Ann Brashares: Biography, Works, and the Consistency Crisis in YA Fiction

Ann Brashares: Author Profile and Works

Ann Brashares is the author of the series. Wellington, born and raised in DC on July 30, 1967, she studied Philosophy at Columbia University in New York. She worked in publishing until 2000, the date of publication of her first novel, <>, which earned her unexpected success among the public that followed adolescent fiction and several titles in this series.

Ann lives in New York with her husband and their three children. She spends summers on Fire Island.

Publisher Details

The publisher of this book is Gran Aguilar.

Book Specifications

The book has 253 pages.

Analysis of the Young Adult (YA) Genre

Genre Definition and Themes

The book falls under the Young Adult (YA) narrative genre.

One constant in this genre is the use of narrative fiction as its primary vehicle of expression. Indeed, juvenile novels are numerous, and a theme aiming to appeal to young readers predominates. These themes typically include:

• A love story.
• A mysterious plot.
• An adventure story.

While not exclusive, and usually dominated by one of these issues, the reality is that the narrative is often peppered with elements of the other two.

Narrative Voice and Consistency

The narrator is preferably a first-person protagonist of the action; this protagonist, of course, is a teenager recounting something that happened in their past, whether remote or quite recent. Even if the narrator is the young protagonist or an adult recounting an episode of adolescence, the adult vision and worldview are present and latent throughout the novel.

This presence of the adult perspective often fails to capture the true essence of youth reality. This failure is pathetically detected in the lexicon: obviously, the author tries to faithfully reproduce the slang, but the result is the use of terms intended to sound like those of adolescents, yet are really outdated and obsolete (highlighting how long ago the author ceased to be a teenager). Thus, juvenile novels often commit the greatest literary sin: lack of consistency.

Characterization and Moralizing Content

Regarding the characters, a similar pattern emerges:

• Stereotypes.
• Flat characterizations.
• Opposition between good and bad.

These characters live through supposedly stereotypical teenage situations, including, of course, alcohol, drugs, sexual initiation, and happy endings. The inevitable result is works laden with moralizing messages that leave little room for the reader's freedom.

Notable Authors in the Genre

Some prominent authors in this genre include:

• Stephenie Meyer: Responsible for the most important series of the moment, <>.
• Laura Gallego: Known for books such as the Memoirs of Idhún series and The Empress of the Ethereal.
• Federico Moccia: Author of the novel Three Meters Above the Sky.