Wool Omnibus discussion

I don't understand why it has been tagged as YA. It isn't a YA book. Certainly teens CAN read it. It isn't inappropriate for them or anything. But that doesn't make it a YA book.

I was so happy to find a book in this genre that wasn't YA. It's nice to read about characters Thant aren't 16! I just started reading it and I am enjoying it

Jill wrote: "I was so happy to find a book in this genre that wasn't YA. It's nice to read about characters Thant aren't 16! I just started reading it and I am enjoying it"

Oh ME TOO, Jill. I just don't understand the newest fascination with adults and YA books. Ever since Harry Potter it seems like that is all some people read. Weird.

I think a lot of his other books are YA, which is maybe why this got tagged YA as well. But I was glad to not read about 16yo characters as well. A great book! Can't wait for more!

I just finished this collection last night. So awesome! I think Sita is right...it's a good enough read for teens and I think YAs could potentially get a lot out of it, but I don't necessarily think it's a YA book. I love how it really brought out some intense issues to think about.

Absolutely awesome collection of stories. I agree that this is not YA.

His other series about Molly Fyde was good, but more YA.

When I was a kid, I knew nothing of YA -- I don't think the category existed then. I went to the library and picked a book that looked interesting and read it. I didn't need it sanitized for my protection.

The only part that struck me as YA-ish was Juliette's attitude towards her father and maybe the theme of aspiring to do better than the last generation. If the author classes it as YA it's YA. I'm not embarrassed enough about its recommended demographic to take this to city hall! :)

Maybe the book isn't YA, but compared to some of the other YA stuff out there today, involving mental illness, crimes, etc., Wool is pretty tame.

Sean wrote: "The only part that struck me as YA-ish was Juliette's attitude towards her father and maybe the theme of aspiring to do better than the last generation. If the author classes it as YA it's YA. I'm ..."

When you read the next book/omnibus, shift, you will see why Hugh had Juliette have an attitude of wanting to do better than the next generation.....

This book is definitely NOT YA, and for some reason the cover of both my Wool and Shift Omnibuses' say its the next Hunger Games.... Almost made me not read it, as I am soooo not a hunger games fan. That was one series of books that made better movies than literature.

Two seriously unjust descriptions of this that I have found on the internet - "The next Hunger Games" and "Sci-Fi's Fifty Shades of Gray". I would never have picked it up if I had believed that. Wool, Shift and Dust are NOTHING like any of those two travesties (Personal opinion...apologies to any one who liked HG and FSOG...to each her/his own...)

Teen, yes. But a little too emotionally disturbing at parts for someone younger.

UGH! I am glad I didn't see those descriptions for this back when I came across it. 50 Shades was a nightmare, and I have about 2 pence of interest in teen angst novels.

Like many people, I'm uncomfortable with the tendency to label books with age groups - especially when it's for marketing purposes.

When I was a teenager, I read books for adults. I taught an 11 year old girl who was reading Jung Chan's Wild Swans and sharing the experience with her mother. Many adults who read Harry Potter were the sort of people who had avoided reading in the past.

Teens are all different, families are all different.
Who are we to say?

The classification of a book is usually determined by the publishing company. Brandon Sanderson once said that books are often given several classifications and put in several places within a book store. Just to figure out where it will sell best.

I think the idea of this book being called YA is to cash in on all the YA Dystopian readers. If people read The Hunger Games or The Maze Runner or Divergentand like them then maybe they will pick up and read these books.

YA is kind of a new classification, many of the Fantasy or Science Fiction books I read while in High School The Sword of Shannara or Ender's Gamewould now go into the YA category.

I understand that ^^^ from a marketing perspective. I don't like it though, because as a person who does NOT care for books about teen angst, it can make you miss out on great books. The descriptors should be accurate to what is found in the book. If the content does not involve YA topics and/or culture, it shouldn't be listed YA. I personally find it misleading.

Had I seen the YA tag on this book before reading it, I would have passed it by.

I have found that YA books are identical to adult fiction with the exception of explicit sex scenes. Wool is not a YA series even though it does not have any sexually prurient scenes that I can recall; still I would not advise a teenager to read the books, there are some very disturbing and dark aspects to it that go beyond the Fringe and Twilight Zone mileau that constitutes YA.

I agree that this is not YA fiction. I would also like to submit that it probably isn't dystopian either—post-apocalyptic, yes, but I'm not seeing anything similar to 1984, A Brave New World, The Giver, etc. However, I am only partway through the second book (and will probably give up on the series after that).

The last triplet is pretty good. The middle trilogy gets really tedious really quickly, not to mention very frustrating at the end. Problem is it has important plot information. I would suggest read synopsis of Shift, or whatever they are called, and pick up the last group.

I agree it's not YA -- has no young people as main characters. One of my colleagues is teaching as a class set text to 13-year-olds. I do not support this, especially as there's a suicide...

Shiv wrote: "Two seriously unjust descriptions of this that I have found on the internet - "The next Hunger Games" and "Sci-Fi's Fifty Shades of Gray". I would never have picked it up if I had believed that. Wo..."

I completely agree Shiv, there is no comparison between Wool and either of those two books. A blatant attempt to drum up more sales. Anyone looking for a Sci-Fi Fifty Shades of Gray would be sorely disappointed in Wool and that is unfair to the book.

I think everyone assumes a dystopian is YA these days. Apparently they've never heard of 1984. It's a great story, though. A fan of YA dystopian would probably like this as well. The fact that he self-published it, made a fortune, and then kept 100% of his electronic rights (Never, ever happens) when he signed a hard print contract makes it even better for me. Independent writers can make it.

