Young adult literature ( YA ) is typically written for readers aged 12 to 18 and includes most of the themes found in adult fiction, such as friendship, substance abuse, alcoholism, and sexuality. Stories that focus on the challenges of youth may be further categorized as social or coming-of-age novels .
98-417: Chaos Walking is a young adult science fiction series written by American-British novelist Patrick Ness . It is set in a dystopian world where all living creatures can hear each other's thoughts in a stream of images, words, and sounds called Noise. The series is named after a line in the first book: "The Noise is a man unfiltered, and without a filter, a man is just chaos walking." The series consists of
196-473: A civil war between two opposing factions forms, and in the final book, Monsters of Men (2010), the indigenous species of New World rebels against the humans just as a ship full of new settlers is set to arrive on the planet. The first novel is narrated entirely by Todd, the second is told through the viewpoints of both Todd and Viola, and the third book is narrated by Todd, Viola and The Return. The series has won almost every major children's fiction award in
294-439: A 2014 study shows that using Laurie Halse Anderson 's novel Speak aided in discussions on consent and complicity. Those who read about tough situations like date rape are more emotionally prepared to handle the situation if it arises. It is important to use diverse literature in the classroom, especially in discussing taboo topics, to avoid excluding minority students. Literature written for young adults can also be used as
392-700: A 2018 conference of educators found that the most frequently taught YA texts in America from 2013 to 2018, ordered from most to least taught, were Speak , The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian , The Giver , The Outsiders , The House on Mango Street , American Born Chinese , Monster , The Book Thief , Persepolis , and The Perks of Being a Wallflower . Many young adult novels feature coming-of-age stories. These feature adolescents beginning to transform into adults, working through personal problems, and learning to take responsibility for their actions. YA serves many literary purposes. It provides
490-547: A genre". In 1942, Seventeenth Summer – called by some the first young adult novel – by 17 years old Maureen Daly, was published. Its themes were especially relevant to teenagers, underaged drinking, driving, dating, and angst. Another early example is the Heinlein juveniles , which were science fiction novels written by Robert A. Heinlein for Scribner's young-adult line, beginning with Rocket Ship Galileo in 1947. Scribner's published eleven more between 1947 and 1958, but
588-622: A lack of books with a main character who is a person of color , LGBT , or disabled . In the UK 90% of the best-selling YA titles from 2006 to 2016 featured white, able-bodied, cis-gendered, and heterosexual main characters. The numbers of children's book authors have shown a similar lack of diversity. Between 2006 and 2016, eight percent of all young adult authors published in the UK were people of color. Some consider diversity beneficial since it encourages children of diverse backgrounds to read and it teaches children of all backgrounds an accurate view of
686-503: A number of definitions, including: Librarians first defined this new category of fiction, in particular librarians from the New York Public Library . The NYPL's first annual Books for Young People list was sent in 1929 to schools and libraries across the country. Then "In 1944 [...] NYPL librarian Margaret Scoggin changed the name of her library journal column from 'Books for Older Boys and Girls' to 'Books for Young Adults', and
784-485: A patch of silence out in the swamp, his surrogate parents immediately tell him that he has to run, leaving him with only a map of New World, his loyal yet mildly irritating dog Manchee, a message, and many unanswered questions. He soon discovers the source of the silence: a girl, named Viola. The two must hurry to warn other settlements of Prentisstown's preparations for war and escape Aaron, an insane preacher, as Mayor Prentiss prepares an army for conquest. Following on from
882-485: A patch of silence out in the swamp, his surrogate parents immediately tell him that he has to run, leaving him with only a map of New World, his loyal yet mildly irritating dog Manchee, a message, and many unanswered questions. He soon discovers the source of the silence: a girl, named Viola. The two must hurry to warn other settlements of Prentisstown's preparations for war and escape Aaron, an insane preacher, as Mayor Prentiss prepares an army for conquest. Following on from
980-460: A patch of silence, free of Noise. In the second book, The Ask and the Answer (2009), tensions rise as a civil war between two opposing factions forms, and in the final book, Monsters of Men (2010), the indigenous species of New World rebels against the humans just as a ship full of new settlers is set to arrive on the planet. The first novel is narrated entirely by Todd, the second is told through
1078-433: A phenomenon, a work has to "conform to the standards [...] set by the mass media and promoted by the culture industry in general." Zipes complains of similarities between Harry Potter and other well known heroes. Professor Chris Crowe argues that criticism of young adult fiction arises from the fear that the genre will replace classic works. He also suggests that because there is much poorly written young adult fiction, and
