Falling into Fantasy

February 13, 2013

"In dreams we enter a world that’s entirely our own." ~Albus Dumbledore

If you are familiar with that line, congratulations, you are a Potterhead. Be proud, be very proud. I remember when I first picked up a Harry Potter novel. It caught my attention from the first page. I was hooked after that; I couldn’t put the books down. Even years after the last book was written and last movie was filmed, Harry Potter has wormed his way into my heart. I can make a Harry Potter reference in any given situation. I’m such a nerd.

Youth today can relate. They may not be Potterheads, but the novels they read mostly fall into the fantasy genre. I know I was the same growing up. I loved the vampires, fallen angels, demons, monsters, and even the forbidden romance of paranormal creatures falling in love with humans. There’s something about a world that is not our own that is attractive. It evokes in us a sense of rapture and takes us back to the years when we were innocent children. We forget about our daily lives, our jobs, hardships, and we immerse ourselves in a world of mystic journeys.

From Harry Potter, to Twilight, to the Hunger Games, Young Adult Fantasy does not show any signs of halting in its tracks; instead, readers are asking for more. According to Goodreads, the top YA Novels of 2012 are mostly fantasy. It doesn’t stop with 2012 however; most of the YA novels being published in 2013 fall under the same category. Not only does it sell, it also captivates our youth.

We should encourage this genre of books because not only is it appealing to the literary preferences of young adults, it also broadens their imagination and opens their minds to new ideas, uncharted talents, and perhaps the next fantasy novelist.

Hakima S.
Blue Ridge Branch