Over the course of the recent past - roughly 15 years or so - the field of teen and young adult fiction has found a robust and growing audience. That being the case, this area of writing has blossomed demonstratively, ranking as well as (or better than) stalwarts such as thrillers. For instance, as its bestseller list began to brim over with children's novels such as "Bud, Not Buddy," the New York Times took the unusual step of creating a discrete list solely for material in this category.
Needless to say, young adult books have come into their own both in terms of being an established genre and finding an audience. Moreover, a lot of this fiction is exceedingly dark in nature. Who hasn't heard of the "Twilight" series, with its haunting depiction of love between humans and vampires and werewolves?
Not surprisingly, the ominous nature of books of this type has led to the emergence of an additional category of novels: Horror for young adults and teens. The young protagonists of these books often deal with situations that require drastic measures. Moreover, they seldom run from dangerous situations like many of their literary predecessors.
This willingness to embrace topics that were often avoided in traditional children's literature has had an unintended effect: adults have a tendency to thoroughly enjoy such books as well. Of course, that is not to say that a book has to have these types of elements in order to be enjoyable. However, it does give the books a type of weight that is unexpected.
Basically, literature directed at teens now includes a broad swath of subject matter. Hence, we see elements such as horror - which were once avoided - being intentionally interwoven in plots. That being the case, it is clear that the current teen and young adult demographic is viewed differently than it was years ago in terms of its ability to accept this type of reading material.
Needless to say, young adult books have come into their own both in terms of being an established genre and finding an audience. Moreover, a lot of this fiction is exceedingly dark in nature. Who hasn't heard of the "Twilight" series, with its haunting depiction of love between humans and vampires and werewolves?
Not surprisingly, the ominous nature of books of this type has led to the emergence of an additional category of novels: Horror for young adults and teens. The young protagonists of these books often deal with situations that require drastic measures. Moreover, they seldom run from dangerous situations like many of their literary predecessors.
This willingness to embrace topics that were often avoided in traditional children's literature has had an unintended effect: adults have a tendency to thoroughly enjoy such books as well. Of course, that is not to say that a book has to have these types of elements in order to be enjoyable. However, it does give the books a type of weight that is unexpected.
Basically, literature directed at teens now includes a broad swath of subject matter. Hence, we see elements such as horror - which were once avoided - being intentionally interwoven in plots. That being the case, it is clear that the current teen and young adult demographic is viewed differently than it was years ago in terms of its ability to accept this type of reading material.
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