Non-Adult Main Characters in Adult Fiction? | Discussion

When it comes to reading young adult literature, a big complaint is that readers who are out of their teenage years may not connect to the character and the stories as much. While I read and love a lot of YA, this concern does, at times, affect what I like to read; as much as I want to create an equal balance between YA and adult fiction, I can go weeks reading only YA followed by weeks of just adult novels. This quest for a stability in my reading habits has me wondering: if I read more adult fiction to get away from the tropes and similarities of YA, why am I drawn to books that feature younger and younger main characters, despite their classification as "adult?"

Maybe, when all is said and done, the problem isn't with the age of the characters in young adult stories, but with the connotations behind the genre itself. There are some young adult books that tackle really heavy issues and deal with these issues in a way that is thoughtful and impactful. On the other hand, YA stories can get very repetitive with the type of themes and plot devices that are being employed. Let me point out that I am not, in any way, saying that YA books are for readers that don't want to read about serious issues or do want to read more fluffy and formulaic stories. As YA continues to grow and expand, more diversity in both the characters and the stories themselves is appearing. Let's face it, though: sometimes I want to read about these types of characters in an entirely different way.

Books that are classified as adult fiction have much more leeway as to what they can present to the reader. Even if the book centers around a teenager or a child, the genre alone suggests that the story is intended for an older audience. This opens up a whole new realm of possibilities that just don't exist in YA or middle grade books. Things can be bloodier, language can be stronger, stories can be written to appeal to older readers while still using a younger character to tell that story.

I'm not as old as the adult characters in adult fiction yet, either. If I read a synopsis for a book that mentions the main character as being somewhere upwards of fifty years old, I probably won't read it. I don't know why, but that's just something I've never gravitated towards. If, in turn, I read a synopsis that talks about this same older character as seen through the eyes and experiences of their young grandchild, I would be a lot more inclined to pick the book up. I can't always relate to what an older character is going through, but I think that I can relate to how a young person feels and thinks and experiences. Relating to a character isn't everything to me, but it does have some sort of effect on what characters and stories I lean towards.

Finally, adult fiction that uses younger characters in the forefront oftentimes tells a story that a lot of YA (but not all, of course) ignores: family. There is a big problem in the young adult genre surrounding "disappearing parents." The main character will acknowledge their parents but never really interact with them, never talk to them, or treat them horribly. In the adult fiction books that I am thinking about while I write this post, family is a huge part of the story. I love reading about family dynamics and different family structures and problems that threaten or strengthen these relationships.

What does all of this mean? I would love to hear some thoughts from all of you on adult fiction novels that shine a spotlight on younger main characters.

Recommended Reading:
The Girl with All the Gifts - M.R. Carey
Purple Hibiscus - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Tell the Wolves I'm Home - Carol Rifka Brunt
Where'd You Go, Bernadette - Maria Semple