A researcher from the University of Missouri who named the genre in a recent study said it included books which deal in the taboo realm of sexuality, sickness and youth.
The genre acknowledged and accepted the sexuality of sick people.
Adolescent sexuality, another taboo, also was a central topic in the genre. Also, some books featured positive portrayals of the sick as fully developed characters.
Some of the books portrayed sick people forming romances with other sick people, as opposed to pining for a healthy lover.
However, researcher Julie Passanante Elmanas has warned that the genre adheres to negative stereotypes of the ill and traditional gender roles.
"'Teen sick-lit' reinforces the idea that an individual must adjust themselves to society in order to succeed, regardless of preexisting cultural barriers, as opposed to taking action to create a more just society," Elman said.
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Readers and their parents should be aware of how the presentation of disease and disability in these stories can instill prejudices and enforce societal norms in young adults, she noted.
"As the popularity of fiction aimed at young adults, such as the Twilight, Harry Potter and Hunger Games series, continues to grow, it is important for readers and parents to note the ethical subtexts of the books," Elman said.
"Similarly, the proliferation of sick or disabled characters on such television shows as 'Glee', 'Friday Night Lights' and 'Breaking Bad' doesn't always equate to positive portrayals of those characters," Elman added.
Elman found little to empower the ill in the nearly 100 'teen sick-lit' books she reviewed.
Instead, the authors' framing of their ill characters tended to set them apart as abnormal.
The will to live for the sick protagonist was often equated to the desire to have a traditional heterosexual relationship, often with healthy counterparts.
Characters that did not adhere to traditional gender roles tended to be ostracised or encouraged to conform.
"'Teen sick-lit', which mostly arose in the 80s', stands in contrast to the progressive young adult literature of the 70s, which often dealt with issues of racism, homophobia and other injustices," Elman said in a statement.
The study was published in the Journal of Literary & Cultural Disability Studies.