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#17330939611391176-405: A pleasurable reading experience for young people, emphasizing real-life experiences and problems in easier-to-grasp ways, and depicts societal functions. An analysis of YA novels between 1980 and 2000 found seventeen expansive literary themes. The most common of these were friendship, getting into trouble, romantic and sexual interest, and family life. Other common thematic elements revolve around
1274-495: A pre-eminent role for speculative fiction in the field, a trend further solidified by The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The end of the decade saw a number of awards appear such as the Michael L. Printz Award and Alex Awards , designed to recognize excellence in writing for young adult audiences. Philip Pullman 's fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials , published between 1995 and 2000, added another controversial topic to
1372-573: A stepping stone to canonical works that are traditionally read in classrooms, and required by many school curriculums . In Building a Culture of Readers: YA Literature and the Canon by Kara Lycke, Lycke suggests pairing young adult literature and canon works to prepare young adults to understand the classic literature they will encounter. YA can provide familiar and less alienating examples of similar concepts than those in classic literature. Suggested pairings include Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series with
1470-404: A trilogy from the start, deciding to theme Knife about flight, Ask about tyranny and Monsters about war. The Knife of Never Letting Go begins shortly before Todd Hewitt is to come of age and become a man. In Prentisstown, Todd has been brought up to believe that Noise is a result of a Spackle-created germ that killed all the women and unleashed Noise on the remaining men. After discovering
1568-423: A trilogy of novels and three short stories. The three novels feature two adolescents, Todd Hewitt and Viola Eade, who encounter various moral issues and high stakes as the planet around them erupts into war. The Knife of Never Letting Go (2008) begins with Todd being forced to flee his town after discovering a patch of silence, free of Noise. In the second book, The Ask and the Answer (2009), tensions rise as
1666-523: A young boy's adventures on the Mississippi in the nineteenth century". The same description can be applied to its sequel, Huckleberry Finn . Huck is 12 or 13. According to journalist Erin Blakemore, "Though young adult literature had existed since at least Laura Ingalls Wilder 's Little House series , which was published in the 1930s, teachers and librarians were slow to accept books for adolescents as
1764-542: Is "excellently accommodated to the fancies of old or young". A number of works by eighteenth and nineteenth-century authors, though not written specifically for young readers, have appealed to them. Novels by Daniel Defoe , Jonathan Swift , Jane Austen , Walter Scott , Charles Dickens , Lewis Carroll , Robert Louis Stevenson , Mark Twain , Francis Hodgson Burnett , and Edith Nesbit . Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll , published in 1865 and one of
1862-447: Is a well-known example of the YA problem novel. Following its publication, problem novels became popular during the 1970s. Librarian Sheila Egoff described three reasons why problem novels resonate with adolescents: A classic example of a problem novel, and one that defined the sub-genre, is Go Ask Alice anonymously published by Beatrice Sparks in 1971. Go Ask Alice is written as
1960-557: Is difficult. A Wrinkle in Time , written by Madeleine L'Engle in 1960, received over twenty-six rejections before publication in 1962, because it was, in L'Engle's words, "too different," and "because it deals overtly with the problem of evil , and it was really difficult for children, and was it a children's or an adults' book, anyhow?" In 1957 the Young Adult Library Services Association – initially called
2058-438: Is inherently amorphous, for its constituent terms “young adult” and “literature” are dynamic, changing as culture and society — which provide their context — change", and "even those who study and teach it have not reached a consensus on a definition". Victor Malo-Juvera, Crag Hill, in "The Young Adult Canon : A Literary Solar System" note that in 2019 there was no consensus on a definition of young adult literature and list
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#17330939611392156-567: Is inside". YA has been integrated into classrooms to increase student interest in reading. Studies have shown that YA can be beneficial in classroom settings. YA fiction is written for adolescents and some believe it to be more relevant to students' social and emotional needs instead of classic literature . Use of YA in classrooms is linked to: Students who read YA are more likely to appreciate literature and have stronger reading skills than others. YA also allows teachers to talk about " taboo " or difficult topics with their students. For example,
2254-465: Is named after a line in the first book: "The Noise is a man unfiltered, and without a filter, a man is just chaos walking." The series consists of a trilogy of novels and three short stories. The three novels feature two adolescents, Todd Hewitt and Viola Eade, who encounter various moral issues and high stakes as the planet around them erupts into war. The Knife of Never Letting Go (2008) begins with Todd being forced to flee his town after discovering
