The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

I just read The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen (loved it), and it occurred to me that the YA genre today is so very different from what it used to be when I was in high school. In fact, one might argue that it hardly existed at all. I'm thinking, in this case, specifically about romances. In the 1980's and 1990's, there was pretty only Sweet Valley High, and even I could tell it was mindless drivel. My friends and I read Harlequin and Silhouette romances instead.

If we were teenagers now, we wouldn't have to. Today's YA romances are plentiful, varied, and well-written. Not only do they have great romantic characters, but they are thoughtful and address timely and meaningful issues. Which is more than I can say for most Harlequins.

(OK, this is a little unfair. Times have changed, and Harlequin now publishes Red Dress Ink, and chick-lit abounds across the publishing spectrum. We are all, whatever ages we happen to be, more sophisticated now than before. At least that's what we would like to think now; wait until the next generation looks at what may well be considered our era's quaint pulp fiction.)

I think I may enjoy YA romances more than adult romances these days. There's something about being on the edge of adulthood, the problems associated with a newfound consciousness and all its associated feelings, that is so much more compelling to me than reading about young women my own age dealing with careers and finding Mr. Right. High school is not about finding Mr. Right-- it's about finding yourself.

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen