YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE AND EMOTIONAL REALISM: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF JOHN GREEN’S THE FAULT IN OUR STARS AND JOJO MOYES’S ME BEFORE YOU
Abstract
Young Adult (YA) literature has emerged as a significant cultural and literary phenomenon that addresses the emotional, psychological, and ethical dilemmas of adolescence and early adulthood. This article explores the poetics and thematic structures of YA literature through a comparative analysis of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars and Jojo Moyes’s Me Before You. Although differing in narrative voice and target audience reception, both novels construct emotionally intense narratives centered on illness, love, and existential choice. The study examines how these works negotiate themes of mortality, agency, and emotional maturation, positioning young protagonists within ethically complex situations. Using a comparative literary approach, the article argues that both novels represent a shift in contemporary YA literature toward emotional realism and philosophical depth, where the experience of suffering becomes a catalyst for identity formation and moral awareness.
References
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