Young adult (YA ) is a determinative contemporary pop culture term, mostly known from the movie industry. However, it is originally a literary category that emerged in the 1960s. In the first section of the study I argue for an age-framework for ”teenager”, as a distinctive age group. Then I introduce the antecedents and bestsellers of YA from the very first books (The Outsiders, The Contender) through the first golden age (Are You There God, It’s Me Margarete, Chocolate War) to the current flourishing, while using the best-known novel adaptations from the screen of the cinema and television. Besides the biggest fantasy and science fiction blockbusters (Harry Potter, Twilight, The Hunger Games) the study covers realistic YA media texts (The Fault in Our Stars, The Hate U Give, 13 Reasons Why) as well. The most successful Hungarian authors and titles are also introduced. In my study one of the research questions I try to answer is what genres do these texts use and what are the main narrative and thematic characteristics of YA ? Finally, I also try to give an answer for the question whether the future of YA is doomed or not.