Young Adult Literature: Fantasy

Titles Discussed

Dodger (2012) by Terry Pratchett

The Goblin Wood series (2003–11) by Hilari Bell

Harry Potter series (1997–2007) by J. K. Rowling

Genre Overview

The fantasy genre has been a mainstay of children's literature since before the time of the Brothers Grimm. While books such as Mother Goose's fairy-tale collections and the works of Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, have become modern childhood staples, other works have crossover appeal for adults as well. Both children and adults can enjoy Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865), Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964) and James and the Giant Peach (1961), Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising series (1965–77), and C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia (1949–54).

Another fantasy mainstay popular with readers of all ages is J. R. R. Tolkien, whose works, including The Hobbit (1937), The Lord of the Rings (1954–55), and The Silmarillion (1977), have had a dedicated following since they were first published. Tolkien's work is considered high fantasy, with a richly imagined world that includes several of its own fully realized languages. Immersion in his world requires knowledge of several lands and types of creatures. The fantasy world in Tolkien's work is rich in detail and wide in breadth and has long appealed to both young adult and adult readers.

The quiet popularity of Tolkien's work did not prepare the world for the arrival of Harry Potter. Several other notable fantasy series had been published since The Hobbit, but nothing that shook the world of children's literature quite so much as J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series (1997–2007), especially at a time when most experts were sure that the children of the late twentieth century were losing interest in reading altogether. The Potter phenomenon brought the young adult fantasy genre to the forefront of the publishing world, paving the way for countless more fantasy works targeted at young adult readers, including Hilari Bell's Goblin Wood series (2003–11) and Terry Pratchett's historical fantasy novel Dodger (2012).

Works

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the first book in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, debuted in the United Kingdom in 1997. It hit bookstores in the United States (US) in September 1998retitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the US marketand rose to the top of the New York Times bestsellers list by the following August, where it remained for most of that year and the next. The enduring popularity of the Harry Potter series led to the creation of separate bestseller lists for children and adults. New books in the series were anticipated with such enthusiasm that bookstores stayed open past midnight on their release dates, and children and their parents waited in line to buy the latest in the seven-volume series as soon as it became available. Over the years, Harry Potter's fans aged along with him. As he entered puberty, so did they; as he went on to graduate and look toward his future, so did they. Those who picked up the first volume as children were high school or college students who appreciated a well-told fantasy tale by the time the series was complete.

The Harry Potter series is essential to young adult literature for its fantasy aspect and the depth of its literary roots. While the later books in the series are more commercial, the series was certainly not conceived as such overall. It was not written as a fantasy to attract a broad audience with a high concept and plenty of action. In this series, the fantasy world is instead used as the outward manifestation of Harry's confusion over who he is and what his place in the world will be.

At their core, the Harry Potter books are literary novels. They rest heavily on the recognized body of classical literature, mainly due to J. K. Rowling's studies in classical literature. The books variously incorporate, make reference to, or are influenced by Joseph Campbell's hero's journey, mythological creatures and their roles in literature, and the structures of works such as Homer's Odyssey (7th century Before the Common Era), the novels of Tolkien and Jane Austen, and William Shakespeare's plays, among other elements. They are not one-note books with a single layer of meaning. Instead, they are filled with nuance and use the conventions of fantasy and traditional literature.

The story of Harry Potter unfolds throughout seven books. Each book has a narrative arc of its own while also occupying a space in the overall series arc. In the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, readers meet Harry and learn along with him that he is no ordinary boy. He is the son of two very powerful and celebrated wizards who lost their lives while defending him from the evil Lord Voldemort. Harry has a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead that was left behind by Voldemort's attack, instantly identifying him to anyone in the wizarding community. This community hopes that Harry will be the one to defeat Voldemort once and for all.

Throughout the series, Harry becomes close friends with Hermione and Ron. Hermione is intelligent, bookish, and strong-willed. Ron, the second youngest of his family, with five older, more accomplished brothers, wants to do something to distinguish himself—he just is not sure what that might be.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione tend to favor the underdog, befriending the house goblin, the gamekeeper, and the more unpopular students at the school. They form a vicious rivalry with fellow student Draco Malfoy and the boys who follow him. Harry becomes an honorary member of Ron's family, a role he treasures for the novelty of its normality. As the series unfolds, the three heroes scuffle with Malfoy, Voldemort (in various forms), and other wizards who are out to ruin Harry. They stick together and fight off giant poisonous spiders, enormous snakes with deadly stares, and armies of creatures intent on helping Voldemort claim victory over the wizarding world.

