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I've realized that the statement "Teens in YA books act old" is meant to mean "the current range of modern YA overrepresents teens that are hypercompetent/extremely mature."
Teens are on such varied levels of growth. 1/ https://twitter.com/amandajoywrites/status/1248692958406365185
Teens are on such varied levels of growth. 1/ https://twitter.com/amandajoywrites/status/1248692958406365185
Some are dealing with a lot of hardship and struggle + forced to mature quickly. Others are not. A lot are making mistakes + messing up friendships + trying to put things back together + figuring out how to live treated like an adult but without the freedoms of adults. 2/
Part of the issue with this discourse is it always gets reduced to "what teens can/can't do."
It ends up being a discussion of "are teens having sex?" & "mature teens exist" and it disregards the fact that the problem isn't that Kaz Brekker might act like he's 25. 3/
It ends up being a discussion of "are teens having sex?" & "mature teens exist" and it disregards the fact that the problem isn't that Kaz Brekker might act like he's 25. 3/
The problem is that the RANGE of YA isn't fitting teens.
It's not talking *enough/well-enough* about things like teens who are struggling with their parents. Or teens who are faced with decisions about their future or coming to terms with their dying world. 4/
It's not talking *enough/well-enough* about things like teens who are struggling with their parents. Or teens who are faced with decisions about their future or coming to terms with their dying world. 4/
The teenage experience is so broad, it's reductive to try to narrow it down to "what book/action is a teen that acts old."
There is no one thing. Some big, general things are:
- a rarity of 14 & 15 year olds
- too much romance, not enough friendship 5/
There is no one thing. Some big, general things are:
- a rarity of 14 & 15 year olds
- too much romance, not enough friendship 5/
You will *always* be able to make an argument that a YA character acts like a teen. Kaz is struggling with being forced to mature too quickly. Thus, he's teenage.
It's not about specifics. Looking at specifics will probably never lead to an answer as to why YA feels old. 6/
It's not about specifics. Looking at specifics will probably never lead to an answer as to why YA feels old. 6/
If we want to actually address the ways YA is failing teens, we need to look at the landscape of the category as a whole.
Stop arguing about what teens do. Start looking at why teens stop reading YA or never get into. This is where the category is starting to fail readers. 7/
Stop arguing about what teens do. Start looking at why teens stop reading YA or never get into. This is where the category is starting to fail readers. 7/
Understand the difference between "media that is meant to represent teens" and "media that teens enjoy reading." These are not always the same.
I guarantee that understanding this difference will clear things up a la Six of Crows *so* quickly. 8/
I guarantee that understanding this difference will clear things up a la Six of Crows *so* quickly. 8/
You will very rarely get the same answer from two teens. But listen to us? Talk to us?
We like & feel different things. We want different things from YA. We're not a monolith, & don't assume what we enjoy reading is the same as what represents us. 9/9
We like & feel different things. We want different things from YA. We're not a monolith, & don't assume what we enjoy reading is the same as what represents us. 9/9
