New Adult Fiction

The New Adult (NA) fiction is a developing category of fiction with young and newly independent protagonists.^1,2 The novels focus on the transition from adolescence to adulthood, becoming more independent, taking on more responsibilities, and facing challenges for the first time on their own. ‘It’s more about finding relatable characters than… It’s about feeling like your generation, your peers, are being represented honestly and realistically.’³

The genre is popular among readers who are outgrowing Young Adult (YA) novels but are craving something more from adult fiction. Elizabeth Chandler, founder of Goodreads.com says the genre has exploded in popularity, with the number of readers recommending books with the new-adult label going from an insignificant amount to more than 14,000 titles. But the books have not only been popular amongst twentysomethings, adults in their 30s and 40s nostalgically reliving their firsts are being increasingly drawn to these books, similar to the increase in older readers purchasing YA books for themselves.^4,5

While mainstream media focus has largely focused on the genre being sub-genre of contemporary romance the genre does not have a clear cut definition. Just as with the YA books, there is space under the umbrella term of NA fiction for every genre across the fiction spectrum as the ‘NA tag speaks more to voice, style, and theme.’^2,6

Bibliography

1. Sambuchino C. 2013 Guide to Literary Agents: F+W Media; 2012.

2. Pattee AS. Developing Library Collections for Today's Young Adults: Scarecrow Press; 2013.

3. Vining S. NA Alley [Internet]2014. [cited 2015]. Available from: http://www.naalley.com/2014/10/the-necessity-of-new-adult.html.

4. Kaufman L. Beyond Wizards and Vampires, to Sex. The New York Times [Internet]. 2012 16/0/2015. Available from: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/22/books/young-adult-authors-add-steaminess-to-their-tales.html.

5. Jorgenson J. A World of Firsts | Genre Spotlight: New Adult. Library Journal [Internet]. 2014 16/08/2015. Available from: http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2014/09/books/genre-fiction/a-world-of-firsts-genre-spotlight-new-adult/.

6. Wetta M. What is New Adult Fiction, Anyway? Novelist [Internet]. 2013 16/08/2015. Available from: https://www.ebscohost.com/novelist/novelist-special/what-is-new-adult-fiction-anyway.