Young Adult is now a firmly established genre and it’s not going away anytime soon, believe me.  However, it’s also a fairly new genre, and as such has a little more growing up to do.  There are possibilities that haven’t been explored yet, there are ways authors can still push the boundaries of the genre without creating an entirely new genre, etc.

Of course this means that I have to add in my two cents.  (Or is it 5 cents now that we’ve gotten rid of the penny?)  Anyway, here are some things I’d like to see more of or see done at all in YA:

1.  Characters with chronic diseases/pain.

Yes, this is an incredibly uplifting way to start off an article, isn’t it?  It’s still true: when was the last time you read a YA novel with a character that had a chronic disease and/or chronic pain.  “But Carrie,” you say, “young people can’t be in pain!” Continue reading →