There are a lot of genres out there. Most of them are pretty straightforward, but some can be a tad ambiguous. I don’t claim that my genre definitions are the correct ones, but they can be general guidelines and they will help you to know how I categorize the books I review.
Before we dive into genre definitions, I want to make one more distinction between genre and reading age. Genre refers to the type of story the book is telling. It reveals certain story elements common in similar books. However, the recommended reading age for a book tells you who the target audience is. There are four (possibly five if you count new adult) main categories: children (CH), middle-grade (MG), young adult (YA), and adult. On this website, if it’s adult, I don’t put an age distinction in front of the genre. If it’s anything besides adult, I will put the abbreviations mentioned above before the genre.
Click through the toggles below to read how my genre definitions and age category information.
Genre Definitions
These are edge of your seat books. Protagonists find themselves in high stakes situations and always at risk of something catastrophic. There is usually an ultimate goal the protagonist is attempting to reach, but these antagonists keep getting in the way! This genre works to maintain a constant state of suspense throughout the story. I tend to classify spy books, stories with superheroes, alien invasion, and similar as action/adventure and thriller.
Defining characteristics:
- Fast-paced with frequent scene changes
- High-stakes with an end of the world feel
- Hero vs. the Villain
- Lots of cliffhangers
This genre can be ambiguous at times. Contemporary fiction stories take place in the current time the author writes it and is set somewhere on Earth, even if the town itself is fictional. The characters are they type of people you might meet in your own life and the plot is something that could happen in our world. Think of this as a catch all genre. If it’s not any of the others, it’s probably contemporary fiction.
Defining Characteristics:
- Takes place in current times (according to when it was written)
- Set somewhere on Earth
- Revolves around common issues to modern times
Dystopian novels take place in the near or distant future, but unlike regular science fiction, life sucks and there isn’t always super awesome technology to utilize. Some cataclysmic event has made life hard in your favorite dystopian and the world is dealing with the aftermath. And like action/adventure, there’s a big theme of a hero rising up to defeat the villain.
Defining Characteristics:
- Takes place in the future (near or distant)
- The situation on Earth is pretty dire
- Hero vs. villain themes
- Corrupt ruling bodies
Come with me to a magical land with mythical creatures and gorgeous landscapes we could never imagine on our owns. Welcome to the world of fantasy. As my favorite genre, I have a particular fondness for fantasy. Pure fantasy books have a strong sense of escapism, as they almost exclusively take place in worlds created by the author and feature races and species we’ve never heard of. When I list a book as just fantasy, I am excluding any books that take place on Earth (those are labeled as something else). To be fantasy in my book, there has to be some magical component. These can range from very slight mentions of magic, to magic dripping on every page. Fantasy books also tend to be longer as they require more world building. They can draw heavily from mythology and folklore from our world, yet take place in another.
Defining Characteristics:
- Contains magical elements, hints of the supernatural or a magical system
- Takes place in a made-up world
- Common themes are based on mythology and folklore
- Features things that are not possible in this world (i.e. magic, dragons, etc)
The perfect combination of historical fiction and fantasy. This genre also takes place in the past and tends to be centered on major events or societal problems. I’ve found you’re more likely to see actual historical figures in this genre due to the magical twist the defines it.
Defining Characteristics:
- Set at least 30 years in the past from when it was written
- Usually centered around a major historical event or significant societal troubles
- Contains a magical element
This beautiful genre has made up stories that take place in by gone years. The setting is in decades past, how far past it has to be to count as historical, I’m not sure. For me, I’m probably going to list it as historical if it takes place in the 1980s or earlier. You’ll often find these novels center around a major historical event, like a war.
Defining Characteristics:
- Set in a past time period at least 30 years prior to when written
- Probably centers on major historical event or significant problem
This genre often gets lumped in with fantasy, and I can see why. It also can feel like a whole new world when you travel far into the future, like one typically does if reading a science fiction book. These stories are going to have lots of talk of technology and science. Don’t be surprised if they take place hundreds of years in the future and have you hurtling through space to yet undiscovered planets.
Defining Characteristics:
- Set in the future or on another world
- Heavy themes of technology and futuristic science
- Frequently involve space travel or living on other planets
- Features things that could be possible in the future with technological and scientific advancements
Ever wonder what it would be like if our world had magic? Then you should read urban fantasy. It is pretty much what it sounds like: it takes place in a city and has magical elements (people using magic, magical creatures, etc). I also lumped in contemporary fantasy here, which is pretty much the same, but I would classify books in our modern world that have magic, but don’t take place in a big city. Either way, lots of magic.
Defining Characteristics:
- Takes place in a large city (urban) or somewhere else on Earth (contemporary)
- Contains magic and/or supernatural elements
- The magic is often a secret from the normal world we live in
Reader Age Categories
Children’s books range in age from 3 all the way up to 1o. You will find shorter stories, pictures books and the likes in this category. Stories are fun and entertaining. They have simpler themes, use basic language and often focus on teaching the child something. There may be some overlap at the higher end of the range with Middle Grade when you get into chapter books.
This category is for ages 8-12. The lower end is going to include first chapter books and get slightly meatier as you move up in age. There are more developed plots, slightly more mature themes and increased action. The protagonists always falls in the age range of the reader and commonly revolve around issues the children might be facing at that time in their lives.
The Young Adult category targets children ages 13-18, though some YA books lately have ventured more into a 16-25 age range (what some call new adult). Like middle grade, the protagonist will be in the target audience age rage, as will most of the main side characters. One of the common themes in YA is the coming of age storyline. The protagonist begins to see what it means to be an adult and the realities of the harsh world. YA is characterized by a fast pace and strong attempts to be relevant to the lives of teenagers in some way. When you step into the more new adult range, you get more mature themes, like going away from home and you might run across more sexual awakening scenes.
Books in the adult category cater to those over 18 (or over 25 if you consider new adult a category). Themes are mature and often deal with heavy topics. There is more cursing, sexual and vulgar language, and high-brow concepts often only people who are out in the world on their own might understand. They can be slower paced because of the richness and depth in exploring different emotions and situations. They are more likely to approach proactive conversations and circumstances.