Trends in Young Adult Fantasy Novels

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Young adult fantasy novels are one of the most consistently bestselling categories in the book world. The trends of what’s popular are constantly evolving, most likely because readers get more and more discerning with each new release. While series such as Twilight and Harry Potter set a precedent for paranormal romance novels, some readers seem to have grown tired of vampires and wizardry, though core fans of the genre will stay loyal to their love of magic.

During the past year, dystopian novels have surged in popularity. Is it the predictions of the 2012 apocalypse that readers are relating most to, or is it the strong, empowered characters that attract readers and reel them in? While yes, the Miami zombie news and Mayan prophecies incited a little bit of hysteria about the possibilities of an apocalypse this year, we’d like to think it’s the compelling protagonists that have increased the appeal of dystopian literature.

That idea actually makes the most sense because even when young adult fantasy novels are built upon storylines with paranormal elements, they’re still the ones readers are clamoring for the day they’re released.

Librarians all over the country report that the popularity of dystopian novels doesn’t seem to be slowing down at all. While it seems that the fascination with an apocalypse may fuel the desire to read end of the world books, what sets the bestsellers and award winners apart is their combination of fantasy and real issues that are relevant to teen’s lives.

The best examples of this are the current bestsellers, many of which are considered some of the best fantasy novels of all time. For example, in The Hunger Games, Katniss deals with many coming-of-age issues alongside her struggle to survive. In Revealing Eden, Eden struggles with self-acceptance and self-image as she tries to outwit a government that classifies her as the lowest of the low and her mate-rate brands her nearly impossible to find a mate. Among paranormal romance novels, in Twilight, even though Bella is in love with a vampire, we can relate to how she feels when she first moves to a new town and how it can be difficult to understand young love. 

The best fantasy novels of today are those that combine the elements that are most relevant and on the forefront of society, which drive the content of many end of the world books, and those that allow you to fully understand and empathize with the protagonist. It makes sense that dystopian literature is leading the pack right now, but authors beware, the characters will always be the most important element of the story.

Young adult novels —bringing characters to life

Writing realistic characters in young adult novels can be challenging to do when you’re no longer between the ages of 12 and 17.  It’s important for those awkward adolescent years to be brought to life in an authentic way if you want your book to be a success. 

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Whether you’re writing end of the world books or paranormal romance novels, there are a few key traits that your protagonists and other characters should possess—one of the most important is attitude. While characters may be extremely different from each other, especially when their story is based in settings as different as what you’d find in dystopian literature or a contemporary love story, some themes and issues will be common and recurring. They will evoke certain attitudes that will be similar across the board, such as rebelliousness, anger, frustration and insecurity. 

When writing these characters, you want to let the audience see them evolve and make mistakes from time to time. For an extreme example, the protagonist in a series of end of the world books may be focused on developing her combat skills so she can survive an apocalypse, but during the process may decide on whether she believes that others are potential enemies or allies. She may make a life-changing decision that goes against everything she ever believed in as a child.

A common behavior among protagonists in young adult novels is a struggle for self-awareness and identity. Young adults are coming-of-age and trying to learn who they are, what they like and dislike, what’s important to them and how they want to be perceived. As a result, they may try on different identities, looks and friends in a desire to experiment—they may be a red meat lover one day and the next decide they want to become a vegetarian. They may practice with a band for a year and then decide they don’t want to do anything with music anymore. They may think they know their stance on drugs and alcohol, and then may succumb to peer pressure in an unexpected situation.

While protagonists in dystopian literature may experiment with different personas just like any teenager would, they may also try on different political and spiritual attitudes that may not even be in the minds of real world teens. The possibilities are literally endless and offer an opportunity to really have your protagonist experience a significant and dramatic arc throughout the novel.

Why write books for young adults?

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There are several compelling reasons to write books for young adults. It’s a fresh, ever burgeoning genre that is easy to adapt to and lots of fun to write. Yet there are other reasons that motivate authors on deeper levels and often result in a sense of unparalleled fulfillment.

Besides the fact that the market is flourishing, many authors choose to write young adult novels because it gives them an opportunity to wield influence upon a demographic that is still impressionable. The adult market may enjoy everything from the classics and paranormal romance novels to science fiction and fantasy books, but their attitudes and beliefs are already formed and difficult to sway or affect.

Many of the teenagers who read young adult novels seek characters that they can relate to and an understanding of what they’re experiencing in life. They want to feel like others have experienced or are going through the same situations and experiences that they are. Books for young adults give readers the chance to live through the experience with the protagonist and see how they handle everything from drugs, peer pressure, sex and racism to surviving an apocalypse and saving the world. While the latter two situations are typically fodder for science fiction and fantasy books, when blended with the young adult genre, the protagonists will face issues common to young adults, despite their otherworldly settings.

Another common reason that authors write books for young adults is that it gives them a chance to rewrite their own teenage experiences. If prom sucked or teenage years were spent covered in acne and despair, an author can write a totally different experience and live vicariously through their protagonist. Someone who never dated during high school can write a series of paranormal romance novels where they live out their fantasy of dating the hottest guy in school and ending up happily ever after once they’ve overcome an array of supernatural obstacles. On the flip side, if high school was a breeze or possibly too normal, writers can raise their protagonist in a coven of witches or a castle in an imaginary land of demons and fairies.

The best young adult novels give readers hope by helping their characters go through their experiences and ultimately survive. While this is an amazing experience to be able to provide readers with, it also brings the responsibility to offer unbiased ideas and viewpoints.

Narrative Voice for Young Adult Fiction Books

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One of the defining characteristics of young adult fiction books is what we call “Narrative voice,” which is how your narrator tells the story. When you’re writing for a young adult audience, it’s important to make the narrative voice very teen-friendly, so readers can organically understand and relate to what’s being said. Whether you’re writing dystopian literature or science fiction and fantasy books set in another world, the characters need to be real and relatable, even if they’re not teenaged.

Surrender to immaturity. Some teens and many tweens are introverted or focused on inner conflicts. This makes them relate well to characters in young adult fiction books who face similar coming-of-age issues. Just like the protagonists, they’re trying to figure out who they are.  These characters will not usually be very aware of what they’re doing, and often act and react without thinking, and have emotional outbursts. It really doesn’t matter if it’s the protagonist of a series of science fiction and fantasy books or a chick lit novel; it could be an alien from another planet. What matters is that they’re learning about who they are and have an inexperienced outlook about life.

Unleash your inner drama queen. Use words and phrases that overdramatize a situation and its impact on your characters. Teenagers tend to exaggerate circumstances and get overly emotional. They may say silly things like, “I’m so dead!” or “I hate you,” to convey how serious the situation is to them. When teens are upset they tend to make things seem bigger than they are—use simple language that conveys their message and emotions.

Don’t be a messenger. While many authors of young adult novels, especially writers of dystopian literature, have a message they want their book to convey, it needs to be taught through the lessons the protagonist learns throughout the story. Don’t try to tell the reader the message.

Be easy to read. Young adult fiction books should be written in straightforward language, using shorter, less complex sentences. Young adult readers look for a more manageable read—short paragraphs with simple sentence structures are the way to go for this market. Authors of young adult novels often let sentences run on purposely and get creative with grammar. It’s a more fun, relaxed style that’s less daunting for the reader.