But, that's not a good or fair assessment. Case in point: Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow.

I think what makes those work for me as an "adult" story is that these kids are thrust into situations very early that most kids wouldn't see.

In Bean's story, it's being a street urchin and surviving it. Plus, the "way" he acts and talks is entirely unlike you'd expect.

In Ender's case, it's a sympathetic thing. There's older people around; he's just lost his implant; and of course general family tension.

But, because OSC starts Ender's Game with adults talking about Ender, it feels geared towards adult. When we finally meet Ender, we already fully invested in him. We care.

So... where was I? Oh yes. If you start a story with a child having child-like thoughts, my impression is that it's geared for YA rather than adult. Unfortunately, at my age, I can't relate as well to younger kids as I used to. I know too much and have done too much. I don't care about schoolyard politics and stuff.

Language and voice too. A YA is going to have a voice that speaks to younger people--more casual, perhaps. It takes maturity beyond most young people to relate to some authors because of the adult voice used. And language. A YA isn't going to have graduate student grade vocabulary.

I agree with HSO that the initial “voice” of the main character sets the story in my mind as either a YA or adult book. I normally hold on to that inital assumption for a while.

Looking back on a story as a whole, I think for me it is the depth of the "conflict question" that categorizes the book\story for me. Also, it is about whether or not I can (as an adult) identify with the character’s dilemma, or is it merely reminiscent of the dilemmas of my youth.

Here is an example of what I mean. Both stories referenced are about teenage characters. Of course these are the "conflict questions" as they appeared to me, maybe not the same as they appeared to everyone else.

One of my favorite YA books from my youth:
The Absolutely Perfect Horse, by Marylois Dunn & Ardath Mayhar
Conflict Question:
Will Annie (teenager), get over her disappointment of moving to a new home, in the country? Will she adjust to a new school and new friends? Will she also get over her disappointment over not buying the horse of her dreams?

This is a great book. I have read it so many times the covers are falling off. Even as an adult I enjoy it. It has style and substance. But the central conflict question is based on the expectation and dilemmas of a typical teenage girl.
Would an adult be that affected by the move to a new home, or not getting the most beautiful, perfect horse? Would it totally stop their whole world and be worthy of a story, thus indicating it is one of the biggest things to ever happen in their lives? Probably not. For me it is a story about a YA, who is concerned with YA issues. When I read it as teenager, I could identify very closely with Annie. As an adult I think – Wow, I REMEMBER feeling like that. But I am not directly identifying with the character’s dilemma anymore. Annie’s dilemma is only reminiscent of my youth.

Here is one of my other favorite books –
Golden Urchin, by Madeline Brent – a.k.a. Peter O’Donnell
Conflict Question:
Will Meg\Mitji (teenager), who has been raised by an aboriginal tribe, be able to make a place for herself in the civilized world? Will she be able to adjust to a new language and customs? How will she keep Rosemary’s deathbed promise to care for her husband, Luke? Why is someone trying to kill Meg? Other conflicts develop, but those are the basics.
I can still identify with this character’s dilemma. These problems (well some of them) could happen to me, or I can imagine my reactions if they did happen to me.

Both stories are fish-out-of-water stories. Both are about a teenage girl. The difference is the “matter at hand”. One (APH) is all about typical teenage problems. The other (GU) is about a teenager that is encountering “adult size” problems and is handling them like an adult.

Is there a difference, or should there be a difference in how much info you provide in YA?

Word chopice, age of characters, and so forth are important distinctions. However, another one, (with a few exceptions, like all the Harry Potter sequels,) is thickness of the book. Most newer adult novels range 350 or more pages. Most Young adult books have 150-200 pages.

If I get a scifi novel that is thin and not from the 60's 0r 70's, I know it is probably a young adult book. If I see a very thick book, I know it is likely some kind of dragon book. Seriously, if I see a thicker book, I assume it is an adult book.

Pleaty of YA books do seem to expain beyond the standard YA sorts of problems. And I think in those cases it is the depth and degree the problems are explored in, the level of complications, story length, and the language used that make them YA.

quote:

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Books written for children (excluding picture books) are divided into two groups according to the ages of the readers: novels written for children younger than twelve years of age and those written for children older than twelve years of age. The main character in a children's novel should be no younger than the age group of the book's intended audience; however, the character can be a year or two older than the novel's oldest reader.

Novels for teenagers revolve around characters aged fourteen to seventeen who are involved in more complex plots and show more depth than those characters in novels for the under-twelve group. Also, novels for the older group employ a more sophisticated writing style, vocabulary, subject matter and general treatment.

In writing a novel for children older than twelve, the author should remember that his work will be read predominantly by young teenagers, since older teenagers are likely to read fiction written for an adult audience. Therefore, the plot and the situations of the characters should be identifiable to the child of junior high school age.

Reading children's novels is an important step toward understanding their audiences. A public librarian or school librarian can be an invaluable guide to an author's study.

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and this

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This includes works (both fiction and nonfiction) intended for an audience usually between the ages of two and sixteen. Writing for children is a specialized art that's harder than it looks. The language must be appropriate for the age of the reader, the subject matter must be of interest to the target age group, the opening of the work must be vivid enough to capture the reader's attention and the writing throughout must be action-oriented to keep it.

The successful writer knows his young audience well. Story ideas begin with a strong character and meaningful, directed action. The use of suspense and the interplay of human relationships are two features of effective juvenile fiction. Books and stories are told almost exclusively from a single viewpoint (in first or third person), as this technique helps to establish and sustain a sense of reader identity.
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Categories of children's books are usually divided in this way: (1) picture and storybooks (ages two to nine). These are books read to and with children. They have a minimal amount of text (up to 1,000 words) and achieve their impact mainly through pictures; (2) easy-to-read books (ages seven to nine). These books are read by children themselves. The stories have a definite plot or message and run from 2,000 to 10,000 words; (3) "middle-age" children's books (ages eight to twelve). These books are read by the largest cluster of young readers, those interested in just about everything—today, tomorrow, yesterday, people, animals, humor. The texts range from 20,000-40,000 words, and in the case of nonfiction subjects may include pictures/illustrations; (4) young adult books (ages twelve to sixteen). These books (50,000-60,000 words) include category novels—adventure, sports, career, mysteries and romance.

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