Sita wrote: "I don't understand why it has been tagged as YA. It isn't a YA book. Certainly teens CAN read it. It isn't inappropriate for them or anything. But that doesn't make it a YA book."

Because that is how GR works. If a certain amount of readers puts a book on a shelf associated with a genre (as YA, young-adult, teen, etc) the book gets tagged as YA, that doesn't mean it is and I also don't think it is in that genre.

Ellie [The Empress] wrote: "If a certain amount of readers puts a book on a shelf associated with a genre (as YA, young-adult, teen, etc) the book gets tagged as YA, that doesn't mean it is.."

Thank you Ellie. I had no idea that is how the tags work. It is unfortunate as it can lead to people passing books by. Like I said above, I would have passed this one by if I had seen that tag before I read it. I am glad now to know that is how it works, so it doesn't happen that way in the future.

Ron wrote: "I think everyone assumes a dystopian is YA these days. Apparently they've never heard of 1984..."

I agree Ron. I have actually seen people use the word dystopian in that manner, to reference "teen distress" stories. It is frustrating to see. 1984 is one of my favorite books. Really fantastic.

There's nothing wrong about reading YA, especially the good ones. I will disagree with the majority here: Wool feels YA to me. You know, YA does not have to rely on stupid three-way love stories.

Wool is certainly well written, but the simplicity (in my review I said naiveté) of the characterization and of the socio-economic system reminds me of YA. Nothing too complex or hard to understand here! And -maybe that might piss off some people- while the characters aren't teenagers, many of them BEHAVE just like they were!

I just finished "Wool" and it did not fit the bill for YA. Surprised even to see this discussion and some supporters. Not that teens couldn't read it, but this in no way should be classified that way. I could see Silo 18 as having potential for it, but not the rest.

We are currently experiencing YA creeping over other genres. It started with Twilight being such a popular YA urban fantasy. Now about half the werewolf and vampire novels are labeled YA whether they are or not. Hunger Games have made Dystopian YA so popular that people are starting to forget that dystopian novels in general have been around for a long time and they aren't all YA.
I have a writer friend who writes urban fantasy aimed at an adult audience. she regularly gets reviews and emails that say things like, "I don't understand why she has so many adult characters in a YA novel."

Rache, I think the creep from YA occurred way before Twighlight. Authors have long written stories for children that have appealed to a wider audience. The Hobbit, The Lion Witch and the Wardrobe and the Harry Potter Series have mass appeal across all ages; and they are only a few of the many examples out there.

I agree, we need more adult dystopian novels. I love the genre, but I feel half embarrassed to be reading about 16 year old's, I have just finished Sand and it was good! It is far to dark to be listed as YA.

The fantasy genre in general needs more adult novels. I am so sick of reading the blurb and it starts out "16 yr old(fill in the blank) saves the world." Even if it has adult themes, I have no interest in reading about a teenager. Wool was a great read, and no way would I classify it YA. But those of you who think it is too dark for teenagers,have you even looked at what they are reading, watching, playing lately? Dark is the norm.

The rush on YA has been bolstered by the fact that the teens are spending money. They have it to burn. Teens are looking for entertainment and are not bogged down by work and family. They are out there reading books, going to movies and buying the next fad. I think we have to accept this market. The markets tend to ebb and tide and recently I heard that YA was on a downturn. I'm skeptical.

Wool is certainly well written, but the simplicity (in my review I said naiveté) of the characterization and of the socio-economic system reminds me of YA. Nothing too complex or hard to understand here! And -maybe that might piss off some people- while the characters aren't teenagers, many of them BEHAVE just like they were!

I agree, the story certainly doesn't strive to be complex. It does open the door for tough political/philosophical questions if you're so inclined though (more so in Shift which I just finished than Wool).

One can only hope, Vincent!

Sita wrote: "One can only hope, Vincent!"

Sita, so sorry to hear you are down on YA. I am finishing up a novel called "33 Degrees". I have a teenager and two almosts, so I like to write what they can read. :)This is my second entry into the YA fray, but I am dying to do an adult sci-fi. I'll keep you posted. LOL

My take on it is that it's YA because it does not have any racy sex scenes or anything like that in it. When parents are searching for books for teens they want to feel comfortable searching in one particular type of category and YA is what helps them know that although the book may not be ABOUT teens, it is appropriate for their teens to read.

I think Sita is being a bit conceited here, as though the YA category is subject to her approval. Having read all the Wool products, throughout the series YA's are an integral aspect in the story line and suggesting these shorts are inappropriate for the YA tag simply because they are not syrupy sweet chick lit fluff is off the mark.

Michael wrote: "Rache, I think the creep from YA occurred way before Twighlight. Authors have long written stories for children that have appealed to a wider audience. The Hobbit, The Lion Witch and the Wardrobe a..."

I don't think adults reading YA is a problem, nor is that what I am talking about. By the same token, teens reading adult books isn't a problem.

The problem comes when people start to assume a certain type of books are YA when they're not billed as such. For example my friend writes adult urban fantasy and then gets negative reviews because "It's not appropriate for YA audiences." It's frustrating for her because she never bills herself as YA and had no idea why anyone would think her books were intended for a younger audience.

Another issue to keep in mind, Goodreads relies on readers to tag things. I've noticed in many forums/discussions that there are a wide range of definitions for YA. Wool is tagged YA because some reader tagged it as such, not because the author said it was YA or because Goodreads decided it was such. Sometimes you have to take the tags with a grain of salt, in my opinion.

Rachel nailed it. I don't care what other people read, child or adult.. I just find the tags frustrating as it is misleading.

Vincent, I have no problem with YA books, my son is in love with many of them. I just don't find the concept of teen heroes appealing for my own reading. And I can't relate to teen angst.