Christine, a librarian, forwarded me a link to this article from the NY Times this past weekend: The Kids’ Books Are All Right, by Pamela Paul. Paul takes a look at adults craving the third installment of The Hunger Games, and who seek out YA books in general.
The themes are serious and the discussions intense, but the books are fast-paced and fun. “A lot of contemporary adult literature is characterized by a real distrust of plot,” Grossman said. “I think young adult fiction is one of the few areas of literature right now where storytelling really thrives.”
Y.A. may also pierce the jadedness and cynicism of our adult selves. “When you talk to people about the books that have meant a lot to them, it’s usually books they read when they were younger because the books have this wonder in everyday things that isn’t bogged down by excessively grown-up concerns or the need to be subtle or coy,” explained Jesse Sheidlower, an editor at large at the Oxford English Dictionary and member of Kidlit. “When you read these books as an adult, it tends to bring back the sense of newness and discovery that I tend not to get from adult fiction.”
I’ve long been a fan of YA romance for a number of reasons. First, I think strong emotions are overwhelming at any time, whether you’re an adult or teenager, but YA deals more with the painful management of feelings that you suspect might take you over entirely, and how to figure out relationships with the people causing those emotions. Since, I think, teenagers are pressured more than anyone to remain blasé about just about everything, negotiating internal conflicts that make it hard to remain calm lends a powerful immediacy to a lot of YA literature. Plus, while some folks dislike YA romance because they don’t believe that a happily-ever-after can start in high school, I absolutely know it can. I met Hubby in high school, and while we didn’t get together until after freshman year of college, my angsty-emo-screwed-up teenager self totally had the “Hold all calls, we have a winner” moment at 17. So I know it can happen, and love to read about it when it does.
Lucky me, Christine also forwarded me a link to Forever Young Adult’s list of YA Dealbreakers – the book plots and cover images that will give you the ixnay on the ookbay faster than anything else. I’m with them on “Vampire Kisses” and anything with poetry.
And Crap in a Crockpot I just lost about two hours of my life reading the achives of ForeverYoungAdult. Here, have a list of their most swoonworthy couples in YA, or the New Moon drinking game, or the Flowers in the Attic drinking game, or What Not To Do with YA Covers (OMG YES with the HALF a FACE covers already. Enough!).
YA’s popularity isn’t news, though it’s in the news thanks to the fact that people are absolutely hopping over The Hunger Games conclusion (Did you see that Dear Author is part of the online district tour? Cool!) I have noticed many, many people on the beaches reading both that series, Twilight, and, oddly, Harry Potter as well. I’m always a-hunting for YA romance to read, and love Elizabeth Scott and Jennifer Echols’ books. I also recently read Wildthorn by Jane Eagland, a historical YA novel about a girl who is sent to an asylum for being way too different. It was chilling and powerful – and I still think about it.
In addition to Suzanne Collins’ series, what YA do you absolutely adore right now? And are you as tired of the red-accented half-a-face covers as I am!?
Thanks for introducing me to that site Sarah!
As for my YA read list:
I also recommend Nix’s Abhorsen trilogy.
And I’m seconding the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr.
As a Youth Services Librarian I read a lot of YA books & can say that just about every book/author listed here kicks ass – but I didn’t see two of my favorites mentioned: Libba Bray’s Gemma Doyle trilogy – starting with A Great & Terrible Beauty (Historical Romance/fantasy) or Philip Reeve’s Hungry City Chronicles (not too much romance but so well-written) listed yet. Both are terrific series that appeal to adult/teens alike. I have to agree with those that argue that YA authors face the toughest audience out there and there are so many talented ones, lucky for us!
It does my YA=loving heart good to see someone mention Liz Berry; I imprinted on Easy Connections at an impressionable age and have had a fondness for id-embracing rape-is-love wallowing ever since.
I love YA paranormals, and I could go on and on about favorites, but I’ll try to keep it to a few special favorites. 🙂
First and foremost, THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak. An incredible book no matter one’s age. It immediately went on my list of all-time favorites.
ELSEWHERE by Gabrielle Zevin.
Two ongoing series that I think are amazing: The “Gone” series by Michael Grant and the “Generation Dead” series by Daniel Waters.
I’m also a fan of Jennifer Echols! Another YA romance book that I really liked is Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles. I also recommend Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, which I loved. I see that the couple in that book is included in Forever Young Adult’s list of swoonworthy couples.
For YA fantasy, I highly recommend the Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner. The romance doesn’t come into play until the second book but it’s well worth the wait. Other favorites are Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith, The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley, The Changeover by Margaret Mahy and Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones.
– On the Jellicoe Road, by Melina Marchetta (Everything she has written is brilliant, but this is my favourite. In fact it’s my favourite YA book altogether.)
– The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan (which I’m glad to see has already been pimped)
– White Cat, by Holly Black
– The Obernewtyn Chronicles by Isobelle Carmody
– The Changeover and Memory by Margaret Mahy
– Deep Secret and Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
– Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty (glad to see she’s been mentioned already)
– The Darkangel by Meredith Ann Pierce
– the Uglies series by Scott Westerfield
… and I should probably leave it at that.
I was surprised to see people mention Liz Berry. In Easy Connections I could never get passed the fact that he raped her, bullied her, used her friends to get at her and finally used media sympathy to get her expelled from college and kicked out of her house so she had to marry him. And the guy was supposed to be a sympathetic character! I suppose it was written in the 80s, when rapist heroes were not uncommon, but honestly!
A lot of my favourites have already been mentioned (Libba Bray’s Gemma Doyle trilogy, just about anything by Philip Pullman, Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies series, Megan Whalen Turner, etc).
I do want to put out a plug for a few more, though:
– Scott Westerfeld, Leviathan (first book in a new alternate history series, steampunk WWI!)
– Jonathan Stroud, The Bartimaeus Trilogy (absolutely brilliant fantasy series set in an alternate-universe London)
– Eva Ibbotson, A Company of Swans and Magic Flutes (Romance with a capital R. The first time I read both of these, they just made me so incredibly happy.)
– Matthew Skelton, Endymion Spring (enchanted books, the Faust legend, and Oxford. What’s not to love?)
– M.T. Anderson, The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation (This is an incredibly difficult book to describe—historical fiction? Alternate history? Postcolonial meta-fiction?—but it is nothing short of utterly fascinating. Just read it.)
loved Graceling, loved Fire even more
The Curious Incident of the Dog at Nighttime by Mark Haddon
Enders game by Orson Scott Card
The Mortal instruments by Cassandra Clare
Agree about Sharon Shinn’s YA books
I haven’t been reading YA as much lately, so I’ve forgotten all the titles
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I don’t read a lot of YA, but I made an exception for Everlasting by Angie Frazier because I love historical fantasy. It had a great romance and an interesting setting—I haven’t run across a lot of historical fiction set in Australia.
Wait, so am I the only person who spotted this on the “What not to do with your covers” page?
Shouldn’t there be some form of scolding and/or drinking in your post calling out this nasty stereotyping?
I agree with so many of these recs and have added many on my TBR list. Just finished Demon’s Lexicon, WOW what a great book. And of course the Hunger Games trilogy. A few more books I recently read that I recommend:
– the Moorehawk Trilogy by Celine Keirnan (The Poison Throne, The Crowded Shadows and The Rebel Prince) – cannot believe these have missed a mention because they are AWESOME!!!!
– The Other Countess by Eve Edwards – excellent historical romance
– Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty
– Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles
I cheer with deep enthusiasm my best beloved genre talked about at the Bitches. And I sparkle with joyous gratitude (well, we YA peeps, we like our sparklin’) at those kind souls who noted my books. 😉
Now for the important bits: the YA books I love. Diana Wynne Jones, Margaret Mahy, Tamora Pierce and Robin McKinley were the awesome YA of my YA years (and I second the recommendation for Robin McKinley’s new book Pegasus hard – the end is a killer).
Newer YA books that I love and that haven’t been mentioned here already, though it fills me with anguish not to sing praises of the Queen’s Thief series and Fire…
Karen Healey’s Guardian of the Dead. Maori mythology and the heroine beats information out of the mysterious redhaired evasive hot dude in class.
Cassandra Clare’s Clockwork Angel. YA steampunk, a lady who is both a dreamy reader and sensible, a perfect gentleman and a crazy dude who bites vampires.
Malinda Lo’s Ash – lesbian Cinderella, in which the prince’s hot huntress is actually the one who catches our heroine’s eye.
And for Flo especially but everyone else too – Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margi Stohl is a very strong YA romance from the boy’s pov, in which the lady gets to be the mysterious otherworldly creature with angst, and it’s all set in a wee town in the deep South.
WHAT. Oh my god, you guys have NO IDEA how excited I am that you featured our blog. I have been a SBTB devotee for years and prior to this, I thought the only way to ever be mentioned by you guys was to write a romance novel, which surely would have been given a D grade, and I would have had a sad. BUT THIS IS EVEN BETTER!
This makes the unbearable wait for Mockingjay just a little easier!
My favourite at the moment is the Megan Whalen Turner series already mentioned, but I also loved A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb which is v. romantic.
I also want to mention my favourite YA of about 10-12 years now, published as A Gathering Light in UK, but Northern Light in US, by Jennifer Donnelly. It is one of the best books ever written.
John Green’s books are TO DIE FOR.
Here’s the list…
Looking for Alaska
An Abundance of Katherines
Paper Towns
Will Grayson, Will Grayson (with David Levithan)
Paper Towns, by John Green
Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green and David Levithan
The Enchanted Chocolate Pot series, by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer
Wicked Lovely series, by Melissa Marr
A Ring of Endless Light, by Madeleine L’Engle
Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card
The Young Jedi Knights series, by Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta
The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
Thank you for introducing me to FYA. I love love YA novels, and now I have something I can read that’s a bit more like SMTB. Jezebel had a section like that, but it’s been quiet for a long time.
Favorite YA novels (specifically books that haven’t been mentioned):
– Fire and Hemlock, Diana Wynne Jones (Tam Lin reworked into England in the 80’s. it’s a little slow, but soooo good)
– The Runner, Cynthia Voigt (Same Tillermans, different generation. The kids’ uncle Bullet is the best male protagonist EVER and the end of the book kills me every single time.)
– Tips on Having a Gay Ex-Boyfriend, Carrie Jones (A book on breaking up and falling in love in high school. I haven’t read another book that nails the experience of being a teenage girl in a small town quite this well.)
– Need, Carrie Jones. (It starts off like Twilight- relocation to a small town with an uncomfortable new climate and some supernatural activity- but the heroine is an asskicker and tells the hero where to get off.)
There are more, but these are the ones I love best. It’s worth noting that they all have white protagonists, which means that it’s a pretty flawed list to recommend to actual young adults (although Bullet does struggle with racism- not sure how much that makes up for it).
This is one of those posts where I read the comments virtual pen in hand. Most of my favorites—including the Hunger Games books—have already been mentioned, but the rest are on or will be added to my TBR list. I would like to put in a word for a couple of much loved oldies—Anne McCaffery’s Pern books and anything by Andre Norton. I have not reread either in a while but my memory of them suggests that they’d age fairly well. Most recently read Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve, but I don’t think I’ll read the rest of the series. Incredibly creative premise, excellent writing, thrilling adventure, but slightly lacking in character depth. Also, when I finished, I realized that I was depressed as hell by it. Liked Westerfeld’s Leviathan better.
Our school has an reading initiative that involves providing students with a book from list of maybe a dozen titles. The books are theirs to keep or trade, and nobody’s trading Hunger Games! In fact I had a number of boys in the library begging for the sequel. That’s what cued me to read it myself. So, thank you, DaVonte!
Also loved my first encounter with FYA. Thanks for the heads up.
I’ve been very curious about Sarah MacLean’s The Season. Regency Romance for YA’s
I’m loving Simone Elkeles right now and I can’t wait for her new book Return To Paradise. I’m a high school librarian and I know the kids will be chomping at the bit to get their hands on it when school opens.
