We are drawn to stories about first experiences, and YA literature is rich with it. First experiences draw us in because they are the crucible for change. Yet, there is often little personality to the prose in many YA books, and one gets the sense that writers are writing for the broadest demographic possible.
Author Rimma Onoseta discusses how seeing other Black female authors on bookshelves encouraged her to finish writing her contemporary YA novel, How You Grow Wings.
Though adults make up more than half of this readership, there are elements that can or cannot exist in YA for the sake of its young demographic. Yet, books intended for mature readers frequently get miscategorised as YA.
Critically acclaimed novelist Katrina Leno discusses the process of bringing her childhood memories to magical life in her new young adult novel, Sometime in Summer.