2352-424: Is often labelled "children's literature", Garner himself rejects such a description. Critic Neil Philip, commenting on Garner's early novels, notes that "It may be that Garner's is a case" where the division between children's and adults' literature is "meaningless". Judy Blume author of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (1970), has significantly contributed to children's and young adult literature. She
2450-430: Is set after the events of Monsters of Men and is narrated by Lee . In the story, Lee and Wilf join an exploration party of new settlers travelling to the planet's northern frontier. Chaos Walking is set on a planet called New World, which was colonised by a small group of religiously devout settlers from Old World (possibly Earth) twenty three years prior to the beginning of The Knife of Never Letting Go . New World
2548-430: Is set after the events of Monsters of Men and is narrated by Lee . In the story, Lee and Wilf join an exploration party of new settlers travelling to the planet's northern frontier. Chaos Walking is set on a planet called New World, which was colonised by a small group of religiously devout settlers from Old World (possibly Earth) twenty three years prior to the beginning of The Knife of Never Letting Go . New World
2646-473: Is sometimes targeted by critics for religious reasons, including religious debates over the Harry Potter series and Philip Pullman's trilogy His Dark Materials . Criticism has also been leveled at young adult fiction authors for alleged insensitivity to marginalized communities or cultural appropriation . English language young adult fiction and children's literature in general have historically shown
2744-447: Is the home of the native, intelligent Spackle as well as giant sea creatures. New World was originally colonised to make "a new way of life, one clean and simple and honest and good". In particular, the colonists aimed to establish a church that would leave behind corruption in favour of purity. However, the germ, present in the planet's atmosphere, posed several problems that halted the development of this vision. A second ship convoy, under
2842-447: Is the home of the native, intelligent Spackle as well as giant sea creatures. New World was originally colonised to make "a new way of life, one clean and simple and honest and good". In particular, the colonists aimed to establish a church that would leave behind corruption in favour of purity. However, the germ, present in the planet's atmosphere, posed several problems that halted the development of this vision. A second ship convoy, under
2940-414: Is usually seen as originating in the 19th century, though there were precursors in the 18th century, like Amelia by Henry Fielding (1751), and Caleb Williams (1794) by William Godwin . They are typically a type of realistic fiction that characteristically depict, in the YA version of this genre, issues such as poverty , drugs , and pregnancy. Published in 1967, S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders
3038-968: The Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan , The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins , and Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney . Examples of young adult novels and novel series include the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz and the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare . Middle grade novels are usually shorter, and are significantly less mature and complex in theme and content than YA. YA novels are for ages 12–18, and tackle more mature and adult themes and content than middle grade novels. The latter usually feature protagonists between
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3136-676: The Iliad or the Odyssey , or Stephenie Meyer 's Twilight with Wuthering Heights . When discussing identity, Lycke suggests pairing Hawthorne 's The Scarlet Letter with Sherman Alexie 's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian . The trend to include same-sex relationships and transgender characters in young adult fiction has caused considerable controversy. Conservative activists and religious groups have also criticized young adult fiction for violence, explicit sexual content, obscene language, and suicide. Speculative young adult fiction
3234-471: The 2013 UK editions of the novels. "The New World" is a short prequel to the trilogy, detailing the events that led up to Viola's scout ship crashing into New World, before she met Todd Hewitt. A prequel to the novels, "The Wide, Wide Sea" is set before the Spackle War during the last days of the fishing village Horizon. The story tells of a relationship between a teenage villager and a Spackle. "Snowscape"
3332-417: The 2013 UK editions of the novels. "The New World" is a short prequel to the trilogy, detailing the events that led up to Viola's scout ship crashing into New World, before she met Todd Hewitt. A prequel to the novels, "The Wide, Wide Sea" is set before the Spackle War during the last days of the fishing village Horizon. The story tells of a relationship between a teenage villager and a Spackle. "Snowscape"
3430-616: The Carnegie Book Award. Lionsgate acquired worldwide distribution rights to a film adaptation of the Chaos Walking trilogy, which was produced by Doug Davison's production company Quadrant Pictures. Allison Shearmur and Davison produced, Doug Liman directed, and Daisy Ridley starred in the film alongside Tom Holland , Mads Mikkelsen and Nick Jonas . The screenplay was originally going to be written by Ness, Charlie Kaufman and John Lee Hancock , but Kaufman dropped out of
