New Adult - What do you think?




I was looking at some different memes and linkies tonight and clicked on one link for a giveaway of a book I desperately want (Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo). This took me to Christina Reads YA. I took a look around while I was there and noticed her post about New Adult (NA) books. I was thinking that it would be a great topic to discuss. I'm curious what your guys' thoughts are. Here are some things I'm curious to know:
  1. What do you think about NA?
  2. Have you read any books from the genre?
  3. If you have, are there any you would recommend and are they clean (no sex, mild language) or not?
  4. If you haven't read any, are you planning to?
  5. Do you think that NA generally only produces one type of book or relationship?
  6. Do you think there is a need for this genre?
Here are my answers:
  1. I'm not sure about it. I feel like it's a way to still target young adults, but include more sexual content and such in some ways. I like my books clean, so this is a deterrent for me.
  2. I have. I can't remember their titles at this point. I don't even think I added them on Goodreads because I felt they weren't recommendable. However, there may be some books I've read that I didn't realize were NA. I'm not sure how I can really tell what genre a book is in when it's borderline, wasn't on NetGalley and my library, other sites, or Amazon puts them in different genres. (Does anyone know of a way to check that? Maybe the publisher?) I wish Goodreads would also include the genre with the publication date. I don't really want to have to search to see exactly what genre a books is if I don't know for sure. Plus there are YA books that include older teens and college-age kids. Are those now absorbed in the NA genre? I don't know how that works.
  3. As I said above, I wouldn't recommend the ones I know are NA that I've read. The focal point was basically sex and included too much sexual content for my taste. If I wanted that, I would turn to Susan Elizabeth Phillips who writes some great romance plots and characters, but is much too detailed on the sex and includes a lot of bad language. Supposedly Beautiful Disaster, The Sea of Tranquility, and Flat-Out-Love are all NA (I thought they were YA) and I have these all on my tbr. I have already have an ebook of Beautiful Disaster, but haven't read it yet. I have heard good things about it. I will have to read it and see what I think.
  4. Obviously N/A (not applicable in this case).
  5. In my experience, so far, it has been yes. Generally they are contemporary. Tension in the relationship with girl not wanting to be with boy, but being stuck together. One comment I read (can't remember who now after reading those posts and the comments) said that NA's relationships/sex seemed more mature. I don't know that I agree with that since one of the books I read the relationship was still fairly immature. However, I do like the idea of the relationships having the chance to actually stick. I mean in YA, are you really going to love this guy you're with forever or marry him? Chances are, probably not.
  6. I don't know if there is a need. I do think there is great potential. I'm okay with not all the angsty teenagers or silly girls who can't make up their minds about which guy or what to do that exists a lot in YA (although some of that definitely exists after high school too). Sometimes it really is too much for me, depending on the author and book. I think there is some potential to cover some issues about things that normally occur from the age of 18 - 30. New jobs, getting married (or not), deciding on what you're going to do, leaving home, ect. I think YA can really show those development or forming years - it's where you decide who you want to be. Then NA can show individuals putting that into play - this is who you are and will be. It's when your decisions really stick and you've already made them for the type of person you'll be and what you'll be doing with your life, for the most part. Although, there is still a lot of development going on as well.
Here are two posts (the same ones I read tonight) that might get you thinking a little bit more and get some differing perspectives: Xpresso Reads and Christina Reads YA.

Do you agree? Disagree?

10 comments

  1. I love your answers to these questions because they are exactly what I would have said.

    Personally, I haven't been a fan of any of the NA books I've read. I've only read a couple of them, but there was too much sex and bad language and so I quit before I got very far into the book.

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    1. I'm hoping that maybe if it's not contemporary romance, such as fantasy, dystopian, or sci-fi, it might be cleaner. Although, I don't know if it's worth trying out. There are so many other good books and I have limited time, so I hate to invest it in something that won't work out. I will try the ones I have heard good things about that are already on my tbr and then I'll just have to see if I'll continue doing that. I've never completely disgarded a genre (I may read a book once in a while from Adult or another genre), so I don't see me doing that here.

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  2. Some of them arent bad. I get why they feel the need to make the new adult genre. There really arent many books to bridge the gap from after high school through like 25. But alot of them to me would just be normal romance books. So its confusing as to what all qualifies it as 'new adult'.

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    1. I agree. I think it is a little confusing, but I'm willing to read some others to see if my opinion changes. Thanks for sharing what you think!

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  3. I've only read a couple, so I'm still getting a feel for what they're about. The ones I read seemed to basically be romance novels -- which I do enjoy from time to time-- and be a little similar in structure: good girl, bad boy, etc. etc. But I found a few at a used book sale so I'm going to keep an open mind and give a few more a try.

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    1. I'm trying to do that. I have a few to read and I will and see what I think. It's not that I love all the YA books I read either. There are just so many books to read and so little time. ;)

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  4. I personally love NA -- it is not that different from YA but there is something authentic about it when you read a good book from the genre.

    My favorites are Hopeless, Slammed/Point of Retreat, Charade, Flat-Out Love, Easy, and Wait For You

    There are definitely bad books from the genre as well -- Avoiding Commitment, Beautiful Disaster, The Secret of Ella and Micha but there are obviously bad books from every genre

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    1. Thanks, Eva! I'm glad you commented because I really wanted to hear from someone who likes the genre and has some good recommendations. I will try the ones you suggested.

      So, you didn't like Beautiful Disaster? I've heard good things about it. That's the things with books - sometimes you never know since we are all so different, which is a good thing. I agree that there are bad books from every genre.

      It's probably more of that it may not be the genre for me, which is fine. I normally don't read that much Adult Fiction either for the same reason.

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  5. I love how you came up with those questions! Your post is so much more focused than mine.

    "Plus there are YA books that include older teens and college-age kids. Are those now absorbed in the NA genre? I don't know how that works."

    True. I've referred to Just One Day as NA, though it's been published as YA. (I would recommend that one based on what you've said!)

    "I have already have an ebook of Beautiful Disaster, but haven't read it yet. I have heard good things about it. I will have to read it and see what I think."

    ^--- Really??? I have not heard the best of things and if you're looking for a clean book, I don't think you'll find it there.

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    1. That's just what popped in my head. I thought otherwise I could ramble on and on, and I wanted it to be easy for readers to see what I thought and respond.

      I read Just One Day. It was really borderline for me as far as acceptably clean. I did like it, but I didn't recommend it unless none of that stuff bothered readers.

      So maybe a book is NA if the characters are already graduated and in college? I still don't know.

      Maybe I won't read Beautiful Disaster. Thanks for letting me know and for stopping by, Christina!

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