New Adult: What's so great about it?

I'm sure everyone in the world of writing has heard of New Adult. Some people, like myself, are all for it, while others roll their eyes and throw tomatoes and lettuce at the thought. If you're wondering what New Adult is exactly, the girls at NA Alley explains it perfectly. You can find the link here. They are my favorite go-to site for anything concerning New Adult. While they do have an awesome blog, I must confess I love following them on Twitter. Each of them are funny, witty, clever, and just downright awesome. Every Thursday they have a Twitter chat (is that even the correct term?) where anyone can join in and chat about the topic of the week.

Back to my original topic, what's so great about New Adult? Well, here's my opinion on it. I love the innocence of a first kiss, the struggles of trying to find out who you are, and growth that takes place in YA books. I also love the steamier side that the Adult section brings out, the freedom of doing what you want, when you want, the confidence they seem to have. New Adult combines those two worlds.

The main characters are on their own, but they don't have experience to yet rely on. They're old enough to fall in love without worrying about what others think, but is it worth it to stay with that one person or catch some other fish in the sea? No longer do they have to sneak out at night, park in back roads to steal a kiss or cop a feel, they can go to their own apartments without looking over their shoulders for Mom or Dad. They have all these new freedoms and liberties thrust upon them. It's exciting, over-whelming, and fun. They also have responsibility thrown at them. You want your own apartment while you're at college? Better find a job. You have a huge test in the morning but the party of the year is tonight. Mom isn't there to take the blame when you call your friends and tell them you can't go.

It's the excitement of being an adult and trying to make your mark on the world. Mistakes are going to be made so lessons can be learned. Hearts will break, love will conquer all, anything can happen. The options are endless! I may also be a bit biased as I am in my mid-twenties, and in that New Adult stage where I'm still making mistakes to learn from. I don't consider myself an adult, but I know I've passed being a young adult (thank goodness!).

If you're looking for some fun New Adult reads, Goodreads has several lists of NA books. You can also join the New Adults Reading Challenge group at Goodreads. Look for me if you do! I also just received an ARC of Strength by Carrie Butler, one of the sisters of NA Alley. Have you seen the cover of it? Sexy, shirtless, rippling abs. Oh, yeah, I'm totally excited to read it! Review to come on that soon. Just out of curiosity, how many of you read book reviews?