3528-496: The Carnegie Book Award. Lionsgate acquired worldwide distribution rights to a film adaptation of the Chaos Walking trilogy, which was produced by Doug Davison's production company Quadrant Pictures. Allison Shearmur and Davison produced, Doug Liman directed, and Daisy Ridley starred in the film alongside Tom Holland , Mads Mikkelsen and Nick Jonas . The screenplay was originally going to be written by Ness, Charlie Kaufman and John Lee Hancock , but Kaufman dropped out of
3626-496: The Guardian Award, and the 2008 James Tiptree, Jr. Award. The second book was also received well, with praise from Publishers Weekly, Children's Literature and Kirkus Reviews, all noting the excellent plot and cast. It was named as one of "the best YA science fiction novels of the year" by Publishers Weekly while Kirkus called the characters "heartbreakingly real" and praised the questions brought up about "the meaning of war and
3724-436: The Guardian Award, and the 2008 James Tiptree, Jr. Award. The second book was also received well, with praise from Publishers Weekly, Children's Literature and Kirkus Reviews, all noting the excellent plot and cast. It was named as one of "the best YA science fiction novels of the year" by Publishers Weekly while Kirkus called the characters "heartbreakingly real" and praised the questions brought up about "the meaning of war and
3822-487: The Philosopher's Stone , was published in 1997. Originally marketed in the UK under the broad category of children's literature, the books received attention and praise for their increasingly mature and sophisticated nature, eventually garnering a significant audience of adult readers. This phenomenon led many to see Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling as responsible for a resurgence of young adult literature. It also established
3920-460: The Rings (1954-5) by J. R. R. Tolkien are highly successful fantasy novels, which are read to young children and read by both children and adults They are found in the teen or young adult section of American public and school libraries. However, Lord of the Rings is generally not on the curriculum of high schools. This is because the paperback version can run to almost 1200 pages and the vocabulary
4018-811: The UK, including the 2008 Guardian award, the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, and the Costa Children's Book Award. Monsters of Men won the Carnegie Medal in 2011. It has been praised for its handling of themes such as gender politics, redemption, the meaning of war, and the unclear distinction between good and evil, all threaded through its complex, fast-paced narrative. Ness claims that the idea for Chaos Walking came from "one really serious idea and one fairly stupid idea": how information overload affects youth, and how most fictional talking dogs "never actually talk like [how] I think dogs would actually talk". Ness planned
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4116-573: The Young Adult Services Division following a reorganization of the American Library Association – had been created. YALSA evaluates and selects materials for young adults, with the most active YASLA committee being the book selection committee. Michael Cart argues that the 1960s was the decade when literature for adolescents "could be said to have come into its own". A significant early example of young adult fiction
4214-599: The ages of 10 and 13, whereas young adult novels usually feature protagonists from 14 to 18. New adult (NA) fiction is a developing genre of fiction with protagonists in the 18–29 age bracket. St. Martin's Press first coined the term in 2009, when they held a special call for "fiction similar to young adult fiction (YA) that can be published and marketed as adult—a sort of an 'older YA' or 'new adult ' ". New adult fiction tends to focus on issues such as leaving home, developing sexuality, and negotiating education and career choices. The genre has gained popularity rapidly over
4312-469: The assumption that the first did not survive, arrives at New World at the end of Monsters of Men . In the beginning, it is under the assumption that Prentisstown, populated only by males, is the sole human settlement on New World, and that all females were killed by a biological warfare disease during the war against New World's intelligent native species, called the Spackle. However, this is proved false with
4410-419: The assumption that the first did not survive, arrives at New World at the end of Monsters of Men . In the beginning, it is under the assumption that Prentisstown, populated only by males, is the sole human settlement on New World, and that all females were killed by a biological warfare disease during the war against New World's intelligent native species, called the Spackle. However, this is proved false with
4508-407: The basic premise of A Wizard of Earthsea , that of a talented boy going to a wizard's school and making an enemy with whom he has a close connection, is also the premise of Harry Potter . As publishers began to focus on the emerging adolescent market, more booksellers and libraries began creating young adult sections distinct from children's literature and novels written for adults. The 1970s to
4606-776: The beginning of the eighteenth century", according to M. O. Grenby: very few ... enjoyable books for children ... existed. Children read, certainly, but the books that they probably enjoyed reading (or hearing) most, were not designed especially for them. Fables were available, and fairy stories, lengthy chivalric romances , and short, affordable pamphlet tales and ballads called chapbooks , but these were published for children and adults alike. Take Nathaniel Crouch 's Winter-Evenings Entertainments (1687). It contains riddles , pictures, and 'pleasant and delightful relations of many rare and notable accidents and occurrences' which has suggested to some that it should be thought of as an early children's book. However, its title-page insists that it
