Ostentatious Tête–à–Têtes #2 (New Adult-The New Fad)

Disillusioned by New Adult

New Adult is the new genre which has taken the book world by storm. I say 'new' but it is a relatively loose terminology to use it has been around for the last 5 years already. The reason I am writing this post is that I AM SICK of it.

Let me explain what New Adult is. It is a genre aimed at readers who are no longer young adults or older readers who like young adult but want something more mature to sink their teeth into. Sounds like an excellent idea. And it is. But now it has become as stagnant as the pool in my back yard. When this genre burst into the reading scene, it took the world by storm. Me along with many readers were blown away by the winds which were kicked up my the likes of Jamie McGuire and Abbi Glines. These are seriously talented authors who write great stories which are addictive and unputdownable. When I first came across the legendary Beautiful Disaster, I was mesmerised and hypnotised by its pages. I could not look away to the extent that I locked my self in my room until I finished that bad boy. This book still holds a piece of me and will do for a long time.

After watching the success of these authors reaching sky high many more authors took it upon themselves to bring us stories for readers who are sick of reading YA. So now it has become a genre full of clichés which keep getting used again and again and the donkey has been beaten to a pulp.

Cliché No.1- The girl is an innocent/virgin

Cliché No.2 - The girl is struggling with her past for hidden history

Cliché No.3 - The guy is a man whore

Cliché No.4 - Cannot get enough of the girl and after having sex with her just once declares it the best he has ever had in his life

Cliché No 5 - The guy is almost always left behind by the girl or vice versa

Argh. The same regurgitation over and over again. Why? If this is YA for older reader then why not write something at par with the outstanding authors in YA? Why does New Adult always have to be contemporary and set in college? I simply cannot relate to it. I went to college to and believe me my life was no where near like theirs. Why are there so few offerings in New Adult in the fantasy genre? Learn from S. J Mass's Throne of Glass which should technically be a New Adult title but is being sold as YA.

There are a few New Adult titles which have caught my eye eg: Rival by Penelope Douglas but they are few and far in between.

New Adult is such a great idea. I loved the concept of it and I still believe it has oodles of potential in it but only few authors are making any effort to keep this refreshing and interesting. The above clichés keep recurring and I simply cannot take it any more. I have already DNF'd a few New Adult as this is not offering me anything new. What it has become in reality is a book for young people or for YA fans who want sex in their book to spice it up.