A big problem in modern literature these days is the lack of substance found in young adult books. Most of the books are either about falling in love and breaking up, or trying to fit in with the “popular crowd” after some altercation a character had with his or her friend. Bookstores and authors should both be trying to persuade young adults to aim higher with reading material instead of just selling them a perfect story of an adolescent life.

Many of the conflicts in these books are always resolved in the resolution which doesn’t actually happen in the real world. This gives teens a false sense of reality by making them think they can do anything they want and it’ll work out in the end, even if it is a bad decision. The books young adults read should be teaching them how to make right decisions and how to think for themselves.

While there are many young adult authors who are providing little substance for readers, there are others who are making an effort to change this. Some of them include: Suzanne Collins, Marcus Zusak, and Laurie Halse Anderson.

Collins’ books The Hunger Games are about a problematic society in which the characters find a way to stand up to the unfair government and receive justice. Collins’ books teach teens to stand up for their rights and what they believe in. Zusak’s book The Book Thief is important because it shows experiences from the past so as to shine light on the events that happened in that time. Anderson’s book Speak tells teens that it is hard to find the courage to tell the truth but it is the right thing to do for everyone.

All of these authors and books are thought provoking and affect the way I see the world. They provide substance that is so very hard to find in young adult books these days. I think all authors should be writing about things that make people question and think seriously about the world around them. Substance is important in books because without it, there is no purpose in them. Books should be written to teach people something important about the world, not to teach people, especially teens, to interpret the world falsely.

Browsing around in the young adult section of book stores is incredibly boring as well, because practically all of the books have the same plot line just with different characters. For example, a popular young adult novelist, Sarah Dessen, wrote a book called Keeping the Moon. This book tells a story of a teenage outcast who is trying to start over and adjust to a new life after losing a lot of weight. Another author, Robin Brande, wrote a book called Fat Kat, which tells the story of a teenage girl trying to adjust to her newly changed “skinny” life. Both books were written by different authors, but they still have an unbelievably similar plot. This is truly disappointing because these books are teaching future young adult writers to be completely unoriginal and boring.

Most young adult books are like this and they usually address the same conflicts. The main problems characters face in young adult books are usually teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, insecurity and self-image issues, bad relationships, or even the struggles of trying to be popular in high school. The plots of the stories should be encouraging teens to ask for help rather than focusing on how to solve the problem themselves which is what usually ends up happening in these books.

Young adult books always have one main similar theme as well. It is either young love, harsh love, or some other form of it. There needs to be more originality and thought going into young adult books because teenagers are the people who need to be reading a lot of different genres and kinds of books since they will be providing the world with new ideas when they are adults. Since love is focused on mainly in books, many teenagers think it is wrong not to have an interest in it in high school or they will think it is the only thing that matters in their life which is entirely untrue.

Substance in young adult books is important to me because it makes me see the world differently and affects the way I think. Substance in books should also be very important to you because it can influence you in your life and provide insight on things you haven’t thought about before. If you are a writer and want to be the author of young adult books, please do not follow in the inadequate footsteps of your fellow past writers.