4704-453: The best-known works of Victorian literature , has had widespread influence on popular culture and literature, especially in the fantasy genre. It is credited as helping end an era of didacticism in children's literature , inaugurating an era in which writing for children aimed to "delight or entertain". The tale has had a lasting popularity with adults as well as with children. A shortened version for young children, The Nursery "Alice"
4802-444: The coming-of-age nature of the texts. This includes narratives about self-identity, life and death, and individuality. Some of the most common YA genres are contemporary fiction, fantasy , science fiction , historical fiction , and romance . Hybrid genres are also common in YA. The social problem novel or problem novel is a sub-genre of literature focusing and commenting on overarching social problems. This type of novel
4900-569: The diary of a young girl, who, to cope with her many problems, experiments with drugs. More recent examples include Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson , Crank by Ellen Hopkins , and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky . The boundary between books for children and adult literature is flexible and loosely defined and in particular "the young have always been efficient [plunderers] of stories from all sources, and have carried off such literary booty as pleased them". This boundary has been policed by adults and has "alternated between
4998-417: The end of The Knife of Never Letting Go , the town was renamed New Prentisstown, and Mayor Prentiss quickly assumed the role of President. Prior to this, the residents of Haven had captured and kept Spackle as servants, The Burden, who have all been killed, aside from 1017. This spurred the war that took place in the final book, Monsters of Men . The Chaos Walking novels have been critically acclaimed. On
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#17330939611395096-417: The end of The Knife of Never Letting Go , the town was renamed New Prentisstown, and Mayor Prentiss quickly assumed the role of President. Prior to this, the residents of Haven had captured and kept Spackle as servants, The Burden, who have all been killed, aside from 1017. This spurred the war that took place in the final book, Monsters of Men . The Chaos Walking novels have been critically acclaimed. On
5194-566: The events of the first book, The Ask and the Answer starts with the separation of Todd and Viola as they find out that the Mayor has reached Haven before them. Todd is locked up and forced to work with Davy Prentiss Jr. to overlook enslaved Spackle, while Viola undertakes an apprenticeship from a renowned healer, Mistress Coyle. However, Mistress Coyle also leads a terrorist organisation, the Answer, to retaliate against 'President' Prentiss, which drives Viola and Todd apart as they become further involved in
5292-518: The events of the first book, The Ask and the Answer starts with the separation of Todd and Viola as they find out that the Mayor has reached Haven before them. Todd is locked up and forced to work with Davy Prentiss Jr. to overlook enslaved Spackle, while Viola undertakes an apprenticeship from a renowned healer, Mistress Coyle. However, Mistress Coyle also leads a terrorist organisation, the Answer, to retaliate against 'President' Prentiss, which drives Viola and Todd apart as they become further involved in
5390-709: The field by attacking established religion, especially Roman Catholicism . Northern Lights , the first volume in the trilogy, won the 1995 Carnegie Medal as the year's outstanding English-language children's book. Pullman has written other YA fiction, including the Sally Lockhart series (1985–94), as well as books for younger children. The category of young adult fiction continues to expand into other media and genres: graphic novels / manga , light novels , fantasy , mystery fiction , romance novels , and even subcategories such as cyberpunk , techno-thrillers , and contemporary Christian fiction . A survey of attendees at
5488-509: The genre is targeted at adolescents, a 2012 study found that 55% of young adult literature purchases were made by adults. Author and academic Michael Cart states that the term young adult literature "first found common usage in the late 1960's, in reference to realistic fiction that was set in the real (as opposed to imagined), contemporary world and addressed problems, issues, and life circumstances of interest to young readers aged approximately 12–18". However, "The term 'young adult literature'
5586-484: The genre was christened with a name that has lasted to this day". Initially the YA genre "tended to feature the same" boy and girl love story. But in the 1960s the novels developed to more fully examining the lives of adolescents. Particularly noteworthy was S. E. Hinton 's " The Outsiders ". French historian Philippe Ariès argues, in his 1962 book Centuries of Childhood , that the modern concept of childhood only emerged in recent times. He argues that children were in
5684-513: The genre's recent development, it has difficulty in establishing its value in relation to the classics of literature. List of characters in the Chaos Walking trilogy#Lee Chaos Walking is a young adult science fiction series written by American-British novelist Patrick Ness . It is set in a dystopian world where all living creatures can hear each other's thoughts in a stream of images, words, and sounds called Noise. The series
