I have been an avid reader since I was a tiny tot. With school coming to an end, I will now have more time to read books for fun. “What books are you going to read, Emily?” Well, I am going to be reading Young Adult (YA) fiction. I know I’m not the main demographic anymore since I’m not a teenager, but that does not mean that I can’t still read them. YA novels are incredulously more fun to read than adult fiction.

While a lot of YA fiction is very dystopian, they’re still fun to read. These books have young characters trying to find their way in the world. Whereas adult fiction has adult characters having the same problems I have and I do not want to be reminded of my responsibilities. That’s one of the reasons why I read, to escape my stressful life. The main characters are always so much more fun to follow along with because they’re innocent. They’re young, wide-eyed, and dare I say, bushy-tailed.

My personal favorite is “The Leviathan” series by Scott Westerfeld. I did a book review on this series so I won’t go too much into it but these teenagers are so much more susceptible to growth. And their character growth is impeccable and wonderful to watch. I asked a couple of friends what their favorite YA series was and they both said that “The Percy Jackson” series by Rick Riordan is the best. One of my friends said that “The Percy Jackson” series was the only series she could read when she was younger when her dyslexia was really bad.

A majority of avid readers I know (including myself) will continue to read the YA series that we read as children that we’ve grown to love so much. These books have shaped how we read and influence our preferences when we look for other books, and most adult fiction don’t have what we are looking for.

While there is an abundance of adult fiction novels that I do enjoy, they don’t bring the same unrelenting joy that a good young adult novel does. But then again, most YA novels don’t have murder and I relish in a good murder mystery book.

All in all, I prefer to visit the young adult section of the book store to see the beautiful and intricate designs and storytelling from YA authors. Even though these types of dystopian, action novels are called “young adult” that doesn’t mean that only young adults can read them.

Reading is a way of escape and if you’re middle aged and you want to read a story about a 16-year-old in a dystopian city, who is to say nay? Reading is for fun and enjoyment, so read whatever you want! Keep on reading folks!