Defining Young Adult Fiction seems fairly simple, although, the simplicity of the label is what some writers (and potential readers) find troubling! Novels that fall into the genre that has come to be known as Young Adult Fiction generally possess several common characteristics. So is Young Adult Fiction defined by the subject matter discussed, the age of the protagonist or, as many suggest, the need to have all loose ends tied up and presented in a nice, neat, complete package while conveying a positive, happy message?

Freelance columnist Francine Morrissette defines Young Adult Fiction this way: "Don't let its name fool you: Young Adult Fiction is not watered down adult fiction. It's also not children's fiction with older characters. It is literature that doesn't waste a breath. Young Adult Fiction moves at a clip that keeps pace with busy teens who are pressed for reading time, whose attention spans are brief, who are accustomed to and crave instant gratification. Young Adult literature is the movie version of a great story."

Others would suggest that the naming of a genre such as Young Adult Fiction is just a marketing strategy, a clever, consumeristic ploy that has succeeded by promoting books to a targeted fan base even as bookstores continually dwindle and readership shrinks. Bookstores have created categorized shelves designed to draw the attention of a specific target audience. Obvious? Necessary? Convenient? Sure! However, the Young Adult label has (perhaps even unwittingly) cast books with certain similarities in a negative light. Young Adult Fiction has become regarded in many circles as simplistic, not credible enough for use in our school systems, written by less serious authors and aimed at teenagers. There is no doubt that the Young Adult tag alone scares off potential readers.

Readers should always be cautious of labels, however! It is important to remember that several books that could easily fall under the current definition of Young Adult Fiction have clearly risen above their categorization and become more than just books for and about teens/children while securing places in history as literary classics: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. There are, of course, others, but despite books, such as the classics mentioned above, rising above their Young Adult labels to become part of the academically embraced literary canon, most serious literary critics continue to cast a negative light on and dismiss the significance of the Young Adult Fiction genre as a whole.

I don't think that many would argue that marketing has had a negative effect on the credibility of the Young Adult Fiction genre. But, I have to say that, while authors feel the negative effects of marketing campaigns that work to streamline and, therefore, limit a novel's appeal, I also see the positive impact of marketing book directly to teens and young adults. As an author I write with a wide range of readers in mind, and I love receiving feedback from my oldest and youngest readers; that said, I am certainly not offended or disappointed when my books are labeled as Young Adult Fiction. Reaching teen readers has always been an important goal of mine, though I certainly feel my novels are relevant to an older set as well and should not be limited by a stigmatic label!

Additionally, I desire to instill and promote Christian values by working to create characters who are relatable, realistic and likable. Just because a book is dubbed Young Adult, or Christian Fiction for that matter, does not mean that subject matter should be dumbed down or ignored altogether. While there are those whose definition of Young Adult Fiction concludes that a positive messages equates to a happy ending, I have always been a believer that, in order for a book to have a positive message, it doesn't need to turn out like you think it should! One reason I am drawn to the Christian Fiction genre is that it embraces the reality that what may seem hopeless on the surface can be filled with hope through God. Life does not always turn out as we would script it, so there is no need to make it so in fiction! One point I strive to make in each of my novels is what I believe to be a great truth: It is not what happens but how we handle it that defines us.

We face situations great and small on a daily basis throughout our lives, and how we react to each of them defines who we become. The critical importance that our actions and reactions have on our lives is not only reserved for our handling of tragedies and the like. I have experienced authors who become absolutely outraged over the classification of their novels or remarks made by a critic who seeks to limit their credibility and diminish the significance of their work by assigning it what is viewed as a negative label. While some have openly embraced the Young Adult label, some remain confused by it, and others have chosen to react to it by becoming discouraged and equally as cynical as the critics they are attempting to discredit. I have heard it said that in this business it is necessary to have a thick skin! I would add that it is also important to maintain a perspective that transcends earthly heartaches and frustrations. I was recently reading a work of nonfiction when I came across one of my favorite new quotes...one which I think perfectly sums up my point of view as it relates to life in general, as well as what I strive to accomplish and convey throughout my writing career:

"I'm the keeper of the door to my heart. To love and forgive others as I've been loved and forgiven by Jesus, I have to guard what I allow to take root in my heart. If I open my heart to self-pity, anger, grudges and unforgiveness, I give the enemy of my soul an invitation into a very expensive home - a home purchased by the blood of Jesus. But as I become fluent in the language of Heaven (the language of forgiveness), as I open the door of my heart to Jesus and in His strength forgive others, that's when I'm set free." (The Devil in Pew Number Seven by Rebecca Nichols Alonzo w/ Bob DeMoss, pg 260)

In conclusion, I will remind you that, though there is, of course, necessity in grouping books into genres, it is imperative to remember that stereotyping books based on labels is like stereotyping people. When you lump everyone with similar characteristics and backgrounds into one group, it is very easy to miss out on the individual characteristics that make one unique and special. Never allow labels that others determine prevent you from forming your own opinion.

You never know when a book will contain the very message you need to hear!