Stop Bashing YA

Don’t get me wrong, I love people. But there are a lot of things that people do that bother me. I’m sure you can relate. Instead of using this point to argue about politics or something that affects everyone, I’m going to use it to discuss something that shouldn’t be anyone’s business except yourself: your choice of books.

I am sick of hearing people say that reading Young Adult books doesn't count as reading. What is that even supposed to mean? Reading is reading. You look at letters and put sounds together in your head to form sentences that translate ideas. It's the same everywhere. Just because I'm not always reading Jane Austen or something considered a "classic" does not diminish the fact that I am still reading. I’ve had friends or family members discredit what I’m reading simply because it sounds childish, or shallow, or whatever they want to call it. But that’s the thing. I’m reading it, not them. I wouldn’t make them associate with that book or genre if they didn’t want to, so why should they do the opposite to me?

There are so many people that don’t read, so why not celebrate when someone is reading? As someone who studies English, I see the importance in reading, no matter what it is. In fact, I think reading YA is beneficial for everyone, and here's why.

First and foremost, reading should be fun. We grow up being forced to read in class, for book reports, or before bed. But if you don't learn to read for fun, you'll never enjoy it. YA books help readers realize what it is they like to read. There isn't pressure to read a novel that's 1000 pages long if you don't want to. Reading expands your knowledge and perspective even if it doesn’t always challenge you.

Secondly, it's good to bring variety into your reading. Maybe you're someone who enjoys reading classic novels, but you find yourself waiting to start your next book because you know it’s going to be a big time commitment. This is what always happens to me. However, I've found that I like to alternate with YA. I usually read YA much quicker than other books because the plot moves quickly and I become more invested. Once I finish the book, I feel motivated to start something else and keep reading.

Lastly, reading offers a chance to escape reality, and YA usually comes with a happy ending. Whenever I'm having a hard day, it's nice to be invested in a book and distract myself by seeing how things could have gone differently, even if it's clearly fictional. It expands our imagination and acts as a temporary stress reliever. And that’s the most important thing about reading: it shouldn’t be something that stresses out, or else we’ll start to overthink something so simple as reading words on a page.

No one should be ashamed of reading, no matter what it is. It's better to be reading something than nothing at all, and YA is no exception. Reading YA doesn't mean you're stupid, it means you're smart. Smart people don't waste their time caring about what other people think.

If you’ve never tried reading YA, then maybe it’s time to start. You have nothing to lose from it. No one is going to make you finish it if you absolutely hate it. And if you love it, then no one should give you a hard time, either.

And remember, if anyone makes fun of you for what you're reading, just spoil the ending of their book (even if it isn’t true).