"New Adult," anyone?

Young girl reading by Federico Zandomeneghi

Thanks to Tiger Print, I came across this new category in Young Adult (YA) literature--what they call "New Adult" literature. What is this New Adult?

"New Adult," Katie Hinderer writes, "targets the same audience as young adult. [It] is what some consider literature for the current hook-up generation. The New Adult books all have descriptive sexual encounters between the two, usually high school-aged, main characters, which of course is a defining moment for the relationship."

The universal theme of love for the YA group has been transformed into a new (and narrow) concept--a pseudo-romantic, emotion-based, sexual kind of love. The group formerly concerned about how Wilbur escapes his fate with Charlotte's creative weaving scheme, how Jonas would come to understand what love is through the Memories from the Giver, how Leigh Botts would pick up the pieces of his broken home, or how Leslie Burke would pull Jess Aarons out of his fears through their friendship and Terabithia, is now being served up stories of sexually-charged relationships with a spatter of violence here and there. Supposedly this is what the YA group wants nowadays.

Sure, it's only fiction, but last time I checked, fiction is supposed to be believable, with characters who change for the better because of the experiences they are put through. That's putting it in a box, but you get the picture. Young readers deserve to read fiction that empowers them to make good choices. They need fiction that will help shape their minds and hearts so they grow up to be well-rounded and responsible adults, with a healthy view of sex, love, and relationships.  

I wish more writers and publishers would put more value in the content, and not just churn out what seems to be "hot" right now, for the sake of making more money.