YA Rant

I love to read. I think about books more than I would openly admit. I constantly stare at my three overflowing bookshelves; I know the story behind each individual purchase of all 350+ books. Reading has given me so much; endless worlds to escape to, endless lessons to learn, and endless possibilities for stories to have the power to shape me until I do not recognize the person I was before I sat down to read.  Ever since I showed interest in reading and books I have been encouraged by everyone I knew. I was given countless gift cards, trips to bookstores, and praise for the amount of books I read. I was given countless Young Adult books that I fell in love with, and that inspired me to no end. My peers thought that it was so cool how many books I would devour in just a couple of days.

I still love YA books, and they are still the genre that I prefer to read, and take up the majority of space on my shelves. However, now in my 20’s, I have discovered that my peers no longer think that I’m cool for reading these books, they actually seem a little embarrassed for me. They roll their eyes and say, “Oh, so you’re still reading Twilight books?”, or “But the characters are so young, and they all just rip off Hunger Games anyways”. The biggest criticisms I get are actually from my own family; my grandmother stares at me with a puzzled expression mixed with disappointment as I try to explain the book I’m currently reading, then she suggests one that she thinks “will be more beneficial” to me.

I know that many people think that I should be embarrassed that I am enthralled by stories about young teenagers. Others claim that it is a waste of time, that I am now an adult and should be interested in more serious literature. These comments would lead me to be hesitant in expressing my reading tastes; I would focus on my favourite literary classics instead of my YA favourites that I think about all the time. One time, I even referred to YA as my “guilty pleasure”, but the thing is, I don’t feel guilty about it. I don’t feel ashamed or embarrassed or about any book that I have read, because I like what I like, and you should never feel ashamed for liking what you like.

I feel that YA literature has value; I feel that it pushes boundaries and deals with issues that are relevant in today’s society, and that it has a lot to say. I also find it highly entertaining, and I get true joy from reading them. Books make me happy, even when they make me sad (I am also a book crier, something else I’m meant to be embarrassed about).

I will continue to read YA for as long as I like, not when someone tells me to stop.