Three years ago I did a contrast-and-compare with middle grade fiction and young adult fiction. It was a really useful exercise for me.
Since that time, there’s a New Kid in Town. Actually—a New Adult. You’ve probably already heard about it, but wondered how to differentiate them. As with MG and YA, we look first at the age of the protagonist: 13 or younger for MG, 14 to 17 for YA, and now, according to this article, 18 to mid-twenties-ish for NA.
Author Ava Jae first enumerates what YA and NA have in common:
• Young characters
• Emphasis on voice
• Fast pace
• Edgy language
• Sex
I’m definintely in agreement with her commentary on voice. Honestly, friends, reading YA is a great introduction to the concept of voice if you ever find yourself struggling with it.
But we’re here for the compare/contrast. Jae does a good job of breaking down five concepts and showing how the two categories differ. I think you’ll find this very helpful.
Tweet: Here’s a compare/contrast between YA and NA.
Tweet: There’s a New Kid in Town. Actually—a New Adult.
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