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Theme
Genre

Young Adult Fiction

The Novel and Its Forms

Young adult fiction is literature written for readers aged twelve to eighteen, and it may take up themes also found in adult fiction, such as family dysfunction, substance abuse, alcoholism and sexuality.

Facts
Place of Origin
United States; librarians, especially at the New York Public Library, first defined the category as a distinct library classification. 1
Notable Example
S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders (1967), which remains one of the best-selling young adult novels of all time. 1
Defining Trait
Literature written for readers aged 12 to 18, often carrying themes found in adult fiction such as family dysfunction, substance abuse, alcoholism and sexuality. 1
Connections

Form Of Genre

The Novel, Genres
Sources
1. Young Adult Fiction (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_adult_literature, lead paragraph, first two sentences
    Young adult literature (YA) is literature written for readers aged 12 to 18. It may include themes found in adult fiction, such as family dysfunction, substance abuse, alcoholism, and sexuality.
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_adult_literature, History section, NYPL sentence
    Librarians first defined this new category of fiction, in particular librarians from the New York Public Library.
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_adult_literature, History section, The Outsiders sentence
    The Outsiders remains one of the best-selling young adult novels of all time.
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