I want gay magical beings with three collective brain cells and an unshakable desire to overcome. I dunno man I'm sorry guys

I guess I gotta grow up and check out some adult novels then.

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

Somethings else I guess to consider is the cultural mindset of today. I'm looking for big open worlds and plucky characters in a time where we are still in a very real pandemic and the escapism desired is real life stuff. Dealing and reading and connecting with more real scenarios. Or also the influx of fluff being the overall desire for the simpler things. I'm very open to seeing this differently. it also makes sense that the last like 15 years has been a market filled with fantasy and other worldly subjects and now it's time for a change as culture shifts and times get different

I'll definitely check it out it looks super interesting!

He wrote good omens? ! Interesting I'll have to check it out

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

Thank you so much!

I could be looking in the wrong places but I logged into audible today and my first recommendation was looking for Alaska. How dated for one. And just not my jam. Then all the other books are teen romance or something idk. but I am in a weird limbo where I find adult books to generally be kind stiff. You can't be as free with adult protagonists sometimes because they are adults. There's not much room for lacking common sense. Or to make errors or to be seen as an underdog. And sometimes the head space is so serious and bleak feeling. I dunno I might be looking at the wrong books.

Literally at the fault of Harry Potter. The whole market use to be just different bizarre fantasy novels all competing to be the next big thing. And I feel like when there was an influx and push for those books it was kinda fun. Yah you had your copy cats with witches or vampires to mirror twilight.. but there was a huge sense of being different and there where so many different Types of fantasy settings to be lost into. World building was a huge focus. High stakes with passionate characters. Who has unusual aspects of their respective worlds.

This may be super duper left field here but when I say " woke culture" I mean the subject matter of most YA books has heavily shifted from dystopian future and fantasy to more real things.. like school and conflicts with abusive parents and relationships. Which is more real world. Now there's more of a push to have heavy subject matter of representation of the marginalized. Which is wonderful and can be cool and is very much needed. I think the market has become over saturated and uncreative. Sometimes too serious and sometimes too sticky sweet. Just not my jam

That's fair I suppose. I guess In the YA novels I current still like and also liked as a kid are because I like the power of a teenager. I think the youths (lol) are super passionate people and great protagonist for stories about change and uprisings. Often times they are written less stiffly there's a fun edge to them. Especially because they are teenagers or kids the stakes are about their future and how they want the world to change not remain the same.. And I know I'm 25 but just reading those books brings up a old feeling of passion i really like and relate to.

I'd love some recommendations!

A child called it was a really really tough book that mirrored a lot of the abuse I had in my own household. I read it when I was in middle school and in a better home but shaped me in a way that helped me embrace and get over the past. Horrible things happened to him that i really sadly related to but i felt understood and seen cause i mean abuse is hard to talk about and it can have a long lasting effect on how you connect with people . Connecting with the main character helped me realized what happened was messed up for sure but. some people are just evil and it was never my fault.