“It’s a good question,” Derek Milman says when asked to define the genre. The basic definition is simple: It’s typically a book with a young central character that is, at least theoretically, aimed at young readers.
Except when it isn’t: “Some books do skirt that line.”
He cites Emma Cline’s 2016 debut novel The Girls: “That’s technically a YA book but it was marketed as literary fiction.” (Its central character is a teenager, but it follows her as she meets up with Charles Manson.)
Growing up, Milman recalls one side of the divide being far more appealing than the other. He felt young adult novels were something to be avoided, recalling the “cheesy-looking books in this really tiny section of my library” and seeking more mature reading material.
Indeed, there are massive numbers of YA readers. Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series sold over 100 million books and its film adaptations racked up more than $3.3 billion worldwide. (It also inspired another publishing sensation and then film franchise, albeit one aimed at adult adults: 50 Shades of Grey.)
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