Who Reads This and Why?The Crossover Phenomenon in Contemporary Young Adult Fiction

Abstract

In the field of young adult literature (YA), a new phenomenon is gaining critical attention – the so-called crossover novel, i.e. a novel that attracts both YA and adult readers. The paper explores the difficulties in defining the slippery borders of young adult literature and pays special attention to the concept of the crossover novel. Providing examples from current British and American YA literature the paper illustrates the seriousness of some of the issues addressed by YA titles and claims that their high literary quality is among the main reasons for rising popularity of current YA novels among adult readers.