue, if you will, of the Old Kingdom series. 

The first story in the book is the novella ‘Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case’ which takes place about 6 months after the events of Abhorsen.  I really enjoyed this story – it was brilliantly written and conceptualised and was a great conclusion to the Old Kingdom series. The best thing about it was that it finally answered the one question I had once I finished Abhorsen.  I won’t spoil it for you but it was great.

This is a worthy collection because before each story is told, Garth Nix gives the story behind why he wrote that particular story.  He is such an inspired, talented author and I really look forward to reading more of his work.

Across the Wall contains a good mix of fantasy and fictional short stories, including two Arthurian interpretations (even though Nix admits to not being a fan of Arthurian legend). Apart from the Nicholas Sayre novella, my favourite stories were ‘Charlie Rabbit’ and ‘Lightning Bringer’.  Like Garth Nix, I too have a fascination for lightning and once watched as Stephen was very, very nearly struck by lightning. 

I give the collection four out of five stars because despite being a Garth Nix collection, I still don’t like short stories much and I didn’t like all the tales.

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Book review: Abhorsen - Garth Nix

Well, it's official. Abhorsen by Garth Nix is The Best Book I Have Ever Read In My Life^©.

Abhorsen is the final book in the Old Kingdom trilogy which is a fantasy series set in the imaginary realms of Ancelstierre and the Old Kingdom. The Old Kingdom is full of magic and the lines between life and death are constantly blurred and manipulated. As magic interferes with electricity and modern machines, there is no “modern” technology in the Old Kingdom and this is contrasted with the modernity of Ancelstierre. Ancelstierre is very similar to the England of the World War I era, with its planes, telegraphs, electrical lights and telephones. The two realms are separated by a wall and such is the magic of the Old Kingdom that the two sides of the wall experience different seasons and even different times of day.

It is within this setting that the epic battles against evil and the dead occur and the events in the book date back over about 20 years with references dating back to the dawn of time.

The Old Kingdom series has it all. Believable, likeable characters; excellent writing; page-turning, heart-stopping, breathtaking battles; magic, fantasy and superb imagination and the most amazing cat and dog you will ever read about.

I thoroughly enjoyed Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series and JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series but I felt slightly unfulfilled with the way in which those series ended. In contrast, I was positively in raptures as I raced towards the end of Abhorsen and the experience was as thrilling as a big budget action film.

The best thing about finishing the book is that it doesn’t all end there! Garth Nix released another book containing a novella and short stories about the Old Kingdom called Across the Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories and I am just glad that I don’t have tear myself away from this series just yet. I’ll be sure to review the book in the next couple of weeks.

I have one final thing to say, for now with respect to the Old Kingdom series.

Harry Lloyd for Nicholas Sayre!!!!!

(Garth Nix has famously declined offers to make films of his books, a decision I greatly respect. I absolutely agree with his position that he would rather have no film at all than a bad film. But, if a film were to be made, then I would absolutely love to see Harry Lloyd in the role of Nicholas Sayre).

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Book Review: Mister Monday

I'm forever going on about the Awesomeness^© that is Garth Nix but then again, he is such a prolific author that you could read his books non-stop for months and never visit the same world twice in all of that time. Recently, I've actively stopped myself from reading his books for a short while, otherwise the only reviews that would ever appear on here would be Garth Nix reviews!

Many authors will complete one series before moving on to another (for example, J K Rowling and the Harry Potter series) or they may carry two similar series of books simultaneously (for example Anthony Horowitz and the 14-year old, mainly male protagonists in his Power of Five and Alex Rider series). However, the worlds and stories in Nix's three series (as well as his stand alone books) are so unique and so absolutely different from each other that it is possible to read them one after the other (as I have been doing) without getting bored.

So far, I've read two books from Nix's Old Kingdom series, one from his Seventh Tower series and his stand alone book, Shade's Children. Mister Monday is from his Keys to the Kingdom series. To give you an idea of how he writes, he has finished the Seventh Tower series and the last Keys to the Kingdom book is to be released this year with the next Old Kingdom book releasing in 2010. His stand alone book A Confusion of Princes is releasing this year too.

Well, after that rather long introduction, what did I think of Mister Monday? Initially, I was worried that this book would be a bit too young for me and I sought the advice of many of my friends before reading it. The lovely Windrider convinced me to read it in the end though.

The book was not too young for me and in fact, it is a remarkably complex and detailed story. There are so many levels on which this book is just brilliant. Nix has created another wonderful and surreal universe, intricately detailed with the rules, customs and hierarchies of the occupants. This is an author who never disappoints his readers in that respect.

This is a well written book with excellent play on words and the concepts of time and space. There are fantastic villains, my favourite being the dashingly handsome Monday's Noon and unlikely heroes too.

Apart from Shade's Children, this is the first Nix book I have read that has been remotely set in modern times in our world (although like Shade's Children, it is set somewhat in the future following a devastating modern-day flu epidemic). I love it when fantasy books are based in our world and I am eager to read the other books in the series.

Finally, I just wanted to mention how the dog faces and bowlers hats in this story reminded me of the most surreal book I have ever read by author Jeff Noon, Vurt. I think it is definitely time to reread Noon's books and see how I respond to them 15 years down the line.

