badmanmadmansadman t1_ja7agjl wrote on February 27, 2023 at 11:09 AM

Reply to comment by Ground2ChairMissile in YA novels weak these days by [deleted]

Also that's not my preferred escapism I guess. there's a bigger chance of coming across inappropriate adult content that I don't care to encounter. I don't generally like reading from the mind of an adult. I'm rooting for the people of like the future. Something so cool about I dunno a powerful generation. And there's something earnest about being young naïve but passionate. And more reason for dramatic growth. The weight of becoming adult or facing adult situations in the in between stages of no longer being a child and starting to become an young adult. It's a super specific feeling. The writing about having the weight on a young protagonist shoulders. They have opportunities to be more creative with there problem solving. Does love defeat all. Is it the power of friendship. Is it facing sacrifice for the first time in your life. Is it a silly situation where being young and simple minded immature aids to bring the one strong trait that rises above the hardships. Idk

PurpleElephants123 t1_ja7doqm wrote on February 27, 2023 at 11:49 AM

So YA books are too “soft” but you also don’t want to encounter adult content? I’d be cautious about blaming everything on “woke” culture, you can still pick up books written over 100 years ago so you’re hardly limited to modern authors.

You sound pretty young so I get wanting to read books with young characters, maybe try Robin Hobb’s books? They (mostly) feature adolescent protagonists and are pretty accessible for a younger audience while still being somewhat mature-themed.

badmanmadmansadman t1_ja7emax wrote on February 27, 2023 at 12:00 PM

I don't think the word like woke is what I want to use. It's more about the YA shift from I guess metaphorically and symbolically and literally marginalized oppressed groups in a unfair fantasy or magical or futuristic world to defeat an unjust system or a greater evil . To literally being in this world and facing the oppression from your more realistic peers and looking inwards and self reflecting. And in a lot of these books the complexities of their oppression isn't like necessarily solvable or something to fight against it's more like a fact or a inner growth thing. It's given more cut and dry I guess? I dunno if not making sense anymore. I need a second to rethink haha

Genoscythe_ t1_ja7i9tr wrote on February 27, 2023 at 12:39 PM

Honestly, it just sounds like you prefer edgy fantasy adventures over coming of age romances, which is just a genre preference.

I mean, you don't have to read whatever is the trendiest on the front shelf at the bookstore, you can still sort by genre and seek out what you love.

Griffen_07 t1_ja7dvb1 wrote on February 27, 2023 at 11:51 AM

Try The Vorkosaigan Saga. Start with Warrior's Apprentice. Here we meet a guy as he washes out of the military academy due to breaking both legs during the entrance test. Then he takes over a mercenary company with nothing but wits and 4 helpers.