Vague ramblings about YA-hood

[lady_schrapnell]

I was talking to steepholm a while ago about how I was looking forward to the (UK) release of A Most Improper Magick by Stephanie Burgis. In part this is because it had sounded good and then sarah_prineas commented and said it was wonderful. But also I was saying that we had no books set in the Regency era for our book, which seemed a bit odd. Having said that I

Comments

[rj_anderson]

What puzzles me more is why Patricia C. Wrede's cover designers have misspelled her name as "Patrica" on not just one cover, but now two. WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE. I hope this time the error was caught before the file went to press! It makes me sad every time I look at my paperback of MAGICIAN'S WARD.

But anyway, MAIRELON and MAGICIAN'S WARD seem quite YA to me, considering Kim's teenaged status and how the books are about her finding her identity and place in life. Are they really being marketed as adult now? So confusing.

Sadly, TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DOG does not really fit into the YA category and I don't ever anticipate it being marketed as such. But you've just reminded me that I need to go and read it again! I love that book so much.

[lady_schrapnell]

Having your name misspelled on the cover is sad.

The Mairelon books are even more confusing than the others, I think, as Magic & Malice (the combined edition I have) is definitely adult, and yet when I checked on Amazon in writing this up, I saw this in the Kirkus review of Magician's Ward: "...but still leisurely, YA-ish, and lacking innovation". Which looks odder because they have listed the age as 9-12. (But hurrah - I hope - for being less likely to see "YA-ish" used as an insult now.) Meanwhile, Mairelon the Magician, which is reviewed by School Library Journal as YA, is adult. Has your head spun off completely by now? Mine has. It's certainly not as simple as even the cynical view that any book will be stuck wherever it can likely sell more copies, which at least you can understand.

I quite agree about To Say Nothing of the Dog - I mean about its not being YA, and I'd grumble enormously if it were to be published as such. (I also agree that I love it so much and need to reread!) But as I was writing that, I started

[rj_anderson]

There isn't much of a YA case to be made for the Queen's Thief books, but only because they're being published and promoted as MG. I have to find them in the 9 - 12 section. The mind boggles.

Personally, I think those books would have amazing crossover appeal to adults, if only most adults knew about them!

[lady_schrapnell]

MG?? That's beyond mind-boggling! I've always got the impression that a lot of the most fervent fans are already adults, but of course I see my friends and the sounis comm and that probably warps my feeling about the ages.

[rj_anderson]

Well, The Thief won the Newbery, which placed it firmly in the MG category, and I think that determined the fate of the rest of the series. I'd be interested to know how many 10-12 year olds are big fans, compared to the older teens and adults.

[lady_schrapnell]

That makes some sense, but not very good sense! It's like saying the Betsy-Tacy books should all be for 5-8 year olds because the first couple are. Me too, on the interest in knowing about the 10-12 year olds.

[lady_schrapnell]

I love them madly too, but of course the odd adult book creeps into my mad love category. :) Interesting though about the teacher though.