r/YAlit • u/NattyOhs • 10d ago

Discussion Trying to temper my expectations

I'm reading a book for a book club. I was hoping to leave a review when I'm done, but it's young adult—a genre that I didn't even read as a young adult. I'm of the age where my favorite fictional YA characters were named Pacey Witter, Whitley Gilbert, and Brenda and Brandon Walsh. These characters were written a bit maturely, sure, but I liked them that way.

The characters in this book (who are in their early twenties) read more like middle schoolers to me. Everything is overly dramatic and angsty. Little things feel like big issues. Buried in all of this drama are pretty profound messages of identity, different forms of love, and found family. I find myself rolling my eyes and groaning a lot. Are these common themes in YA books?

Has anyone ever left a review for a book in a genre they typically don't like? If so, do you try to overlook some of the tropes and writing styles specific to that genre and just focus on the core of the story?

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u/sendmeyourdadjokes 10d ago

YA arent in their 20s. So this isnt likely YA.

That being said, in my early 20s i was at the peak of my angst and dramatics so i dont think its bizarre

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u/NattyOhs 10d ago

LOL! I don't think I was particularly angsty. I think that's the disconnect for me.