I started to ask myself what my draw to Young Adult novels was, despite the fact that I’m no longer what you’d consider ‘of young adult’ age. Other than the fact that they’re wonderfully written, honest, and not afraid to take risks, I think what most draws me to YA books is the fact that even as adults, in many ways, we never outgrow high school.
No matter how much we may try to, life continues in this vicious cycle of high school like behavior. There’s always the pretty girl you somewhat envy and wish you could be like, only to find she’s not necessarily as happy as you thought. There’s power struggles, especially in big businesses, where you’re torn between establishing your identity and purpose and following the rules. Let’s face it, authority figures are authority figures no matter how old you are. Whether they be parents, police officers, teachers, or your boss, there’s always a certain inkling to rebel, always that feeling that you have to show them what you’re worth in order to be worth anything at all. Cliques never really go out of style. People tend to gravitate toward people who are like them or people who make them feel better about themselves. This in turn leaves other people out.
And these are just a few examples. The list can really go on and on. It’s exhausting just thinking about it. But in the end, what it boils down to is that YA fiction deals with universal issues. As adults we’ve been there, and may still be stuck in that wicked cycle. Or if we have kids, we experience it all over again with them and THEIR parents. We can sympathize with these characters, put ourselves in their shoes. Even more so, we can cheer when they’ve succeeded because in a way, it’s a success on our part too.
Anyway, those are my random ramblings for the day. Just observations that one picks up when you’re out and about in the world. Any thoughts? Granted, this is a generalization of things, but I’d love your opinions.
I hope you’re all e-shopping for the three days of masquerades coming up this week! Remember, it begins Wednesday evening.
Right now, I’m really liking this as my Wednesday gown:
With this mask maybe:
or maybe even this one 
Of course I’d definitely be painting the mole on my face. 
Ha ha
Can’t wait to see what you all have in store!
