The settings can be different too. Youth stories might be set in schools, small towns, or fictional fantasy lands that are more accessible to a younger audience's imagination. Think of 'Harry Potter' which is set in Hogwarts, a school for wizards. Adult stories can be set in a wider variety of places, including big cities, workplaces, or international locations. Moreover, the pacing in youth stories is sometimes faster to keep the young readers' attention, while adult stories may have a more leisurely or complex pacing depending on the nature of the story.
Youth stories often have simpler language and more straightforward plots. For example, many children's stories focus on basic moral lessons like 'be kind' or 'tell the truth'. In contrast, adult stories might deal with more complex emotions and situations. For instance, an adult story could explore the intricacies of a failing marriage.
One difference is the age of the protagonists. Youth stories usually center around characters who are in their pre - teen or early teen years, while new adult stories focus on characters who are in their late teens to early twenties. For instance, a youth story might be about a 12 - year - old dealing with school bullies, while a new adult story could be about a 20 - year - old trying to figure out their career path.
Adult stories often deal with more complex themes like career struggles, relationships in marriage, and financial hardships. Youth stories, on the other hand, tend to focus on themes such as friendship, self - discovery in school, and family relationships within the context of growing up.
Youth stories are usually more idealistic. They tend to show that good always triumphs over evil and that there are simple solutions to problems. In contrast, adults' stories often reflect the harsh realities of life. They might show that sometimes there are no easy answers, and people have to make difficult choices. For instance, a youth story might have a hero who defeats a villain and saves the day without much moral ambiguity. But an adult story could be about a person who has to choose between a job opportunity that means leaving their family behind or staying and facing financial difficulties.
New Adult fiction typically focuses on characters in their late teens to early twenties who are transitioning into adulthood. It often deals with themes like first love, starting college, or finding a career. Adult fiction, on the other hand, can cover a wider range of ages and life experiences, including more complex relationships, mid - life crises, and retirement. The writing style in New Adult might be more accessible and relatable for younger readers, while Adult Fiction can vary greatly in style depending on the genre.
Adult fiction may have more graphic or intense content, not in a vulgar way, but in terms of violence, for example, more detailed descriptions of war scenes. Young adult fiction is more likely to tone down such elements to be suitable for younger minds. In terms of character ages, adult fiction has characters of all ages, while young adult fiction mainly centers around characters in their teens or early twenties.
Adult novels often deal with more complex themes like mid - life crises, long - term relationship issues, and complex moral dilemmas. Young adult novels usually focus on coming - of - age stories, first loves, and finding one's place in the world.
The characters in young adult and adult fiction differ. In young adult books, the protagonists are usually teenagers or young adults. They're often in the process of self - discovery. In adult fiction, the characters can be of any age, and they usually have more life experience. For example, in young adult fiction, a character might be dealing with high school drama, while in adult fiction, a character could be dealing with a career setback or a failing marriage.
New adult fiction often focuses on the experiences of young adults who are transitioning into adulthood, like starting college or first jobs. Adult fiction can cover a wider range of life stages and experiences. For example, new adult might deal more with self - discovery in a new environment, while adult fiction could explore mid - life crises or retirement.
YA novels usually have younger protagonists and deal with coming-of-age themes. Adult novels can cover a wider range of topics and have more complex character development.