I recently finished Cassandra Clare’s “Mortal Instruments’ series (City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass). I LOVE LOVE LOVED them all. A great forbidden romance, fantasy, action adventure. I think I read the last one in two days, which is a HUGE accomplishment with a 20 month old in the house!!
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I haven’t read them myself, but a couple of my friends have and they loved them.
I just finished reading The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, and I loved it… strong writing, great story, characters to adore.
On my list of favorites:
-Sarah Dessen’s books
-Elizabeth Scott’s books (Bloom and Stealing Heaven in particular)
-Maggie Stiefvater’s books (her Mercy Falls books were mentioned here earlier, and her Books of Faerie were great too)
I’d love to see SBTB review Sea. I found it to be the works kind of treacly oatmeal…a love story written on the back of a devastating global tragedy that didn’t even scratch the surface of “issue.” Would love to know what others think.
For great contemporary YA, I’d say check out Sarah Ockler’s Twenty Boy Summer, Kimberly Dertig’s The Body Finder and anything by Sarah Dessen!
I’ve been immersed in all things YA the last 6 months and have read some beauties!
Personal Demons by Lisa Desrocher (releasing this Sept)
Meridian by Amber Kizer
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready
You can’t go wrong with these 4 books, all fabulous!
I have to say WORD on Demon’s Lexicon and Demon’s Convenant by Sarah Rees Brennan. Cannot wait for the third. I have such a thing for Alan – quiet, sweet…manipulative…and love the heartbreaking relationship between him and his brother. And the dialogue is so whipsmart; it’s exactly what I look for in a book.
I don’t usually read YA, but can be convinced by a good review.
From a male POV, The Cardturner by Louis Sachar. The protagonist learns about what makes family, and the different ways in which people love each other and show that love. I borrowed it because of the instructions on bridge; the characters kept me involved.
Late to the party as usual but here are my YA suggestions:
Going Bovine (Libba Bray)
Ash (Malinda Lo)
Boy Meets Boy (David Levithan)
Beautiful Creatures (Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl)
Suite Scarlett (Maureen Johnson)
I’m a Meg Cabot fangirl for life. Love her Princess Diaries series. Michael Moscovitz = dreamy. 🙂
I love Melanie Marr’s Wicked Lovely series – definitely pick this up as it isn’t all happy-go-lucky.
I also second Meg Cabot—but I’ll go beyond the Princess Diaries and suggest her “boy” series since I think it’s relatively easy enough to read. Perhaps a bit advanced for the younger teens, but the older teens will definitely be into the ‘working’ aspect, also with her format.
Sci-Fi with a touch of romance YA is Tamora Pierce’s Alanna series, although probably a bit more Tween than YA. Diana Wynne Jones also does a really good two-book series more geared YA (Derkdom series, if memory serves).
Loved Graceling by Kristin Cashore, Fire not so much, eagerly awaiting Bitterblue. Thank you Library Staff Picks for putting Cashore out there for me.
Love Patricia McKillip, but didn’t know she is YA. I thought her books were written for me, and I’m far from YA. Some of her books are very dark.
When I *was* an actual YA, I loved the Black Stallion books by Walter Farley, anything by Andre Norton, Robert Heinlein, and Zenna Henderson. Looks like my love for sci-fi/fantasy set in early and firmly. Have reread these books as an adult, and they age well
Enjoyed the three medieval YA books by Karen Cushman: Matilda Bone, Midwife’s Apprentice, and Catherine, Called Birdy
Sometimes I question the labeling of books and rigid separation into genres. It makes me flash back to 3rd grade when I couldn’t read any book not on the 3rd grade shelf. A good book is a good book and can be enjoyed by readers of different ages. I agree that there are some books such as Wind in the Willows and Wuthering Heights that lose their magic if not read at the appropriate age. I missed both of these and could not enjoy them when I read them as an adult, but a lot of stuff that is labeled YA can be read by older readers with enjoyment.
ago42 – Seems like I was 42 just a few moments ago
Meridian by Amber Kizer excellent unique paranormal book.
