Young-adult fiction

Young-adult fiction (often abbreviated as YA) is fiction written primarily for adolescents around the ages of 13 to 19. However, many young adults in their 20s and 30s also read young adult fiction.

Characteristics

Young-adult fiction in the form of novels or short stories, have special features that make it different from the types of fiction catered to other age groups: namely Adult fiction, Middle Grade Fiction (for older children aged 8-12), and Early readers Fiction (for very young children under age 8). Most YA stories show an adolescent as the lead character, rather than an adult or a child. The subject matter and storylines are usually in line with the age and knowledge of the main character. YA stories can span all types of fiction. The settings of YA stories are limited only by the skill of the author. YA stories often focus on the challenges of youth. The entire age category is sometimes referred to as problem novels or coming of age novel. YA novels are often as short as 16000 words. Despite its unique features, YA shares the basic parts of fiction with other stories: character, plot, setting, theme, and style.