Welcome to the New Adult era

This post was originally published on Audible.com.

When I was growing up and searching for books that could speak to the nebulous period of adolescence I was going through, the Young Adult genre was my go-to. I understood the trials and tribulations that plagued the characters featured in these coming-of-age stories because I was going through similar things in my life, things I equated to growing up, getting serious, and becoming an adult.

Now that I’m a grown woman—although I feel like a poseur referring to myself as such, despite my big age—I’ve realized that the “young” part of the genre’s moniker is incredibly apt. Young Adult novels are written primarily with a teenage audience in mind, and although that doesn’t mean folks of all ages can’t enjoy the stories for everything they are, it does leave listeners who are a little older feeling a bit bereft and looking for stories they can relate to.

Enter the New Adult genre.

The introduction of this new genre might seem like overkill for those suspicious that it's all a marketing ploy, but hear me out!

The genre is still a developing one, the term "new adult" having first popped up in traditional publishing circles when St. Martin's Press held a special call in 2009 for "fiction similar to young adult fiction that can be published and marketed as adult.” The call to action asked for “new, cutting-edge fiction with protagonists who are slightly older than YA and can appeal to an adult audience” for “a sort of an ‘older YA’ or ‘new adult’.”

That’s the concept of the NA genre in a nutshell—stories that feature the same strong yet flawed characters and compelling coming-of-age stories that endear us to YA, but with characters and situations that skew older.

A Court of Thorns and Roses

Sarah J. Maas

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When it comes to the specific age demographic that the genre targets, things can get a little tricky. The age range for both YA and NA can vary, but, generally, books featuring protagonists around 13 to 18 are considered YA, with NA being marketed to post-adolescents and young adults aged 18 to 29. This allows publishers to tap into two audiences: young adults, and the adult demographic that makes up most YA consumers.

Now that we’ve established an age range, we can look deeper into what differentiates NA literature from YA. YA stories tend to focus on coming-of-age in the traditional sense, with iconic releases like The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, and the Gossip Girl series by Cecily von Ziegesar having cemented the genre as a home for first loves, learning the harsh realities of culture and society, and more.

The NA genre, meanwhile, is filled with stories that embrace the messiness that comes after the naive and awkward shenanigans of high school, like getting ready for your first real job, moving out of your parents’ home, and taking those first steps in relationships that could evolve into marriage and lifelong partnership. Some bestselling examples of NA are Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses and Throne of Glass, Casey McQuiston's Red, White & Royal Blue, and Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams.

While the themes of NA and YA do overlap, the key difference between the genres is how the age of the protagonists affects their circumstances.

Looking at today's landscape, it's fair to note that a healthy portion of YA features teens in more mature situations and dealing with heavier experiences than classic YA novels such as Judy Blume's Here's to You, Rachel Robinson. It's been a long time since adolescent angst simply revolved around the more embarrassing elements of puberty. As society has progressed, authors have grown more comfortable exploring complex issues around identity, teen sex, abuse, rape, suicide, parental death, and even murder.

One might argue that the narrative overlap between YA and NA puts the need for the latter in question. But age affects how characters react to their circumstances. Teens are on the cusp of adulthood, and tend to perceive the world with less nuance. NA characters have graduated to a different point of view, and are often exploring the world without the same safety nets (emotional, financial, familial, and otherwise) that their younger selves had.

In the simplest terms, NA is the older sibling to YA, stumbling through life and constantly being reminded that they're the adult now, even if it doesn't feel that way.

Queenie

Candice Carty-Williams

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It would also be easy to chalk up the difference between NA and YA to the fact that NA novels are more likely to have mature sexual scenes—and to be fair, that’s a pretty important distinction for libraries, bookstores, and parents looking for age-appropriate stories. And while the NA genre does help to solve a marketing problem that’s been steadily growing for years, spice isn't the major factor in determining what passes for NA or YA.

The greater purpose of the growing genre is to fill that in-between space for readers looking for more advanced fare after getting their YA fill.

The introduction of NA doesn’t mean it’s here to replace YA. The genre is meant to give book lovers a way forward as they age; a way to get the stories with the gravitas, clarity, and imaginative scope that people loved as teens, in a modern, intentional category catered to their matured tastes. It’s an affirmation that there's room for adults who love the emotional style of YA, offering them a new lane that reflects the situations and experiences that come with age.

And as publishers continue to embrace the genre and its writers, it's clear NA fiction is here to stay.