5782-449: The importance of British fantasy writer Alan Garner . According to Pullman Garner "is indisputably the great originator, the most important British writer of fantasy since Tolkien , and in many respects better than Tolkien". Similarly Ursula le Guin in a review praising Garner's novel Red Shift , argues that "Some of the most interesting English novels of recent years have been published as children's books". Although Garner's early work
5880-542: The last few years, particularly through books by self-published bestselling authors such as Jennifer L. Armentrout , Cora Carmack, Colleen Hoover , Anna Todd , and Jamie McGuire . The genre originally faced criticism, as some viewed it as a marketing scheme, while others claimed the readership was not there to publish the material. In contrast, others claimed the term was necessary; a publicist for HarperCollins described it as "a convenient label because it allows parents and bookstores and interested readers to know what
5978-553: The late 1960s and early 1970s, five other very popular books were published: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), an autobiography of the early years of American poet Maya Angelou ; The Friends (1973) by Rosa Guy ; the semi-autobiographical The Bell Jar (US 1963, under a pseudonym; UK 1967) by poet Sylvia Plath ; Bless the Beasts and Children (1970) by Glendon Swarthout ; and Deathwatch (1972) by Robb White , which
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#17330939611396076-451: The manuscript more than two years later. A number of novels by Robert Louis Stevenson were first published in serial form, in a weekly children's literary magazine Young Folks , including Treasure Island , Kidnapped , and The Black Arrow . This magazine was for boys and girls of an older age than many of its contemporaries. Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer is described by publisher Simon & Schuster as "The classic tale of
6174-410: The meaning of war, and the unclear distinction between good and evil, all threaded through its complex, fast-paced narrative. Ness claims that the idea for Chaos Walking came from "one really serious idea and one fairly stupid idea": how information overload affects youth, and how most fictional talking dogs "never actually talk like [how] I think dogs would actually talk". Ness planned the series as
6272-527: The mid-1980s have been described as the golden age of young-adult fiction, when challenging novels began speaking directly to the interests of the identified adolescent market. In the 1980s, young adult literature began pushing the envelope in terms of the subject matter that was considered appropriate for their audience: Books dealing with topics such as rape , suicide , parental death, and murder which had previously been deemed taboo, saw significant critical and commercial success. A flip-side of this trend
6370-494: The novel" for young adults. All the same Sarah Trimmer in 1802 recognized young adults as a distinct age group describing "young adulthood" as lasting from ages 14 to 21. In her children's literature periodical, The Guardian of Education , Trimmer introduced the terms "Books for Children" (for those under fourteen) and "Books for Young Persons" (for those between fourteen and twenty-one), establishing terms of reference for young adult literature that still remain in use. "At
6468-457: The opposing factions. In the final book of the Chaos Walking trilogy, a world-ending war erupts as three armies march into New Prentisstown. New World is in chaos as the Spackle and the settlers go to war, urged on by Mayor Prentiss and a rebel Spackle, 1017. Todd and Viola refuse to give up on each other or what they believe in, but to survive requires making difficult choices. The protagonists find that their decisions have dire consequences, and
6566-457: The opposing factions. In the final book of the Chaos Walking trilogy, a world-ending war erupts as three armies march into New Prentisstown. New World is in chaos as the Spackle and the settlers go to war, urged on by Mayor Prentiss and a rebel Spackle, 1017. Todd and Viola refuse to give up on each other or what they believe in, but to survive requires making difficult choices. The protagonists find that their decisions have dire consequences, and
6664-624: The overall series, the Costa Prize Judges said that they were "convinced that this is a major achievement in the making", while the Guardian stated that "I would press Patrick Ness’s Chaos Walking trilogy urgently on anyone, anyone at all. It is extraordinary". In their review of the final book, Publishers Weekly called the series "one of the most important works of young adult science fiction in recent years." Robert Dunbar wrote in The Guardian that
6762-456: The overall series, the Costa Prize Judges said that they were "convinced that this is a major achievement in the making", while the Guardian stated that "I would press Patrick Ness’s Chaos Walking trilogy urgently on anyone, anyone at all. It is extraordinary". In their review of the final book, Publishers Weekly called the series "one of the most important works of young adult science fiction in recent years." Robert Dunbar wrote in The Guardian that
6860-406: The past not considered as greatly different from adults and were not given significantly different treatment. Furthermore, "Teenagers weren't a designated demographic in most respects until around World War II, due in part to advances in psychology and sociological changes, like the abolishment of child labor". With this development came the marketing of "clothes, music, films, radio programs, and ...
