I received this letter from Barbara, who is looking for books to share with her daughter:
Hi! I vividly remember my first romance book experience — I swiped one of my mother's Harlequin romances shortly before I turned 12 and there was no holding me back from the genre after that glorious and eye-opening introduction to Greek millionaires and the shy British virgins they woo, etc! Now my daughter will be turning 12 in a few months (gasp! how did THAT happen?) and I'm trying to figure out what to gently suggest to her to bring her over to the romance-reading side of things…
She reads at a high school level (at least that is what her teachers tell me) but she's not ready for anything too explicit sex-wise as she's still rather mortified by the whole idea. I give her another year until that becomes a compelling factor in reading choices…she loves mysteries, history and mythology. She is not a huge fan of the vampire genre (holy crap is there a lot of vampire-y YA stuff out there!) and is more of a Buffy kind of gal versus Bella. She's also not quite to the age where lots of angst is appealing. We found the Goddess series by Aimee Carter from Harlequin Teen and she's devoured those…
So, I'm just wondering if anyone might have any other suggestions for her?
Thanks so much.
I confess, I'm completely at a loss, here. Not too much angst and more Buffy and asskicking than doormat and Bella. Ok: I had just typed up a whole list of ideas and then realized they were all too old for this reader in terms of age and comfort. DAMMIT. My recommendation-fu deserts me at this time!
Do you have ideas? I'm going to keep hitting my head with my laptop until I can come up with something. Or you'll post the idea that's flying around the outside of my brain that I can't grab and I'll start yelling.
No one has mentioned Susan Cooper’s DARK IS RISING sequence so I’ll give the series a huge shout out (and please disregard that one of the books was made into a hideous movie). The story is based on Arthurian and Celtic legend and takes place in contemporary England and Wales. The first book, OVER SEA, UNDER STONE, starts in Cornwall with the discovery of one of the Things of Power and continues over four more books. The three Drew children and young Will Stanton (Stanton Drew stone circles in Somerset, anyone?) are the protagonists on a fascinating and well-written fantasy tale. I frequently collar anyone in my general vicinity and say “You must read these.”
Sliding away from romance and twigging on the Buffy remark, I’d suggest Fuyumi Ono’s Twelve Kingdoms series, and Nahoko Uehashi’s Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit series. Both are YA-ish (the former clearly more than the latter), have minimal romance but are strongly women-centric.
Twelve Kingdoms is a series of stories about a China-like land, and the main protagonist of the first book finds herself transported from modern Japan to the land of the Twelve Kingdoms, given a role and promptly separated from her guide, and must find her own way through (and her own identity in the process). Later stories revolve around a young boy, and then the interwoven stories of two girls from different backgrounds also trying to find their own places. Girls get a lot of the focus and a lot of agency (and chances to get it wrong, too, which is rare and awesome) in Ono’s stories.
Moribito is about a spearwoman who agrees to be the bodyguard for an imperial prince, and the adventures they have. Uehashi is also an anthropologist, so her story has tons of cultural elements that makes the story an even richer read. There’s romance but it’s very subtle and definitely not the focus. There’s a second book in the series that covers the spearwoman’s return to her own land, to right wrongs against her family when she was a child.
Just two suggestions if the reader in question were interested in a break from what looks like a lot of strongly Euro-centric stories. Not that those are bad, but maybe a bit of a change-up might be of interest.
These aren’t romance novels, but they do all have romance in them…
1. The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa (young adult)
2. Angelfall by Susan Ee (young adult)
3. The Lady Julia series by Deanna Raybourn (adult, mystery)
4. The Morganville Vampire series by Rachel Caine (young adult, vampires obviously but is nothing like Twilight)
5. The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare (young adult)
6. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (young adult)
7. Divergent series by Veronica Roth
That last one is young adult as well.
My 15 y.o. niece loved Erica O’Rourke’s Bound trilogy and Simone Elkeles’ books. All are YA (Erica’s are paranormal).
So many good suggestions! I second Susan Cooper, Garth Nix, Patricia C. Wrede (don’t miss her Enchanted Forest Chronicles even though they are JF—they are hilarious and there is a romance thread), Robin McKinley, and I LOVE Diana Wynn Jones.
My kids have also enjoyed: Shannon Hale (she writes great fairy tale remixes-starts with Goose Girl), Ursula LeGuin (Gifts, etc), The Princess Tales by Levine, and there is a GREAT series called The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor. Another book is The Perilous Gard by Pope.
If (when)I think of others I’ll post again. I want to go back and re-read all these!
