Definition
Young adult (YA) fiction targets teen readers, roughly ages 12 to 18, with protagonists who face coming-of-age stakes. Themes include identity, first independence, and belonging.
Example
A sixteen-year-old competes for a scholarship while hiding family debt from classmates.
Related terms
Common mistakes
- Writing down to teens with simplistic prose or moral lectures.
- Assuming YA cannot include dark topics; it often does, with age-appropriate framing.