I always found it strange that there was so much time and effort devoted to distinguishing between "teen" and "tween", "young adult" and "new adult". I think the moniker of "New Adult" is incredibly pointless, especially after reading Deahl's article. It just further serves to confuse readers and it treads upon ground I feel has already been covered by the term "Young Adult". Teens and adults, I feel, both know what they want to read - and trying to wedge them under some other label doesn't accomplish anything.
The other article, "YA Comes of Age", acknowledges the trend that YA has been moving readers into older age brackets, and the demand for content has only gotten stronger as more "adult-adults" have trended into that particular marketing group. A lot of the demand stems from the compelling content, which I would wager seems more "fresh" than more standard fare that has existed as Classic Adult literature. Nevermind that the YA content runs dangerously close to repeating itself too much for its own good, the fact remains that there is still a lot of buyers and readers out there for it.
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I followed both John Green's Tumblr\Site and the "Forever Young Adult" sites. Green's site was geared a little more towards "young" adults (think 'early 20s'), with a lot of humorous (or semi-humorous) topical posts on a wide variety of topics. Most of those topics touch on current issues like gay marriage or the turmoil in Egypt. He writes primarily to this audience, engaging them in discussions on these topics. The Tumblr page is a little more 'connected' to his audience (whereas his site is a little more serious) and his fans (aka "Nerdfighters") are able to regularly communicate with him.
Forever Young Adult is a little more about media that is relevant to young adults - movies, books, and television. Its written smartly, and carries additional interesting offerings like DIY projects and editorials. Its written more broadly, so no one age range is focused on too extensively. The site appeals to readers who like kitschy articles, and features a store of quirky merchandise - a bespoked peacock with an "Austentatious" caption elicited a good chuckle from me.
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A lot of forthcoming books - at least, from what I am reading on Harper and Tor Teen - is a lot of "something borrowed, something new". Titles are described as drawing from classic authors (like Jane Austen) while engaging in a darker, more "fractured" method of storytelling. In terms of genre, it seems that fantasy or sci-fantasy is the soup du jour, still! Lots of vampires and werewolves, lots of moody settings.
Comments posted to Marilyn S.'s blog and Meliss B.'s
Hi Matt, I found your comments about the "New Adult" dilemma insightful and interesting. I don't find this category necessary either, and I agree that it could cause more confusion for readers. There is that moment at which one "graduates" into adult literature, and it often comes early for very good readers. As you say, teens and adults know what they want to read.
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