The difference between YA and Coming-of-Age

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aruna

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I hope this is the right place to post this -- as it's for all readers as well as novelists, I chose the Roundtable.

Anyway: my new novel, The Small Fortune of Dorothea Q, is coming out on Friday and a few reviews are trickling in. One reviewer said that, because all three main characters are in their teens, the book could be categorised as YA.

I was a bit flummoxed by this opinion, as I never in my life thought I was writing YA! Though a few times, I did think it would fit in the Coming-of-Age category, along with a couple of other genres.

The thing is, though the novel does go back in time to the (middle aged and old) adult characters youth and shows them growing up, the main focus is on the present day drama, when they are the ages they are now.
So I got to wondering what is the dividing line between YA and Coming-of-Age; and I think it is intended readership.

I believe that YA is primarily intended for, natch, teens and young adults, and deals with the issues they face, such as dating, school, etc. The voice will be young and maybe a bit sassy, in the voice of this readership, and it will be very much here-and-now.

Coming-of-Age, as I see it, is about the change that young person goes through in becoming an adult as seen form an older perspective, and the intended readership is much older.

Of course, those definitions are very much generalised; old people can read and enjoy YA, and vice versa. Yet the couple of YA's I've read, I pretty much knew that I (aged 63) was not the intended reader.
Using that criteria, the book is defintitely not YA.
What do you think? Does the age of the characters alone determine the genre?
 
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jeffo20

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Anyway: my new novel, The Small Fortune of Dorothea Q, is coming out on Friday
Congratulations, and best of luck!

One reviewer said that, because all three main characters are in their teens, the book could be categorised as YA...What do you think? Does the age of the characters alone determine the genre?
I want to insert a big facepalm picture in here. This is a person who would apparently qualify Room by Emma Donoghue as a chidren's book because the protagonist/narrator is 5-years-old. It's not the age of the characters that determines the age category of the book, it's everything else: the story, the language, the themes, the emphasis.
 
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Mr Flibble

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Coming-of-Age, as I see it, is about the change that young person goes through in becoming an adult as seen form an older perspective, and the intended readership is much older.
That pretty much nails it for me, or rather at least gives my basis for Coming Of Age (there may be other details that solidify it, but that's my basis). Coming of Age is to me "this is the story of how I grew up to be the me I am now" If it was just age, Atonement would be YA because of Briony's age at the start. o_O

YA is much more than just age of the protag.

I think you need to remember -- just because someone reviews books doesn't mean they have a firm grasp of what constitutes a genre* ;) OK, it was a review in the Times maybe I'd have a rethink. But if this is not a professional reviewer, then I think you can chalk it up to someone getting their wires crossed about what makes YA



*It's possible I don't either because it's not really what I read. :D
 
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aruna

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Well, I guess I misquoted her: she said that the age of the protags gave it an almost YA feel. Still -- I didn't get any YA feelings while writing it, and I don't think readers will get such a feeling either! She's not a professional, but neither is she an amazon or goodreads reviewer; she's a book review blogger, so I guess I expected more.
 

kuwisdelu

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I I believe that YA is primarily intended for, natch, teens and young adults, and deals with the issues they face, such as dating, school, etc. The voice will be young and maybe a bit sassy, in the voice of this readership, and it will be very much here-and-now.

Coming-of-Age, as I see it, is about the change that young person goes through in becoming an adult as seen form an older perspective, and the intended readership is much older.

Basically, yup. Bildungsroman is one of my favorite genres, but I rarely read YA.

My own WIP is coming of age without an adult perspective, but I still doubt it's YA.
 
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Jamesaritchie

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I don't think coming of age is a genre, and I don't think the age of the protagonists has any meaning at all. In fact, I know it doesn't. A bunch of adult novels have been written that use twelve year old protagonists. I remember a couple that used six and seven year old protagonists.

Every genre has coming of age stories. Every genre. Whether it's MG, YA, adult, or you name it, it's the story you tell, and the way you tell it that places the novel in that category, not whether it's coming of age, or because the protagonists are a certain age.
 

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In theory, all YA novels must have teen protagonists, but not all novels with teen protagonists are YA. If you check out the stickies in the YA forum, there is a lot of discussion about what constitutes a YA novel. Age of the MCs is one thing. Voice and themes are also important. An adult looking back at their past isn't going to be a YA novel.

But even if the reviewer said that because the MCs are teens it *should* be YA, you really shouldn't see it as anything than one person who isn't aware of the market. I would doubt in that case that the reviewer actually reads YA. (I say that not having read the book. For all I know, it does read like YA or has a YA feel to it. Still, based on what you say here, I doubt it.)
 
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Fuchsia Groan

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The thing is, though the novel does go back in time to the (middle aged and old) adult characters youth and shows them growing up, the main focus is on the present day drama, when they are the ages they are now.

If this means the bulk of the novel's action involves middle-aged and old characters, it's definitely, absolutely not YA. The flashback parts may have a "YA feel," sure, but aging your main characters into their forties simply doesn't happen in YA, unless you're J.K. Rowling and you're doing it in a brief epilogue.

I think of "coming of age" as a theme or motif, not a genre. It's a theme you often find in YA novels, but also in adult novels; other factors will determine the appropriate category.

Many of the earliest influential European novels were Bildungsromane (Moll Flanders, Pamela, Werther) at a time when YA didn't technically exist. So in my mind that motif transcends today's market categories. Whether or not Catcher in the Rye and Jane Eyre are marketed as YA (and they often are these days) is a business decision. But they are coming-of-age novels either way.

I think people tend to see YA everywhere these days because YA is so successful and ubiquitous in the form of movie adaptations, etc. I wouldn't take it as a comment on your book, as I've read perhaps hundreds of coming-of-age novels that were not categorized as YA. Some do appeal to a YA readership, but that's not really the issue.
 

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I don't think coming of age is a genre

I don't think it's a genre either, and yes many genres have the coming of age story

It is, however, a recognisable type of story. If you say "It's a coming of age story" people get what sort of story it is*.

And while yes some YA is coming of age they are not interchangeable.


*Though what they think and what everyone else thinks may be different. Just as with genre.
 

aruna

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Thanks for all the replies. The book has three interwoven storylines: present day story with teenage 1st person protag, her mother and grandmother; mother's youth, grandma's youth. All three storyline are equally important. And you are right, it definitely is not YA. A very strong CoA feel, but NOT YA.
 
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