YA Fantasy Questions for Readers

What is YA fantasy? That and other related questions are answered here!

Hello and welcome!

Today I’m looking into some aspects of YA stories, with a focus on books.

Although, many of the same concepts apply to movies or shows.

I’ll be looking at it from the perspective of a reader, rather than as a writer.

Since many writers are also readers, though, feel free to dive in, no matter who you are!

If this interests you like it does me, I hope you find it helpful!

What is a YA fantasy book?

YA fantasy basically means stories that have some element of magic and are geared toward teenagers.

YA stands for young adult, and it usually refers to stories that are meant for readers between the ages of 12 and 18.

Definitions vary slightly, though, since I have seen sources that say the ages are 10-17, 13-18, or even 14-21. But you get the idea.

In order to qualify for this age range, topics should not be oversimplified, as for a younger child.

Language starts to get more complicated than for younger ages, but it should still be easily understandable.

The themes also shouldn’t get too dark, although some stories push the limit on that more than others.

That will also depend on who you ask, though, because some kids are afraid of the unicorn scene from Harry Potter.

Others of the same age aren’t bothered by it at all.

You could even find that parents are more affected by it than their kids are.

As a general rule, YA should be appropriate for teens, but some parents may want to proofread/watch it first, especially since the range is pretty wide.

I'll talk a little bit about stories that are better for older teens or younger ones later in this post.

A lot of YA stories involve coming-of-age.

Also, first-time experiences, since these are so prevalent in the teen years!

Many, but not all, YA books are also fantasy, which is a genre that I explained more in-depth in last week’s post.

Most often, the protagonists of a story will be about the age of the intended reader, or maybe a couple of years older at most.

That's usually a good indicator if you want to know what age group a story would be best for (although there are exceptions).

As a young adult, I loved seeing characters that were like me.

I also really appreciated seeing them in worlds or circumstances that I would never get to experience firsthand.

I think that’s the beauty of fantasy in any age group!

What is the difference between YA and NA?

YA is for a slightly younger age group than NA.

While YA stands for young adult, NA stands for New Adult and is generally meant for people in their twenties.

The age range for YA books is typically from 12 or 13 to 18 years old.

Conversely, NA is usually meant for ages 19-30.

That’s not always the case, though, and there’s sometimes some overlap between the two.

The difference is often based on content since darker and more adult themes are more acceptable in NA than they are in YA.

The ages of the protagonists are also one of the key differences, for the same reason I mentioned above.

Do adults read YA fiction?

Yes!

There is nothing saying that adults of any age couldn’t also appreciate YA fiction.

It may have some themes that are a bit advanced for a younger age bracket, but beyond that, the entertainment of YA books is ageless!

I myself enjoy books, movies, and shows that were intended for teenagers.

Plus, I can enjoy many of them guilt-free around younger members of my family!

Mostly, I don’t look at what age category a story is meant for.

If it seems like a concept that would interest me, I’ll check it out.

What percentage of YA readers are adults?

You may be surprised to learn this, but it’s estimated that over half of YA readers are adults!

The percentage, as far as we know, is 55% adult readers to only 45% YA readers.

If you are an adult who reads YA, this number may be very encouraging!

If you’re not one of that 55%, you may be wondering what the draw is.

I’ll attempt to answer that in the next section.

Why do so many adults read YA?

As I mentioned earlier, there are certain themes that are common in YA fiction.

One of the themes that may draw some adults into the genre is the classic coming-of-age tale.

As an adult, you’re expected to have already come of age, so reading YA may be a nostalgic- or even cathartic- experience!

I also think that just getting a few years older doesn’t mean that your tastes have to drastically change.

Maybe there are YA tropes that you enjoy.

If you know what you like, then go for it!

You’re luckier than many others!

I love the creativity in so many YA stories, as well.

I enjoy the creative spin on classic stories that some of them have, as well as the fun worlds that they take place in!

What YA fantasy book should I read?