6958-483: The price of peace." The book won the 2009 Costa children's fiction prize and was recognised widely for its success. The third book, Monsters of Men , has received greatly positive reviews and won the 2011 Carnegie Medal . It was also nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke award for best science fiction novel, only the second time that a young adult novel made it on to the shortlist. All three books have been shortlisted for
7056-430: The price of peace." The book won the 2009 Costa children's fiction prize and was recognised widely for its success. The third book, Monsters of Men , has received greatly positive reviews and won the 2011 Carnegie Medal . It was also nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke award for best science fiction novel, only the second time that a young adult novel made it on to the shortlist. All three books have been shortlisted for
7154-521: The project before it was released, because of creative differences. Shooting started in August 2017 in Montreal. The original release date was intended to be 1 March 2019, however this was postponed until 5 March 2021 to accommodate for reshoots, after test screenings came with poor reception. The film released on 5 March 2021, to generally negative reviews. Many critics noted that the film did not live up to
7252-417: The project before it was released, because of creative differences. Shooting started in August 2017 in Montreal. The original release date was intended to be 1 March 2019, however this was postponed until 5 March 2021 to accommodate for reshoots, after test screenings came with poor reception. The film released on 5 March 2021, to generally negative reviews. Many critics noted that the film did not live up to
7350-421: The revelation of the town's true history. Near the end of book one, it is discovered that all Prentisstown women had been killed in an act of insanity after the Spackle War, fuelled by the town mayor (Prentiss) and a deranged priest (Aaron). Men following Prentisstown's mayor originally aimed to take over New World as revenge for being isolated for their crimes, accepting Mayor Prentiss as their absolute leader. As
7448-421: The revelation of the town's true history. Near the end of book one, it is discovered that all Prentisstown women had been killed in an act of insanity after the Spackle War, fuelled by the town mayor (Prentiss) and a deranged priest (Aaron). Men following Prentisstown's mayor originally aimed to take over New World as revenge for being isolated for their crimes, accepting Mayor Prentiss as their absolute leader. As
7546-430: The rigid and the permeable depending on the political and cultural climate". At the lower end of the age spectrum, fiction targeted to readers aged 8–12 is referred to as middle grade fiction . Some novels originally marketed to adults are of interest and value to adolescents, and vice versa, as in the case of books such as the Harry Potter series of novels. Some examples of middle grade novels and novel series include
7644-479: The satiation of his megalomaniacal desire for absolute control of the planet. This control, however, comes at the price of absolute knowledge, a Faustian burden that is in the end too great to bear. Being the largest settlement on New World, Haven was the leading developer of technology and research. They had developed a cure for the Noise, and were the last town to be taken over by Prentisstown, to whom they surrendered. At
7742-431: The satiation of his megalomaniacal desire for absolute control of the planet. This control, however, comes at the price of absolute knowledge, a Faustian burden that is in the end too great to bear. Being the largest settlement on New World, Haven was the leading developer of technology and research. They had developed a cure for the Noise, and were the last town to be taken over by Prentisstown, to whom they surrendered. At
7840-457: The series "will almost certainly come to be seen as one of the outstanding literary achievements of the present century, whether viewed as fiction for the young or for a wider readership." The Knife of Never Letting Go was received with near universal praise for its originality and narration from critics such as Ian Chipman from Booklist and Megan Honig from The School Library Journal. It went on to win several awards and recognitions, including
7938-454: The series "will almost certainly come to be seen as one of the outstanding literary achievements of the present century, whether viewed as fiction for the young or for a wider readership." The Knife of Never Letting Go was received with near universal praise for its originality and narration from critics such as Ian Chipman from Booklist and Megan Honig from The School Library Journal. It went on to win several awards and recognitions, including
8036-417: The series as a trilogy from the start, deciding to theme Knife about flight, Ask about tyranny and Monsters about war. The Knife of Never Letting Go begins shortly before Todd Hewitt is to come of age and become a man. In Prentisstown, Todd has been brought up to believe that Noise is a result of a Spackle-created germ that killed all the women and unleashed Noise on the remaining men. After discovering
8134-470: The series concludes countless of Prentiss' followers are killed, effectively cannon fodder in the final apocalyptic war against the Spackle. Countless Spackle, too, are killed, though the reader gains far deeper insight into their way of life and organisation, mainly through the authorial voices of The Sky and The Return. By now war is in Prentiss' hands serving now not so much the aim of revenge for past acts, but
8232-419: The series concludes countless of Prentiss' followers are killed, effectively cannon fodder in the final apocalyptic war against the Spackle. Countless Spackle, too, are killed, though the reader gains far deeper insight into their way of life and organisation, mainly through the authorial voices of The Sky and The Return. By now war is in Prentiss' hands serving now not so much the aim of revenge for past acts, but
