by Natasha Hayden
May 2, 2014
You know me as the story editor for Children of the Wells and as an occasional blogger on this site. Soon, you might know me as the author of a short story related to one of our larger storylines. But above all of those, I am a reader, specifically a YA fiction lover.
Why Young Adult? I like the stories. I don’t care much about being wrapped in the details of a world (high fantasy) or about putting clever words together (modern adult fiction). I realize I’m generalizing, and there are some really good examples of those genres that are completely enjoyable, too. But primarily, I’m looking for a good, fast-paced story. I don’t want to be able to put it down. The idea has to be fascinating: relevant but also different, familiar but new. It shouldn’t be dumbed-down, but it doesn’t need to be complicated either. Young adult trends capture all of that so well. The relevance is in the ideas and themes. The familiar is in the emotions of youth (we’ve all been there). (more…)
