Why Girls Need Young Adult Novels

Something has been weighing on my mind for some time now, but I hesitated to blog about it because I didn’t feel like it was really relevant to the topic of my blog. However, I’ve reconsidered because first of all, I do think it’s relevant as a related topic, and secondly, I think it’s far too important to pass up.

The Young Adult genre of books has gotten some flack in recent years. Some of the criticisms are reasonable and some are not, but that’s not what I’d like to explore here. What I’d like to point out is why the YA genre continues to have value and should continue to maintain an important place in the literary world.

               

Let me preface this by saying that YA is my favorite, so I’m a little biased. But I think my point still has merit.

               

Even though YA has a wide range of readers and fans, I think we, as writers and/or readers, can agree that it is written about teenagers for teenagers. Most YA books feature a teenager who faces a crisis in his or her life and must overcome it. Depending on the storyline, these crises can be very simple and relatable or very complex and extreme. Either way, the reason these books are so popular is because they possess emotions and experiences and thought processes that everyone has felt in their youth.

                

So why am I pointing this out? For a very simple reason: Girls need YA novels.

                

YA novels are unique not just because of the age of the protagonist, but because the protagonist overcomes a great obstacle. As an avid reader, nowhere else have I found such a strong positive female role model than in YA.

                

Let me give you a very famous example from one of my all-time favorite books: Katniss Everdeen.

               

(Side note: If you haven’t read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, you’re doing something wrong. If you are currently reading and not finished, no need to worry, there are no spoilers in this post).

               

The Hunger Games is one of the most popular YA books right now and there are many reasons for it. Collins tells a compelling story through excellent writing and superb character development. Her writing is top notch. But what I like most about this book series is not any of that (though I have an unhealthy appreciation/obsession of her writing chops). What I like most is Katniss Everdeen. From page one, Katniss Everdeen is a bad-ass who doesn’t let anyone push her around. She isn’t perfect and she makes mistakes, but she’s not about to let anyone control her life. Katniss never lets anyone dictate her actions or come anywhere near hurting the people she cares about. She’s brave even when she’s terrified, she perseveres when she thinks she can’t go on, and she finds the beauty in life even when she’s in a fight to the death. She recognizes injustice and doesn’t let anyone intimidate her into backing down, and that is very honorable.

               

Katniss embodies what I think YA books do so well: they remind people that young girls have the ability to do great things. Repeatedly throughout the series, many people doubt Katniss’s ability to succeed. Even Katniss doubts herself, but she never backs down from a fight. Katniss is underestimated because she’s a girl and at times, emotional, but she always gets the last laugh because she is far more powerful than anyone, including herself, ever thought she was.

                

I think that young girls need that. All young people need to be reminded that they have the ability to achieve greatness, even when people don’t think they can. All young people need these great examples, even fictional ones, that show just how powerful they can be.

                

Girls especially need these kinds of examples. As a twenty year old girl, I can tell you firsthand that I have experienced and witnessed a prejudice against young girls with big dreams. It’s sad that in the 21^st century, girls are still treated as less than boys. Girls are considered less intelligent, weaker, and all around inferior to boys. Now, don’t take this to mean that I’m a man-hater. I want guys to pursue their dreams fervently and become successful young men who don’t let anyone discourage them. I want guys to be encouraged to be all that they can be. But I want girls to have the same treatment. I want the world to tell girls that they are just as capable. If girls were ever treated like they deserve to be treated, I think we would see a vast improvement in our society.

                

Unfortunately, girls don’t hear the encouragement they desperately need. That’s why characters like Katniss Everdeen are so vital in literature. If Katniss can achieve what she does even under the most extreme of circumstances, then girls who are reading can believe that they too can succeed.

                

If girls continue to read about characters like Katniss Everdeen, Tris Prior, Lucy Pevensie, Lena Holloway, etc.,* then we can inspire young girls to seek greatness because they will believe they can achieve greatness, despite others trying to hold them back. YA books are filled with excellent role models for young girls and guys in a way that is unparalleled. This is why YA is my favorite genre. YA books are inspiring to the youth of the world, and that is priceless.

KMG

*Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games, Tris Prior of Divergent, Lucy Pevensie of The Chronicles of Narnia, Lena Holloway of Delirium