new adult
That’s
the label that has been created for books in which the main characters
transform from teenagers into adults and try to navigate the difficulties of
post-adolescent life: first love, starting university, getting a job, and so
on. The new genre is meant to be for readers aged 14-35.” Well, that’s a
bit different! Readers from aged 14 to 35. Instead of “sex,” it’s about
“post-adolescent life.” Of 14 and 35 year olds.
gothic romance
A
typical Gothic romance revolved around conflict and mysteries. It made the
heroine choose between two male characters for love. One is bright, sunny,
cheerful and charming. The other was dark, mysterious, secretive, and brooding.
Plotlines of cursed leads and daring adventures took place on wind-swept moors,
and places that were haunted. The heroine would embark on a thrilling journey
to discover if her hero was worthy of love. Her task usually boiled down to
find out if the hero really murdered his first wife, brother, mother, insert
other relation.
Well,
is the "new adult" romance genre really new? Not really. If you take
a good, deep gander at the definition of that old staple the "gothic romance", you'll find a lot
of the same elements in "new adult." Face it: both genres have the
damsel-in-distress motif. Gothic had the impoverished, brave, female orphan (of
an age over 18) who was coming to her first job. It was usually a position at some dingy manor to teach the spawn of some
widowed, brooding, tainted aristocrat. Heroes, alphas with shitty attitudes
ruled this genre. The nice guy didn't stand a chance. The chick usually was
virginal but spunky and came from a tragic background (family dead, pets dead).
At the new job she encountered mystery and danger everywhere. And the
possibility of marrying the Guy-with-the-Shitty atttitude and bratty kids. What
joy!
From
the definitions above, "new adult" has it all. At least the
atmosphere of new, weird beginnings, a new job, a new life in a strange setting and having
new experiences. "New adult" is just gothic romance without the
virgin, with pre-marital sex, booze, drugs and snark. And for that touch of
menace, even more alpha, misogynistic dudes. Voila, "new adult."
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