What kind of challenges do the characters face? In the YA I remember, characters were struggling to define themselves while figuring out social standing, who their friends were, how to interact with their parents and managing their obligations(typically schoolwork). Those struggles could be abstracted by adding in genre challenges, but were still recognizable, and that was the appeal.

I don't know a ton about pulp genre fiction, but the stuff I read is about people trying to be good at their jobs, take care of their families, meet their obligations, and still end up good and/or alive.

It's still escapist, but I feel more comfortable escaping in to stories where the characters have the same problems I do. I don't judge anyone for reading what they want to, but I don't understand the appeal of reading books about teenagers' problems. and that's fine.