River and Wolfe by Skyla Cameron-Very neat books, about a girl who was a wolf but became human. I recommend these books to everyone I know.
Gillian Shields series
Sea Change by Aimee Friedman
Hex Hall Rachel Hawkins
The body finder Kimberly Derting
Julie Kagawa’s Series
Graceling & Fire by Kristan Cashore
A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb
Book of a thousand days by Shannon Hale
Freaking amazing books!!!
I don’t think I qualify as a YA fan hardcore style, but it hasn’t been ages since I was YA myself, and I do still reread some of my favorites, and start on the occasional series if I accidentally bump into them.
I am however extremely attached to the books of my youth. The problem I’m currently facing however, is that most of my bookish friends have become online friends. Which means they talk english, which means they haven’t read the books in their youth that I did, because those weren’t translated.
The older I get, and the farther I deviate from the culture I grew up in, the more frustrated I get. Dutch literature isn’t that great imho, but the youth literature is awesome beyond comparison, and I wish I could share it with more people.
Unfortunately translation in literature seems to be mostly one way traffic, occasionally something non english will get translated to english, but I don’t have the feeling that happens often.
And there’s so many great books out there.
So I’ve started a list on YA/Children’s Books that deserve an english translation on Goodreads, for those of you who are interested.
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/6512.Foreign_Children_s_Teen_Books_That_Deserve_A_New_English_Translation
On a different YA subject, I noticed that when it comes to YA, I divert from my usual genres, and read totally different ones. Anyone else who does this?
I AM SO LATE TO THIS…To briefly list the amazing YA romances/authors of said romances:
Susane Colasanti – She can write teens like nobody’s business. Definitely appropriate for younger teens, too.
Sarah Dessen – This woman is just amazing. And not very steamy methinks…
Libba Bray – Gotta say, her A Great and Terrible Beauty series is positively daring AND one of the best YA works IMO
David Levithan – Boy Meets Boy. Wide Awake. Will Grayson, Will Grayson. LGBTQ romances that every library should stock.
Angela Morrison – A way too overlooked author of astounding romances. Taken by Storm, Sing Me to Sleep, and Unbroken Connection. She is amazing, and right up there with the greats like Dessen.
Robin McKinley – Her fairy tale retellings REEK of awesomeness. Spindles End and Rose Daughter are my *personal* favs. A Pegasus ARC sits near my bed and I am trying not to grab it too soon.
Julie Kagawa – The Iron King is a great combo of romance and action action action! So yes, Jennifer Estep, you should try it.
Alex Flinn – Beastly sits near me as well. I must read it. But I’ve heard good things. She seems to be a favorite, especially amongst younger teens.
Daniel Waters – His Generation Dead books are supernatural but intelligent. His zombies are one huge metaphor for minority groups and discrimination. HIGHLY SUGGESTED. 😛
Ellen Hopkins – Verse novel that so does not read like one. You’ll be enraptured with her brutally honest take on teen angsty angst.
I could go on. Being a YA blogger has it’s upsides. ^.^
E. Lockhart!!
I’m a big Terry Pratchett fan as well, mostly of his Discworld books although the Diggers/Truckers/etc. trilogy was fun, too.
Actually, many of my favorites were mentioned already. I alternate between romances and YA books.
I really love Michelle Magorian, especially A Little Love Song.
I hope you’ve read/will read Shiver and Linger by Maggie Stiefvater. Best teen romance I’ve read, well pretty much ever – partly because the heroine is so down to earth. I fell in love early and am still happily together after too many years to mention. Hey, it’s not my fault if I recognized a good thing when I found it! However, I have also seen too many girls jump into bad relationships because of daddy issues and hang on for dear life. Let’s just say that I believe in true love and I think you can find it early IF both parties are mature and responsible.
No one’s mentioned “Blood and Chocolate” by Annette Curtis Klause! This book positively sizzled when I was fourteen or so. Still one of my all-time faves.