There’s no question about it: Young Adult (YA) fiction has exploded over the past few years! The YA audience (pre-teens and teens between 13 and 18 years old) is a hot market today. And, it’s steadily growing in popularity and garnering the attention of young readers. Authors of popular Young Adult fiction often focus on themes which directly affect their young readers. And that’s what we strive to promote through our forum. ChatEBooks lists down some of the most popular Young Adult fiction themes today.
Coming of Age
A popular theme covered by YA fiction is the transition of the young protagonist from childhood to adulthood. Written from a first person point of view, the main character often faces issues or challenges associated with the transition. Authors focus on how the characters undergo a mental and emotional change as a result of confronting said issues. This, either on their own or with the help of others.
Examples: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Building Relationships
YA fiction addresses another popular theme – building relationships. The main character faces challenges that he/she could not overcome without the help of family and friends. Usually, the bond between the protagonist and his/her family and friends may begin shakily. But it’s made stronger during the course of the story after having conquered trials in the midst of mutual difficulty.
Examples: I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Self-Discovery
In a self-discovery YA fiction theme, the protagonist learns more about himself as he faces different issues. He/she is forced to question the authority and the beliefs on which he was raised. The story chronicles the main character’s process of seeking the truth of an accepted reality. This then forces him to become his own person and eventually inspire others to follow suit.
Examples: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, Anna and the French Kiss Series by Stephanie Perkins
Dealing with Loss
YA fiction authors also write books on themes that help their readers deal with loss. The main character is subjected to the grief of losing someone or something special – a person, animal or object. The loss is not limited to death. Loss can be the result of having absentee parents or dealing with emotional distance. The story follows how the protagonist heals and grows as a result of the tragic experience.
Examples: The Giver by Lois Lowry, Looking for Alaska by John Green
Young Love
Romantic relationships are a huge obsession for teens. Although they lack real-life experience in the love department, YA fiction makes up for it. The main characters experience firsts – first love, first kiss, first heartbreak, rejection and acceptance. While dealing with these firsts, the protagonist learns to love unconditionally and without judgment.
Examples: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick, The Last Summer by Cathryn Williams
Dark Side
The course of the story involves how the protagonist explores the dark side of his/her personality in relation to society. These topics include suicide, racism, teenage pregnancy, rape and more. In the story, the main characters explore the darker shade of society. They learn to cope with the whats, whys, hows and what ifs of their experiences.
Examples: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
There is no mystery to writing Young Adult fiction themes. Believable characters, a compelling plot and REAL life issues is a full proof recipe for creating a book that will entertain, inspire and encourage young adult readers.
Comment: Thank you, that is good.
Thanks for the positive feedback.
I’m working on a Young Adult novel myself and I appreciate your exploration of central themes in young adult fiction. What are some of your favorite young adult fiction novels and what themes did they address? I just read the novel “The Round House” by Louise Erdrich and it was fantastic. It actually addressed all but one of the themes you mentioned.
YA fiction actually does make one more insightful as well, especially if the reader can find meaning or relate to the plot the character in the story is going through. There is beauty in finding a connection of what you’re going through to a story (in one way or another), may it be just even the struggles of growing up. I personally like The Secret Garden and the Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. It is definitely the compelling plot and the real life issues being included that makes YA fiction a hit.
I love the self discovery books wether its YA or not. Its gives you a good feeling to see people discovery something about themselves and then see what path it takes them down.
Trouble Writing
I haven’t started writing anything for my future book yet. I’m just trying to get a feel for what I am truly interested in writing. How do you know when you’re writing the right kind of theme/book? I just can’t seem to stick to one theme or plot before I get bored.
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I would love to write for readers from the age of 14 to 24 but it is such an overstuffed area it is hard to find a place for yourself. I love these themes and ideas though. I can actually name a popular book that has the same basis for each one. I guess this means they work, right? Haha, thanks for the list. If I ever jump down this rabbit hole, I will know where to find some inspiration. For now, I will stick to women’s novels.
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