Stephen King Bashes Stephanie Meyer

You get so much junk in the YA market because editors and publishers allow it to pass. It is the publishers who are saying "what the hell, they're just kids..." There's sloppy, lazy writing in every market, but publishers aren't nearly as critical if it's YA. Take your fight to them. I don't write YA; I just read it.

As a child spelunking for good reading material, I did not lower my expectations because the target audience was young (I was young, so...). I lowered my expectations because, even then, the writing, and the stories were often so poor as to seem insulting. If the complete Potter series had been out back then I would never have become so jaded. I think this is the kind of writing that you are talking about. It was truly a masterpiece, and a joy to read, even as an adult. However... there were't many 'masterpiece' works to be found in my school library.

So I wandered into the adult section of the public library, and lucked out with some real gems. As a child, the lesson was, if I wanted a good book then I had best avoid anything 'age appropriate'. I speak of my experience, after reading every single book in the school library which seemed even remotely interesting. In grade 3 I usually read a book every day. We had free reading sessions every day, and I would read in the evenings at home... or just bury myself in books all day long. So I read at least 200 YA books that year. It is very indicative of the quality that I can't even remember most of them, but I remember every one of the adult books I read.

If you're saying that the YA standard needs to be raised, I completely agree. YA writers should be respectful of the audience, but a lot of what I read seemed condescending. I agree that it's sad that many people have come to disregard the genre completely. The Harry Potter series proved to me that YA books can be a fantastic read, yet many people refuse to give it a chance because they think if it's written for kids it must be crap. But the Potter series is the exception, not the rule. Hence Rowling's amazing popularity. The fact remains that YA is a genre riddled with crappy books because authors think they can get away with it - and they do - because publishers let them. This is the opinion I developed as a child - the target audience, no less.

 

I read YA and non-YA books, and I can tell you there are a lot of excellent YA books that are intelligent and not condescending. I was looking at my list of books I've read and here are just a few of the YA ones that "critical readers" would not be able to pick apart the way they can with Twilight. The writing, the depth of the characters, the captivating story--they are all in each of these books:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins [My favorite book in 2008, and one that even Stephen King praised. Excellent story, and 2 more books in the series still to come!]
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan [ignore the movie because it strays from the book; the writing is totally believeable, rough, in your face kind of stuff; I love it]
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer [totally addictive story that left me paranoid for days--fantastic storytelling]
Candy by Kevin Brooks [simply sublime]
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen [perfect in every way]
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen [perfect, again]
Looking for Alaska by John Green [amazing writing]
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
As Simple As Snow by Gregory Galloway
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Slam by Nick Hornby
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

 

I would argue that you are just as guilty as the publishers of not being critical if you can say that Twilight was okay because it was a YA book. I don't believe you would say it was even "okay" had she managed to publish a story that was pretty much the same, and of the same lack of quality in the adult market. For anyone who likes Mystery Science Theatre 3000, it's the Manos the hands of Fate of youth books, the worse book I have ever tried to read. Perhaps if readers demanded better books, instead of just switching to the adult DEMOGRAPHIC (not genre), publishers wouldn't be as lazy and would sell more. But there are so many excellent books out there. I could create a list longer than Marina's of YA books that are equal to books intended for the adult market, including many that are better than Harry Potter.

As for trash in the adult market, do you have any idea how many books Harlequin publishes every year? I don't remember the exact number, but it's a lot.

But perhaps instead of picking apart everything I say, we could stay on topic.

 

I just checked Harlequin's website out of curiosity. They publish 120 books a year in over 100 markets. They are starting a teen section and say they want stuff like Twilight.

 

This thread has gotten well off topic, and there is a growing level of bickering.