New Adult is emerging. Agents and publishers are
acknowledging that the 18-24 crowd is a bit different than the 14-18 crowd, and
not quite the same as the adult crowd.
Unfortunately, some articles are simplifying the
difference into YA issues plus steamy sex scenes. And that’s a gross
understatement.
As a reader, to me YA generally deals with issues
like finding a place in the world, who you want to be, and gaining a sense of
independence. It’s about personal identity and friendships and the evolution of
a person from a child to a young adult. Sometimes it is about first love.
Does it sometimes cover sex and sexuality?
Why, yes, yes it does.
Now, while some of these issues continue—some of us
never know exactly who we want to be—there are new issues and experiences when
someone becomes a new adult. A new adult is free from the relative uniformity
of spending the last 13 years or better of their life in a regimen of classes
and homework. There are new options. Lots of options.
Life has just become Choose Your Own Adventure
without a finger holding your place as a safety net.
They are responsible for themselves. They have
decisions to make. Though their parents may give them input, it is their
decision to follow the advice they are given or cast it aside. Mistakes are
bigger, and there are mistakes. There is the college experience. The roommate. Maybe
even the first apartment. Jobs become more important because now they have rent
and food and other bills.
While young adults are trying to figure out who they
want to be and want to do, new adult is trying to figure out how to put those
earlier goals into action. They are building the foundation for their future.
Maybe it’s solid, or perhaps it will fall out from under them. Maybe they’ll
decide their YA self completely had the wrong idea and they’ll demo the whole
thing and start over.
And maybe they discover that intense relationship
with their high school sweetheart was nothing more than puppy love. Maybe they
discover a deeper love, or even their sexuality now.
Could there be sex?
Sure.
Does it necessarily have to be there?
No.
Why?
Because new adults have plenty of new discoveries to
keep them occupied.
Comments