I just started it and I am wondering if this book is for a different young adultish audience ? I don’t want to invest more time if I am the wrong target audience. I realize it’s not technically classified as YA fiction, but I am a 39 year old man that’s typically into more serious lit with complex characters/ themes and beautiful prose. Thoughts ? No spoilers just in case
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I don’t know if it’s YA, but I read it at 38 and it was an enjoyable and undemanding read, I don’t think it’s a matter of age in this case. But if you feel it’s not suitable for you, you can always drop it
I don’t think it’s YA, but that doesn’t mean that it’s going to have characters that satisfy you or prose which evokes your sense of beauty. If it’s not clicking for you, I don’t think you’re unjustified in dropping it. I gave it up after just-over a hundred pages.
If anything you’re exactly the age it’s aimed at, as it references a lot of stuff people more than a few years younger wouldn’t remember. It isn’t exactly “serious literature” though.
It’s not supposed to be YA, but it’s such a steaming pile of shit that it could easily pass as such.
It’s not very good (NVG)
YA crowd wont know the games the main characters like,
Im 36 and I loved it!
I’m still hung up on the idea of not wanting to read it if you’re not part of the target audience. If it’s a book you enjoy, who cares if it’s directed at the YA crowd or not?
This sounds like a slight thing for a 39-year old man to be worrying about—if you’ve started it and you’re enjoying it, read it. What does it matter what largely arbitrary marketing label is attached to it?
He’s asking if it matures later on. OP feels like the writing they’ve encountered so far is not directed towards adults, so he’s asking people who have read it if it’s worth continuing.
If the book is consistent throughout, the answer is no. If the book matures in style later on, the answer is likely yes.
It’s the author’s tenth novel, so a maturation of style mid-book seems unlikely; and, again, if OP is worried they’re accidentally reading a book meant for younger readers, that’s a strange and largely inconsequential worry to be having, especially in public. There are plenty (given Sturgeon’s Law applying equally) of YA and even children’s books worth an adult’s time and attention, if they can just get over themselves.
36 checking in, read what you enjoy and don’t get concerned with all the little details of whether or not something is complicated enough to stroke your ego.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is a book that hit me hard as all hell, and my wife who isn’t even into that subculture decided to pick it up and it affected her just as much.
It’s a solid book, I don’t know if a YA audience would really resonate with or understand it in the same way, though they may enjoy it.
It is not YA, but this author has written other books that are YA. I’ve noticed that female authors who write both adult and YA books frequently end up having their adult books be called YA even when they aren’t.
Who cares what it’s classified as: you either enjoy it or you don’t enjoy it. Don’t let marketing terms ruin a book for you if you’d otherwise enjoy it.
I’m older than you and really liked it. There is definitely some nostalgia points if you grew up in the mid 80s to mid 90s, so no YA is not its target audience.
Thanks!
Why do you think it’s YA? Most of the book is about grown ass adults doing grown ass adult things. And even when it’s not the themes and ideas don’t really mesh with YA, it just happens to feature characters that are young.
That you, I don’t even know this much about it, they’re still kids in the beginning, so thanks for your comment !
I know men older than you who play with lego sets and hot wheels aimed at children. Just enjoy what you like. No one cares but you.
I am trying to get an idea if I’d enjoy it or not, that’s all. The comments are definitely helping me, thanks!
You sort of answered your own question. It’s not a YA book. It’s an adult book marketed toward adults.
That being said, just because it is an adult book doesn’t guarantee you are the target audience just because you happen to be an adult. Nor does it being an adult book mean it is automatically going to have the complex characters and themes along with beautiful prose you are looking for since all of literature isn’t divided between “YA fiction” and “serious lit” as you describe it.
You might want to stick to classics and literary fiction if that is what you are looking for, and avoid genre fiction even if it is for adults.
However, there must also have been a reason why you picked up this book. Why you thought it would appeal to you.
So maybe keep reading and see if it does.
My post is lame I know, and I didn’t mean to boil down all books into those two categories but I also wanted the post to be short and to the point. I don’t only read classic lit, I do like some YA, horror, sci fi/ fantasy,… I guess I was just wondering if I could get a feel from all of you what kind of book this is without spoiling it. I read the cover summary, read around in Goodreads, but for some reason I couldn’t really get the grasp- just saying it’s a love story but not really a conventional love story, and video games. I am still at the beginning and I HATE to give up on books if I am start them- so was trying to get other people’s impression of the book. Thanks!