The short answer is found in the following list:

(Disclaimer- Some of these are intended for younger audiences, but can go up to YA ages. I've included approximate age recommendations in parentheses)

• Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis (8-12)

• The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling (8-12)

• The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black (8-12)

• Deltora Quest Series by Emily Rodda (9-12)

• Redwall Series by Brian Jacques (9-15)

• The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (10-12)

• The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer (10+)

• Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling (10+)

• The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien (10+)

• Dracula by Bram Stoker (12-15)

• The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini (12+)

• Watership Down by Richard Adams (12+)

• Etc...

Books that have been recommended but I haven't read yet:

• Shark Wars by E. J. Altbacker (9-12)

• Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan (9-12)

• The Archives of Anthropos by John White (9-12 for book 1, 12-18)

• Land of Stories Series by Chris Colfer (9-14)

• Last Dragon Series by Chris D'Lacey (9-14)

• The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander (10-17)

• The Wondla Trilogy by Tony DiTerlizzi (10+)

• Artemis Fowl Series by Eoin Colfer (10+)

• The Dragon Trilogy by Stephen R. Lawhead (12+)

• Lore by Alexander Brackin (14-18)

• The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden (14+)

• Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (14+)

• The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (15+)

The real answer to this question, however, entirely depends on your specific tastes.

I may not be able to recommend the perfect book for you, but those are a few ideas to get you started.

Do you like hidden worlds?

Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Narnia are two options that fit that description.

Is Harry Potter a YA?

Harry Potter kind of starts off as middle-grade fiction, but ages up as the series progresses and the character gets older.

The Chronicles of Narnia can be for younger readers as well, but some of the books are a little more complicated than others.

I find both series entertaining even as an adult.

Do you like other worlds and dragons?

The Eragon series (Inheritance Cycle) and The Hobbit are good ones that fall into that category.

Eragon has gotten mixed reviews, but overall I like it.

The Hobbit is a fun read, and I find it to be much more of a younger YA level than the Lord of the Rings books.

Do you like stories with Animal protagonists?

Redwall and The Tale of Despereaux are some that I really enjoyed.

They can also be good for younger readers, but they do have some darker themes that might be best for early YA ages.

Some other options in the same vein are Watership Down, and The Jungle Book.

The film adaptations are not the same as the books, but they both have their merits.

Do you like urban fantasy and/or vampires?

I liked the Spiderwick Chronicles books, and I’ve recently started reading Twilight.

No hate, please!

When did Twilight get popular?

This was one of the incredibly rare cases of a novel basically breaking all the rules and still becoming an instant hit.

It was written in only 3 months, back in 2005, and it was picked up almost immediately by a publishing company.

The publishers knew that it would become popular, and it definitely lived up to expectations, being adapted to film only 3 years later!

With the movies making a revival recently, in 2021, I decided to give the books a chance.

Honestly, so far, I like them.

Hah! Maybe now you won’t trust my opinion on anything, but that’s the truth!

I like the books better than the movies, in case that’s a concern.

What are some good fantasy books for 14 or 15-year-olds to read?

For a classic, there’s always Brahm Stoker’s Dracula, which I read as a teen and loved!

It is perhaps a bit harder to follow for younger readers, but worth it if you like dark stories.

I probably wouldn’t recommend it for anyone younger than 14 or 15, but that’s up to your discretion.

As for other fantasy books for these ages, the other ones listed above are also good options.

What is the book The Cruel Prince about?

I haven’t had the chance to read this one yet, but it’s on my ever-growing list!

From what I gather, it’s about a human girl living in the world of the Fae.

It shows her life and how she relates to the Fae royal family.

I’ve heard that it’s not a romance, even though there are romantic elements.

This one is also said to be better for older YA readers.

That’s all I have for you today!

Thank you for reading, and I hope this helped to answer some of your questions about YA.

Next week, I’ll be talking about YA from the writer’s perspective!

I hope to see you there!

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Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have a fantastic day!