Dilemma regarding age group...

YA.

56K is too short for an adult novel.

If the MC has a girlfriend who is an object of lust for a band of cannibals, it's NOT NOT NOT middle grade.

Therefore it's YA. Q.E.D.

mbroadway said:

I have just finished a steampunk novel. (turn of the century setting.)

I haven't given an age to the MC because I wanted the reader to determine it themselves, based on what they thought. Richard, the MC, speaks like an adult, with more formal language and no slang, which was more typical at the turn of the century than it is today.

The theme is not graphic and there's no sexual content, although there is a bit of graphic description, but not gory or play-by-play.

I'm going to paste the query to give you an idea of the story line and hope someone can tell me whether they feel this would fall into adult, YA, or MG. I'm just clueless at this point.

Thanks so much.


Dear Agent:


Pfffttt!

As another poison dart barely misses him, Richard Armstrong wishes he had stayed in England with his girlfriend, Wren Remington. But Richard craved adventure, and he’s found it now on an uncharted island — surrounded by sharks and inhabited by pygmy cannibals.

If oily-haired dirigible owner, Hans Von Hisle, hadn’t overheard his conversation about the treasure, he wouldn’t have beaten Richard to the Inca Gold. (Dirigibles don’t have to sail through the rough waters of Cape Horn in order to reach Peru like steamships do.) And, if Wren wasn’t so naïve, Hans couldn’t have tricked her into getting on the dirigible with him, and she wouldn’t be the next event scheduled for the sacrificial altar in the Hidden Temple. Of course, if the cannibals weren’t so intrigued by Wren’s beauty, she might be hanging in the underground chamber by now with her eyes burned out and losing another limb each time dinner is served.

Although blinded by her beauty, these cannibals are still a crafty little bunch. When Richard ventures into their underground treasure trove to find Wren, he falls prey to their clever scheme. Trapped in the darkness with poison darts flying at him, courage is the only weapon he has left. But, it’s going to take more than courage to figure a way out when the cannibals push the stone lever and block his only means of escape.

Your turn-of-the-century cabin is waiting on The Seahorse for a voyage to CANNIBAL ISLAND, an Upper Middle Grade Steampunk Adventure that will take you from England to Peru in 56,000 words, complete with a Light Emitting Oscillator and Perpetual Matches.

I would be happy to send sample chapters or the full manuscript for your consideration.

Thank you and I look forward to your reply.

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If he's an adolescent, with a girlfriend, I think your best bet is pitching it as YA. The fact that he has a girlfriend tells me the MC is older than your typical MG MC (who is generally, 14 or younger).

The formal language woudn't make it outside of YA or MG, but he should still sound like an adolescent of his time and place - not like an adult.

And I would suggest actually making his age clear in the book. You know how old he is (or you should) and hiding that from the reader seems silly to me, and likely to frustrate your reader.

So, I'd suggest figuring out how old he is, keep him true to someone of his age, experience and station for his time, and then determine the best genre fit.

ETA: I would post the first 1,500 words in the YA SYW forum for some crit on the language and voice.

~suki

Wow, upper MG MC's can't have girlfriends? I guess I can't think of any that do. Although I can think of lots where they like the girl.

This makes me rethink my MG novel as well. MY MC doesn't have a girlfriend, but his best friend is a girl. He keeps trying to convince himself he doesn't like her. But it's not Upper MG, more middle of the road I guess.

Hmmm, I'll have to think about this.

mware01 said:

Wow, upper MG MC's can't have girlfriends? I guess I can't think of any that do. Although I can think of lots where they like the girl.

This makes me rethink my MG novel as well. MY MC doesn't have a girlfriend, but his best friend is a girl. He keeps trying to convince himself he doesn't like her. But it's not Upper MG, more middle of the road I guess.

Hmmm, I'll have to think about this.

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A very close platonic friendship with a member of the opposite sex, with slightly confused feelings is basically perfect for MG, though

Kitty Pryde said:

A very close platonic friendship with a member of the opposite sex, with slightly confused feelings is basically perfect for MG, though

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Thanks Kitty. I think I was freaking out about nothing. I'm posting the first chapter later this week. It has the scene I was a little worried about in it. But none of my family or friends have thought anything of it (though NONE of them read MG).

Broadway, sorry if I kind'a hi-jacked your thread. I'll give it back now =-)

BTW: I thought is seemed more Upper MG for your query, but I think posting the chapter is the best thing to do.

Boyfriends and girlfriends are okay in upper-MG, in my opinion. Shug and Olive's Ocean spring immediately to mind as examples.

The relationships between boyfriends and girlfriends at that age will be much different than they would be in YA novels, but the terms boyfriend and girlfriend still apply.

However, I agree with the others that yours sounds more like YA, Michael.

My son: sixth-grade: first girlfriend. Entire relationship = texting each other at night. Ignored each other at school so their friends wouldn't know.

Never kissed, never went out on a date, broke up when her parents got the cell phone bill.

That level of innocence is fine for MG.

THE LAST OLYMPIAN, last book in Percy Jackson series, has 16-year-olds who finally share their first kiss at the very end. (not a spoiler, since I didn't say who kisses who!) This series gets shelved in both MG and YA sections.

Anything more explicit, like LUST or SEX or BODY PARTS mentioned = YA.

JudScotKev said:

Anything more explicit, like LUST or SEX or BODY PARTS mentioned = YA.

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Ah, good - I was getting a bit concerned, too. I would call my current WIP upper-MG, but he has a girlfriend. However, there is no sex or body parts, and the closest thing to lust is realizing how much he's going to miss her, so it sounds like I'm in the clear.