To English Teachers - YA literature question?

Question

So, I am writing a Science Fiction novel that will fall under the Young Adult market Genre. I am looking for some input on a couple of topics. Those in the business and those who just love to read are encouraged to respond.

Religion in YA literature. In this novel the Christian church has become corrupt and is using science and politics along with Christian doctrine to maintain power. Is this idea too adult for the genre I am marketing? Would this drive readers and/or publishers away? How much doctrine can I use before I get considered a heretic?

In this futuristic society sex has been removed and the main characters discover what has been eliminated. My question is how much sex is too much sex for a young adult book. I do understand that graphic sex scenes are a no; I would just like opinions on where the line is drawn.

I am greatful for all answers but realize that my audience is always the student despite what us adults think.

Answer 1

1) Religion -- I'd stay pretty general. For one thing, you don't want the book's readership to be limited to Catholics. The general idea is absolutely not too adult for young adults, but the intricacies of doctrine are likely to be beyond the education and interest of most YA readers. The other thing to think about is whether you really want to point to be that the Catholic Church is corrupt, or whether it can be a less specific or more fictional institution. Using trhe Catholic Church by name will limit the interest in the book for those who aren't either Catholic, or Catholic-haters. And the Catholics might be turned off.

2) Sex. Again, you have to decide how much controversy you want to take on. Instead of limiting the idea to sex, you can have it be love that it banished and rediscovered. (Love after all is more potentially subversive than sex.) In doing that you can tackle the bigger idea, and encompass sex but not be too literal or graphic about it. Look at Farenheit 451 and 1984 and how they treat love in a totalitarian state.

Another book to look at if you don't know it is A Canticle For Leibowitz, set in a post-apocalyptic future, in a society structured on the medieval church.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Coming from an avid young adult reader (I'm 17) and an aspiring YA author, I think your idea is good and if targeted for the older side of the YA spectrum it could definitely work. As for the sex issue too much would be more than a scene or at the most two because if I'm reading YA fiction I am not trying to run into anything bordering on erotica.

Answer 3

Religion in YA literature? I'd say the demographic age range would 30 to 40 +.

Young adults are into such popular sci-fi like "I, Robot", "2001: A Space Odyssey", "War Of The Worlds"--the more whiz bang, the better. And note the admiss of sex in these stories.

Your project would more likely appeal to sci-fi fan demographic who fit in with the fantasy genre that are attracted to Anne Rice novels, a much more intellectual group.

As for just how much religious political dynamics or sex goes too far, that's left up to you after the work is done; you are the artist--and all artists critique their works.

Answer 4

like the guy before me said, don't go too far past boobs. young adults age group spans a few years, but there are still kids out there that read young adult books at an early age and so it would probably be best to limit the sex.

as for religion, i would go a little deeper into it, and feel free to make lots of references to the doctrine, but please, PLEASE, include a chaper or at least a god chunk of it to how the system is working. if you explain it in depth how science and politics are helping the church reafirm their doctrine and maintain power, the reader will understand.

don't worry about science and religion turning readers off, that's one thing i loved about the whole wrinkle in time series, and i stil love that series as an adult.

Answer 5

I teach Literature 7-12 grades. Just from the generalization you have given me yours is not a book I would consider YA, nor would I consider reading in my classroom. To make it more plain to you, I teach at a private Christian Academy also. The religion, of course, I would not have a problem with, but when you begin to openly discuss the main problem with the society is no sex, then I believe the literature moves out of the YA section. In my classroom anyway.

Answer 6

This sounds like an interesting story, but why don't you aim for the adult market, and then you don't have to worry too much about going past the bounds of what a young adult can handle.

Answer 7

I believe that anything sexual should be very carefully monitored. Not much more than making out and puppy love. Remember that this age group will be very impressionable. Is a corrupt church and government really the ideas that you want in our children minds? I do think that young adults need to be educated to all sides of those issues,but wouldn't want to glamorize the ugly truths.

Answer 8

anything past boobs is too much