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Young adult books fall into two main age groups: YA appropriate for children ages 12 and up and YA for children 14 and up. Although each YA novel differs from the next, we can attribute the split in age ranges most of the time to five issues:

 Sexual intercourse

 Foul language

 Drug use

 Extreme physical violence

 Graphic abuse

Those YA novels that overtly and unashamedly deal with these topics are aimed at the older end of the YA age range, 14 and up.

So can you find an official section or publisher designation separating these two YA age ranges? Nope. Parental guidance and a child’s individual maturity level determine which books are appropriate for what ages. Do we think YA books should include age labels? Certainly not; the First Amendment is sacrosanct, labels are too infantilizing, and if a child decides they want to read or do something no matter what the consequences, adults can truly do little to prevent it.

Regardless of the specific age target (if they have one), YA novels are for those 12- to 18-year-olds who want to read novels about issues they face every day — or ones they merely wish they did.

With anywhere from 128 to 300-plus printed pages, these books usually come in 6¼ x 9¼ size (about the same size as standard grown-up hardcovers).

Young adult books are often cross-shelved with grown-ups’ books, and sometimes the only distinction between the two is that the protagonists of YA novels are usually teenagers. The issues confronted in YA novels often center on

 Coming-of-age issues of socially, economically, spiritually, emotionally, or politically marginalized kids.Gay teenagers, straight teens in gay-parent families, cross-gendered teenagers, pregnant teens considering their options, teens experimenting with drugs and not completely messing up their lives or dying because of it, teens falling in love with older adults and acting on it, and the like.

 Kids who seem to live perfect lives until you look under the surface.

 Teens in complex situations (but not always weighty or incendiary).Sometimes just being a teen at an exclusive prep school can present abnormally difficult situations, especially if it turns out your peers are all the walking undead.

In YA novels, the protagonists don’t always win at the end. Whether they’re human or not human, their issues often parallel those of human teenagers: trying to fit in; making a difference; finding love; scouting out acceptance; breaking out of their parentally imposed limitations; seeking independence; proving their worth; conquering physical, emotional, cultural, and spiritual demons; and so on. With few exceptions today, the protagonists of YA novels have lost their innocence (different from losing their virginity), but that doesn’t mean they’ve lost hope, strength, or their ability to imagine a better life, a better self, and a better world.

Some YA books are considered crossovers, meaning they can serve as both a young adult book and a contemporary adult book. An example of a crossover title is Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief (Knopf). Although the publisher primarily designated the book a young adult novel (and Hollywood made it into a movie for kids), you can also find it in the adult section with Zusak’s other books.