Are you a fan of YA fiction? Maybe you’re not sure because you don’t know what YA fiction is. This post is for you.

Technically, Young Adult (YA) fiction is classified as such because of the age of the main characters. Teens like to read about people close to their age and perhaps a bit older. If the cast of characters in the book are ages 12-18 it could be considered YA. But Middle-grade books are popular and the age range is similar. If the character is older than 18 and dealing with higher stakes and strong desires, you may have moved into New Adult.

Confused??? Read On.

YA fiction exists in many genres. Contemporary, romance, suspense, mystery, speculative, dystopian, historical and fantasy. Whatever the genre, these books delve into issues such as personal growth, relationships, identity crisis, and self-discovery.

Teens and young adults struggle with varying emotions and problems during these formative years. Reading YA books provides them with a way of exploring these concerns and gives them realistic characters to relate to.

YA is very popular with adults too. I fell in love with Young Adult fiction when I read The Hunger Games. I enjoy the excitement, fast pace and emotional aspect of YA. At that moment, I decided to write a YA speculative/dystopian book with a Christian emphasis. Hesitant Heroes sprung from this dream.

My Divine Destiny series falls into the speculative/dystopian category because it takes place in the future and the world is controlled by a powerful government. My book is Christian based. Not an easy niche to fill because YA Christian is not a big marketable category.

A few of my favorite authors of YA Christian include Tessa Emily Hall, Laurie Germaine, Lisa McKay, and Taylor Bennett. Tessa has published novels, and she recently released a great teen devotional Coffee Shop Devos. Taylor and Laurie are my critique partners and members of this blog! I highly recommend Porch Swing Girl and Tinsel in a Tangle.

Victoria Kimble, Julane Fisher and Burt Cole are great children’s, middle-grade writers and also a part of the Storyteller Squad. I plan to post about children’s and middle-grade books soon.

I read a ton of YA books!!!

Most are well written and suitable for a young audience but I’ve run across some titles I don’t think teens should read. In this blog, I plan to share short book reviews about some of the most popular YA fiction.

Right now, let me tell you some of my fave general market YA writers. Suzanne Collins is great. As a writer, you can’t get much better. The Hunger Games is dark and violent but most teens are comfortable reading it. I wouldn’t recommend it to middle-grade unless the person is very mature. My Hands Came Away Red, by Lisa McKay is an exciting and emotional book of survival. This novel is also more suited for an older teen.

Kiera Cass The Selection series is good for girls who like romance because it has a Cinderella feel to it. I enjoy her writing style. This collection is a little more sensual than most YA I’ve read. I’d recommend this for older teens only.

Ally Carter is my new favorite YA author. I read Not if I Save You First and the excitement blew me away. This book is high energy but doesn’t lack character development. Then I read the first book in her Embassy Row series, All Fall Down, and I’m hooked. I’m reading the third installment now. Take the Key and Lock Her Up. You can expect a book review on this series in the future.

I hope you enjoyed this intro to Young Adult fiction. Please comment below with the title of one of your favorite books.