New adult fiction (NA) is best described as the next step after young adult fiction. It caters to an audience that is older than those targeted by young adult (YA) fiction, but still new to adulthood.

NA is an emerging category of fiction, barely in its second decade of being established. As such, apart from its still-developing boundaries, it’s also currently at the center of much debate.

What Is New Adult Fiction?

New adult fiction is fiction that is marketed to readers aged 18 to 25—an age bracket that some people consider the “sweet spot” for young adults.

The term “New Adult” was introduced in 2009 when St. Martin’s Press called for submissions that are “great, new, cutting edge fiction with protagonists who are slightly older than YA and can appeal to an adult audience.”

This category was meant to encompass literature that didn’t quite fit YA or adult fiction. As such, it shares many similarities with both, especially YA.

Like YA, New adult fiction often includes coming-of-age stories, though they focus more on a character’s development after adolescence. In this way, these stories exhibit the fast-paced and emotionally-charged plots that YA is known for, but in stories that explore the years after adolescence.

Young Adult Fiction Vs. New Adult Fiction

Young adult fiction and new adult fiction are closely related to the point that many people find it hard to distinguish one from the other. There are a few key differences that make it necessary to categorize them as two distinct categories.

1. Age

Perhaps the most distinct difference between YA and NA is the age range of their target market and characters.

YA is marketed towards people aged 12-18 and features characters of the same age. On the other hand, NA has a slightly older audience, with characters that range from 18 to 25 years of age.

As an emerging category, this age bracket is largely nebulous. There are writers and publishers who consider NA to be intended for people as old as 30.

2. Perspective

How an adolescent thinks is different from that of a person who is newly thrust into the adult world. A new adult’s doubts, fears, motivations, and actions are fueled by different factors.

For example, they may desire to establish themselves in their careers, earn enough money to go on a vacation, or find a new purpose now that their formal education (which has been a big part of their life for years) has come to an end.

This shift in perspective gives new adult fiction a different kind of story to tell. So while the problems these narratives tackle may be the same, the context in which they are solved changes.

For example, people of all ages experience peer pressure in some way. In YA fiction, it’s often explored in a school setting, while NA takes on a more professional one.

Keeping in mind that the relationships between classmates and colleagues are also different, you begin to catch a glimpse of how differently YA and NA stories unfold.

Examples of New Adult Fiction

Here are a few examples of NA fiction to start you off in your reading journey.

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

When 19-year-old Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a mysterious beast demands punishment and drags the Feyre to an alien world. Only, he’s not a beast all the time, but an immortal Faerie.

The Feyre begins to realize that what she knew about the faeries is all a lie. But as she settles into her new life, something dark is stirring—a shadow that threatens to doom her and the new world she’s only begun to fall in love with.

2. Losing It by Cora Carmack

Bliss Edwards is about to graduate from college but is yet to lose her virginity. Determined to finally get some action, she opts to lose it in the simplest, quickest, and most uncomplicated way possible—a one-night stand.

But she panics, leaving her date naked and alone in her bed. Worse, when she arrives for the first class of her last semester, her new professor turns out to be her date from last night…

3. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Identical twins Cath and Wren are the ultimate fangirls for the Simon Snow series. They read and reread the series, dress up in costumes, write fanfiction, and stay up late for midnight premieres.

But now they’re off to college and Wren is ready to put all that behind, leaving Cath alone to deal with her social anxiety. With Wren already establishing her own separate world, can Cath do the same?

4. Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler

College dropout Kate Battista is no stranger to complications, but the one she faces now is probably her biggest challenge to date. Her scientist father is on the verge of a breakthrough but his Russian protege is about to be deported. Without him, all would be lost.

So when her father cooks up a sham wedding between her and his lab assistant, she’s less than thrilled—at first. But there’s just something about the quiet and brilliant man that tugs at her.

5. The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Quentin Coldwater considers reality disappointing compared to the magical world of FIllory he keeps reading about. So when he’s unexpectedly enrolled in a secret college of magic, everything he’s ever dreamed of seems to come true.

Discovering that the world he’s been obsessed with is actually real seems to be the icing on the cake… but Fillory is much darker and more dangerous than he ever imagined.

Controversies of New Adult Fiction

Because it’s still developing as a category, new adult fiction is facing many criticisms. Here are perhaps the two biggest problems that it has to overcome.

1. Sex

Many of the first books to be considered NA were romance novels—incredibly steamy ones at that. This may have been caused by the success of Fifty Shades of Grey, which featured a character still in college.

This led to many novels that people often sum up as oversexualized versions of young adult fiction. Many began to believe that NA wasn’t a category that encompasses all genres, but rather a new subgenre of romance.

Many writers and readers of NA argue that sex and sexuality aren’t limited to NA, and while explicit sexual content is present in many popular NA titles, it’s not universal.

In recent years, many NA writers have taken on new adult stories in different genres such as fantasy, sci-fi, and mystery.

2. Publishing

During NA fiction’s infancy and even today, there are publishers who view this category as a marketing ploy. Others also claim that it’s not a necessary category, as the readership is simply not there.

And while it’s definitely rising in popularity, problems with classification and space still exist. If you look at bookstores, they often have sections for young adult fiction, but new adult fiction is nowhere to be found.

There are also those who find the term condescending, arguing that “it implies the books act as training wheels between Young Adult and Adult.”

However, these criticisms aren’t exclusive to new adult fiction. Even young adult fiction had similar objections when it was still new, and yet is now one of the most popular categories in fiction.

Reading New Adult Fiction

Unlike young adult fiction, new adult fiction is all about the perspective of leaving your adolescence behind. Your world expands, offering you new opportunities and challenges. Your identity is forged anew as you consider the steps to becoming a full adult.

As writer Cora Carmack succinctly puts it, it’s the “Ok I’m officially an adult, now what?” phase.

This category is a response to many books that have proven that characters on the verge of adulthood draw a broad readership. Also, literature often follows closely to the patterns of real life.

As economic and social problems arise, many recent graduates and young professionals experience the social anxiety, identity crises, and mental health issues that NA regularly explores. They take solace in reading about characters who struggle with leaving home, establishing their careers, and cultivating relationships.

It’s not a bad idea to explore the books written under this category. Seeing as it’s following the same explosive growth that YA went through, it’s not farfetched to think of it as the next big thing.

Have you read any New Adult Fiction novels? Share them in the comments below!

 

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