YA vs Adult Fantasy: The Real Differences

Hello readers, and welcome to the next installment of my unboxing reading jargon series!

Today, we’re going to get things straight because, to be honest, not even I know the real difference between YA (young adult) and adult fantasy.

Until now!

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[GinaLuciaReads]

Do you have a preference? Young adult or adult fantasy?

[mahinaquantummanifestation]

Love your take on this! I agree! And I love both genres, to be honest! I think YA allows us to feel like our inner child again, and the most important component for me is to have characters who grow throughout the stories, and I agree, it's about the here and now too! I relate to both, and love fantasy in general! awesome video!

[scheitahnberg]

this is a really great exploration. because simple arguments like "it's about how graphic the book can get, so just no sex and blood" and "it's arbitrary and shouldn't matter" really don't do justice to why this distinction was created ("oh, it's just marketing") and continues to flourish..

[dukewhisky]

Probably a preference for adult fantasy here, although I do sometimes struggle with the classic fantasy books.

[Roseliatv]

I prefer adult fantasy most of the time, but YA sometimes if they grow along with the book

[CheskySorcha]

As with most things, what I prefer depends a lot on the current circumstance - my frame of mind, the weather or even how much sleep I had last night! Which I guess is me saying - both please!

[ashleyboyd]

I like adults fantasy and sci-fi novels. I just start reading novels in the last half of 2020. I like adults novels because it a challenge for me and now that I am a adult now. I like reading other adults story's.

[raindrops_]

Great analysis! I tend to prefer YA fantasy overall because I love coming of age stories (which is often the case in YA fiction), but *mostly* because I loathe what GRRM has done to adult fantasy as a genre. I may be wrong in blaming Martin here, but I had not come across his 'gritty' style of fantasy writing until the GoT books, and it appears to be everywhere now. I don't care for the OTT violence and (IMO) gratuitous sexual content - and I'm no prude, but I just find it to be a bit gimmicky in that it seems to be there mainly for shock value. I think it's possible to write perfectly solid adult fantasy without going to those lengths - case in point Robin Hobb's Farseer, Liveship and Tawny Man trilogies, which are my favourite works of fiction of any genre.

[stschubs]

I'm here because of Matt D'Avellas newsletter (slowgrowth) So glad yo have found you!!

[lemonyreadsbooks]

I love both. I've found some YA that have better plots than Adult. I've also found that some YA should not be YA. Blood Scion for example, is YA but I completely think it should be labeled as Adult. I also love Adult for how honest and free the author can be with the story. Sooo, i love both 😂.

[RustBrand]

I’d say I definitely prefer Adult fantasy

[DarthVenamis]

Good writing is important to me. That's why YA is a no go.

[DarthVenamis]

Robin Hobb has very YA style of writing. Very bad example to use for Adult Fantasy