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Book review: The Fall - Garth Nix

I discovered two massively talented authors in 2008, namely Garth Nix and Anthony Horowitz. I picked up books from each of these authors as I was looking for some light reading over the summer holidays and while aimed at the young adult market, I have found myself tearing through their books ever since.

I'd always hesitated to pick up The Seventh Tower series as the books were to be found in the children's section (as opposed to the young adult or teen sections) and I had read at Amazon.co.uk that the target audience was just too young and the books may not appeal to adult readers.

The first book in the series, The Fall is a thin volume of only 219 pages, printed with large text. I finished the book in two days but I need not have been concerned about whether or not I would like it - this is another Nix success.

This is a complex, original and highly imaginative book. In places, it reminded me of The Wind Singer by William Nicholson which I reviewed in August but both books were released in 2000 so I think that is just coincidental. The book is based in a Dark World where light is the most precious commodity and society is classed in a hierarchy based on access to that light. Through Nix's writing, you can feel the claustrophobia and constant darkness of this world and you find yourself longing for mentions of light. It made cold and rainy England seem positively bright and shiny by comparison!

I enjoyed the portrayal of the main character Tal who is aged about 13½ (the book is set shortly before his Ascension which occurs at age 13¾). He is shown to be a strong and resourceful protagonist which makes a change from characters in books where the lead character has to learn or discover their strength and ability as a leader (for example Northern Lights).

What sets this book apart from others in the genre is the description of the Dark World and the various tasks that must be completed by Tal. The concept of the Achievements, for example, where games need to be played to win favours or sun stones is enhanced by the descriptions of the games that need to played. I thought the idea of the Beastmaker game was awesome and I enjoyed the concept of the Crystal Wood too.

All told, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I will definitely read the whole series. I wish they weren't releasing the books so slowly in the UK!! I'll wait until they are released in the UK though because I prefer our covers to the overseas editions (and yes, that means I intend to buy the entire series). I believe they have released the six books overseas as two three-book omnibuses and that is actually a great idea. That would certainly help bridge the gap for adults reading the series as the only thing that really marks this as a children's book is its length, not the complexity of the story.

I give it 4 stars out of 5 but reserve the right to change that to a 5 out of 5 once I have read the whole series

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Books: The Old Kingdom Series by Garth Nix

When I was on holiday in July, I read Shade's Children by Garth Nix. I was so impressed by this book that it was a matter of time before I sought out other books by Garth Nix.  The one problem I had was that I have never been all that good at reading fantasy.  On the other hand, it is possible that I am just one of the many people who will never be able to get into Lord of the Rings, no matter how hard they try. 

And so it was with some sense of trepidation that I picked up this complex-sounding book to read. I did struggle in the beginning but after one or two chapters I found myself entirely submerged in Nix's wonderful style of writing and his imaginative and fantastical world, The Old Kingdom. I think Nix is a master, I really do; and everything that he tries to do, he does well. He describes the sardonic feline companion with absolute skill, he accesses the humanity and fallibility of the female lead and he weaves a unique and compelling tale.

Garth Nix has repeatedly declined to let them makes a film based on the Old Kingdom series, saying "I would rather have no film than a bad film" and you have to respect that. Then again, there is something in the stories I have read recently (Anthony Horowitz's books, Twilight and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series*) that had me desperate to see the films brought to life on the big screen. However, there is something about Garth Nix's writing that makes it sufficient just to read his books. He is that good and they are that descriptive. I really love this author and I am glad I discovered him.

When you write a book as imaginative, inventive and unique as Sabriel, what on earth do you do for a sequel? Well, Garth Nix did not try to rehash Sabriel or capture some of that old magic. Lirael is set fourteen years after the events of Sabriel and Nix and Nix pulls out all the stops in delivering a brilliant piece of work.

There have been complaints that Lirael was too slow moving or that it was too long and should have been made into two books.

I think the book was perfect in every way. I think the story is rich and complex and that it has succeeded at being a story in it's own right as opposed to simply being the dreaded middle book in a trilogy. I was aware towards the end that there were too few pages left in the book to effectively wrap up the story but I wasn't disappointed by the ending. I am really excited to read the next instalment though; but alas, that will have to wait until I have finished my studies in December. Maybe.

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Book review: Garth Nix - Shade's Children

Shade's Children: Garth Nix

Name of the book:	Shade's Children
Author:	Garth Nix
Genre:	Fantasy, young adult
Brief review:	This is the first of Garth Nix's books that I have read.  Garth Nix has released several very popular series (The Old Kingdom, The Keys to the Kingdom and The Seventh Tower) but he has also released a couple of single stand alone books.  Shade's Children is one of those books. The book is set in a futuristic city that is controlled by evil Overlords.  Human beings are harvested on their 14th birthdays and they are used as pawns in the Overlord's crazy and meaningless games of strategy. Garth Nix shows great imagination and originality in creating a complex and amazing world of Wingers, Myrmidons, Overlords and Change Talents.  I enjoyed every single page of this book and was sad to see it end. I give it a 5 out of 5.

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