Teen Lit.

One thing we have noticed here in the Watertown Free Public Library Teen Department is the increasing number of adults who come in, unabashedly, looking for young adult literature. Of course, there have always been adult fans of the collection but ever since the advent of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight there’s been a surge of adult users who come in to get their “fix.” One of the fastest growing markets in the publishing world is the market for young adults.   Authors like James Patterson are now writing books for teens.

So what attracts adults to the young adult novel? One patron described it as “the really serious can’t-put-the-book-down, fall-in-love-with-the-characters” feeling when they read a good YA novel. You can read a YA book in one day. They are readable and well-written. They are full of teenage rebellion because YA novelists put a high value on developing characters that reflect their teen readers and their emotional angst. As adults we remember those first loves and first losses. Fantasy is often intertwined with this appeal to teens, and the fantastical elements make for a great escape from reality.

Here are some of the titles that are popular with our adult patrons:

• Suzanne Collins                 The Hunger Games
• Judy Blundell                     What I Saw and How I Lied
• Sherman Alexie                The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (winner of the National Book Award in 2007)
• Rick Riordan                       The Lightning Thief
• Garth Nix                             Sabriel
• Markus Zusak                    The Book Thief

Give one a try next time you come and visit the Teen Department of the Watertown Free Public Library!

A guest blog post by Teen Services Supervisor Carey Conkey-Finn