8330-413: The source material from the books. Young adult fiction The earliest known use of term young adult occurred in 1942. The designation of young adult literature was originally developed by librarians to help teenagers make the transition between children's literature and adult literature, following the recognition, around World War II , of teenagers as a distinct group of young people. While
8428-407: The stakes only get higher as all three sides fight for what they believe is right. Themes that were explored in previous books are finally brought to a head: whether redemption is possible, whether the lives of few are worth the lives of many, and what it takes to grow up in a world full of monstrous decisions. Ness has published three short stories set in the world of Chaos Walking . "The New World"
8526-407: The stakes only get higher as all three sides fight for what they believe is right. Themes that were explored in previous books are finally brought to a head: whether redemption is possible, whether the lives of few are worth the lives of many, and what it takes to grow up in a world full of monstrous decisions. Ness has published three short stories set in the world of Chaos Walking . "The New World"
8624-539: The thirteenth, Starship Troopers , was instead published by Putnam . The intended market was teenaged boys. A fourteenth novel, Podkayne of Mars (1963), featured a teenaged girl as the protagonist. In the 1950s, The Catcher in the Rye (1951) attracted the attention of the adolescent readers although it was written for adults. The themes of adolescent angst and alienation in the novel have become synonymous with young adult literature. The Hobbit (1937) and Lord of
8722-416: The viewpoints of both Todd and Viola, and the third book is narrated by Todd, Viola and The Return. The series has won almost every major children's fiction award in the UK, including the 2008 Guardian award, the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, and the Costa Children's Book Award. Monsters of Men won the Carnegie Medal in 2011. It has been praised for its handling of themes such as gender politics, redemption,
8820-519: The world around them. In the mid-2010s, more attention was drawn to diversity from various quarters. In the several years following, diversity numbers seem to have increased: One survey showed that in 2017, a quarter of children's books were about minority protagonists, almost a 10% increase from 2016. Jack Zipes , a professor of German and literature, has criticized the standardized nature of young adult fiction in Western society. He writes that to become
8918-417: Was S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders (1967). The novel features a truer, darker side of adolescent life that was not often represented in works of fiction of the time. Written during high school and written when Hinton was only 16, The Outsiders also lacked the nostalgic tone common in books about adolescents written by adults. The Outsiders remains one of the best-selling young adult novels of all time. In
9016-402: Was a strong revived interest in the romance novel, including young adult romance . With an increase in number of adolescents, the genre "matured, blossomed, and came into its own, with the better written, more serious, and more varied young adult books (than those) published during the last two decades". The first novel in J.K. Rowling 's seven-book Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and
9114-490: Was awarded 1973 Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery by the Mystery Writers of America . The works of Angelou and Plath were published as adult works but The Bell Jar deals with a nineteen year old's "teenage angst," and Angelou's autobiography is one of the ten books most frequently banned from high school and junior high school libraries and classrooms. Authors Philip Pullman and Neil Gaiman have both argued for
9212-408: Was first published as a free download on 29 June 2009; "The Wide, Wide Sea" and "Snowscape" were published for free online on 16 May 2013. Each story is intended as a companion piece to the novels: "The New World" is intended to be read after The Knife of Never Letting Go ; "The Wide, Wide Sea" after The Ask and the Answer ; and "Snowscape" after Monsters of Men . The short stories were included in
9310-405: Was first published as a free download on 29 June 2009; "The Wide, Wide Sea" and "Snowscape" were published for free online on 16 May 2013. Each story is intended as a companion piece to the novels: "The New World" is intended to be read after The Knife of Never Letting Go ; "The Wide, Wide Sea" after The Ask and the Answer ; and "Snowscape" after Monsters of Men . The short stories were included in
9408-481: Was one of the first young adult authors to write novels focused on such controversial topics as masturbation , menstruation , teen sex , birth control , and death . Ursula le Guin 's A Wizard of Earthsea , published in 1968, had a significant influence on YA fantasy fiction. It won or contributed to several notable awards for le Guin, including the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award in 1969, and
9506-687: Was one of the last winners of the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award . With regard to the Earthsea series Barbara Bucknal stated that "Le Guin was not writing for young children when she wrote these fantasies, nor yet for adults. She was writing for 'older kids'. But in fact she can be read, like Tolkien, by ten-year-olds and by adults. Margaret Atwood said that ... A Wizard of Earthsea ... since it dealt with themes such as "life and mortality and who are we as human beings", it could be read and enjoyed by anybody older than twelve. Reviewers have commented that
9604-448: Was published in 1890. It was inspired when, on 4 July 1862, Lewis Carroll and Reverend Robinson Duckworth rowed in a boat with the three young daughters of scholar Henry Liddell : Lorina (aged 13); Alice (aged 10); and Edith Mary (aged 8). During the trip Carroll told the girls a story that he described in his diary as "Alice's Adventures Under Ground" and which his journal says he "undertook to write out for Alice". She finally got
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