Yesterday the hashtag #YANeedsMore started trending, and we jumped in to watch the conversation unfold.
Not surprising was the number of calls for more intersectionality and diversity; we were pleasantly surprised by the rich insight, feedback, ideas, and personal experiences from hundreds of young adult, and proper adult, tweeters.
The YA genre and particularly its older readers have been criticized for a gamut of faults and short-comings. This trending tag was a cry for a more varied genre, and hopefully writers and publishers will follow to match their readers’ experiences, cultures, stories, and relationships.
Here are some of our favorite #YANeedsMore.
More poor families…
More teen girls who…
More queer kids being…
More fat kids with…
More neuro-atypical individuals…
More girls who…
More diversity of…
More friendships…
More complex parent-teen relationships…
More trans teens who…
More retellings of classics…
More ambitious teens…
More cats…?
Uh… I don’t necessarily disagree with this.
What do you think YA needs more of? Let us know in the comments, and add your voice to the trend!