Harry greatly respects Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is a loyal supporter of Dumbledore, and several scenes showcase their devotion to one another. In one such scene, Harry sits before a mirror that shows the viewer their greatest desire. Harry, who sees himself with his parents, begins spending more and more time in front of the mirror, longing for what can never be. Dumbledore realizes that Harry is spending his time in this way and gently advises him that the mirror has been hidden because those who choose to sit and stare at what could be do not often go on to create what will be. Harry is bright enough and strong enough to take the hint and tear himself away. In another scene, a phoenix comes to Dumbledore, enabling him to assist Harry when Harry is in dire need. Dumbledore explains that the phoenix would only have sought him out if someone had been extraordinarily loyal to him. With this statement, Harry knows that Dumbledore understands the depth of his feelings for him.

The Goblin Wood, by Hilari Bell, is another well-received fantasy series. It consists of three books: The Goblin Wood (2003), The Goblin Gate (2010), and The Goblin War (2011). The series features an ongoing political struggle that necessitates warfare and intrigue. The storyline calls for the reader to keep track of various shifting alliances and fortunes while also respecting the rules of the wood. To fully engage with the characters and the action, the reader must take the time to learn the many layers of fantasy and tradition at work in this series.

The Goblin Wood series uses a fantasy world as the backdrop for a political drama. The politics that unfold will decide the fate of the protagonist, Makenna. The series opens with the execution of Makenna's mother for witchcraft, and throughout the series, Makenna's fate hangs in the balance. The series is set in medieval times so the mores of that time also play a key role in the reader's experience.

This series features a strong female protagonist, Makenna, who floods the village upon her mother's death and then works actively to prevent the ruling hierarchy from carrying out its pogrom against magic. Friendship also plays a central role in this series. Makenna and Tobin think at first that they know all they need to know about each other. However, because their fates are linked without their consent, they must learn more about one another and then find a way to overcome their previous biases and work together.

Dodger, by Terry Pratchett, takes the fantasy genre in an entirely different direction by putting Dodger into direct contact with real people from the Victorian era. The fantasy aspect of this novel lies not in wizardry or mythical creatures; instead, it takes the form of a world in which the line between reality and imagination is not clearly drawn or even noted at all. For young adults not interested in or who lack an understanding of history, an essential level of meaning may go unappreciated. For those interested in history and literature, this aspect will add a deeper level of complexity to the work.

A fanciful approach to the possibilities of a fanciful life brings Dodger to life. In this book, the titular young thief becomes involved in romance, friendship, and unlikely meetings with notable figures of the time. The details are true to the period, even if Dodger is a fictional character playing a part in a historically accurate past.

In the end, Dodger becomes the hero who saves the day. Through his adventures, he has grown to be a caring person. His fame has brought him the information he needs to protect Simplicity, the mysterious girl whose initial rescue by Dodger kicks off the plot. When Dodger and Simplicity—now calling herself Serendipity—return to London and meet with the Queen, Dodger is more than ready to take on the new role of spy that is offered to him.

While it would be difficult for young adult novels and series to reach the heights of popularity the Harry Potter series once experienced, young adult novels in the fantasy genre remain popular with readers. Divine Rivals (2023) by Rebecca Ross, part of the author’s Letters of Enchantment series, offers young adult readers a fantasy world full of vengeful gods whom the protagonists must overcome with the power of love. Silver in the Bone (2023) by Alexandra Bracken takes readers on a fantasy adventure involving treasure hunts, curses, and dark magic. The Stolen Heir (2023) by Holly Black is considered faerie fiction, an evolving subgenre of fantasy fiction. 

Conclusions

The message in the Harry Potter books is that whether Harry is destined for greatness—which is not a given—it is up to Harry to fulfill that destiny. The choice of whether to defeat Voldemort is his. Fundamentally, Harry is just a boy who lost both of his parents as an infant and grew up in an unloving and emotionally abusive environment. All he wants is to have a place where he belongs. He is utterly unaware of the expectations the wizarding community has for him when he arrives at Hogwarts, and when he learns of them, he is not at all convinced that he is up to the task.

The fantasy aspects of the series allow the reader to feel both Harry's confusion and his growing confidence. If there were no fantasy elements and Harry's story was simply that of a boy who has suffered a loss and must find his place in the world, it would not evoke as strong a response in the reader. The use of fantasy allows the reader to travel Harry's journey of self-discovery with him, step by step, for better or worse.

The Goblin Wood series and Dodger also portray friendship, loyalty, and romantic love as integral to the plot and character development. Their respective historical settings similarly take readers out of their comfort zone, forcing them to learn about this new milieu. While it is true that Harry is learning about a new setting along with the reader, the fact that the reader still must make this effort ensures that they are invested in the character's plight. The fantasy elements add another layer of meaning to the works, as fantastical creatures stand in for humans in ways that cause the reader to rethink their potential biases.

All of these fantasy novels are, at their heart, stories of the journey to adulthood. By setting them in previously unknown or unfamiliar worlds and equipping these worlds with creatures and characters that cause the reader to stretch past their assumptions about distinctions of gender, race, or class, the authors help bring readers to a new understanding of themselves.

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