Not Just for Teens

Once upon a time in Libraryland, books were tailored to specific readers.  Teen books were for teens and could be found in the teen section; adult books were for adults and could be found in the adult section.  If you were a teen and wanted to feel all grown up, you ventured to the adult section and checked out the adult books, but if you were an adult, you wouldn't want to be caught dead in the teen section.  Oh, the humiliation!  An adult reading books meant for younger readers?  How preposterous!  That adult must undoubtedly be emotionally stunted!

The Harry Potter series in the late 1990s perhaps started the widespread trend of adults reading teen books.  In Great Britain, adults were secretly reading the wildly popular books wrapped in brown paper or newspapers out of shame that they would be seen reading a children's book.  When the publisher of the famous series caught wind what the adults were doing, they came up with an "adult" version of the book.  Technically, it was the same book only with a more sophisticated looking cover.

Nowadays, teen books are openly read by teens and adults alike without any embarrassment.  The line between teen and adult books is blurring, and audiences are becoming more varied.  Take for instance Twilight, The Hunger Games, and the Divergent series.  You'll see just as many adults reading those books as you see teens.

In my very humble opinion (and you always know it to be ever so humble), I think adults should feel free to read anything they want.  And I mean anything.  Sometimes, you just need to lose yourself in a teen book.  Other times, you need to read a kid's book (yes, you read that right).  You may not have control over being an adult in an adult's world, but isn't it nice to know you can always take a mental escape from it every so now and then?

Yours truly enjoying her own mental escape from the perch.