Maria V Snyder Poison Study is amazing, and not too graphic overall, though there are suggestions of sexual abuse I recall….
I knew I’d remembere some others! Before Patricia Briggs wrote the Mercy Thompson series, she wrote several YA series (one starts with Masques and one with Dragon Bonmes, and then there is one with Ravens in the title) and there is also a WONDERFUL stand alone titled The Hob’s Bargain. It is a favorite of my entire family, including my husband. It’s a great fantasy with a sweet unusual romance.
I second all the Patricia C. Wrede, Robin McKinley and Tamora Pierce!
And I’d also put in a plug for Rosemary Clement-Moore’s Maggie Quinn series: definitely more Buffy than Bella; strong heroine; lots of mythology; a paranormal element, but not vampires; and a very gentle romance element.
This is a little tricky because when I choose YA books for myself I tend to pick the edgier stuff. But here are a couple that I think would be suitable for age 12 if she’s a good reader. These tend towards geek tastes.
GRACELING by Kristin Cashore. Fantasy featuring a kickass heroine and a romance with a sweet hero and nothing explicit.
BOY PROOF by Cecil Castellucci. Contemporary featuring a geek girl. I don’t remember a ton of details about this one, just that I really liked it. There’s a romance. I didn’t think there was any sex but it’s labeled 14+ so I’m not positive.
Not sure if she has been mentioned, but Lynn Kirkland is an adult romance author who intentionally writes PG/PG-13 romances. Typically, sex happens in a “fade to blank” sort of way. She writes historical and fantasy. From what I remember, the heroes can be a bit alpha, but her heroines are good matches (a few are contemporary women who travel back in time).
My 12 year old niece loves Ally Carter’s teen spy/romance books. The first in the series is “I’d Tell You I Love You But Then I’d Have to Kill You.”
For realistic fiction, I’ll add another thumbs up for Sarah Dessen. Her books are kind-of issue books without the preachy feeling and are written marvelously.
Also thumb-upping Kristin Cashore for fantasy recommendations. I loved Graceling and Bitterblue and liked Fire. Veronica Roth’s Divergent series is also a great post-apoc series with a smart girl-protagonist and the final book is being published later this year.
Brenna Yovanoff writes really amazing ya urban-type fantasy and I hardly ever see her recommended. Her first novel, The Replacement, was super-cool and The Space Between was just gorgeous. Her style is definitely a little dark though. No vampires in either of those. So far, she’s written stand-alones and has a new book, Paper Valentine, being published on the 8th.
I’ve been pushing my 12YO at Louisa May Alcott and Lucy Maud Montgomery for years, but we also read a lot of other older novels aimed at girls—particularly like Nell Speed’s Molly Brown series (which is all available as free downloads at Project Gutenberg.) Beyond that, I second Mercedes Lackey; not usually too explicit and MOST of her books center on a strong, capable female character. I’ve also recently introduced her to Diane Duane’s “So You Want to Be a Wizard”—first in a series. It’s been a while since I read the series myself, but she loves it, and if I recall correctly, there’s a gentle crush that I *think* develops into a sort of Young Love relationship as the series progresses.
So many good suggestions!
I would absolutely second (third? fourth?) the suggestions to try the Vampire Academy books, Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments, Frank Beddor’s The Looking Glass Wars, and I think there was an early mention of Graceling by Kristin Cashore.
There were a few mentions of Meg Cabot, but I don’t think her Mediator series was brought up. It has a funny and strong heroine, and there is teen romance, but it doesn’t overwhelm the action in the books, especially earlier in the series.
If you think she would enjoy steampunk, you might want to try her on the Parasol Protectorate books by Gail Carriger. This takes place in an alternate Victorian era with werewolves, vampires (of the non-angst, non-Twilight variety), and the preternatural heroine. It’s written for adults, but the romance is light and humorous and their aren’t any graphic sex scenes. Another adult historical series that might work is the Gaslight series by Victoria Thompson. This one follows a midwife who turned her back on her wealthy family to tend to NYC’s poorest at the turn of the century. She stumbles across various murders/mysteries while working, which leads her to team up with Detective Malloy, her potential romantic interest throughout the series. There are some heavy issues, so you might want to take a spin through them first, but it might be a good fit.
When I was twelve-ish I loved Madeleine Brent. The Golden Urchin, Stranger at Wildings and Moonraker’s Bride are mystery/romances that feature spunky younger heroines and nothing explicit. They’re out of print, mostly, but you can get a used copy on Amazon.
I’d add Maggie Stiefvater’s The Scorpio Races, which is based on the Celtic myth of water horses (or kelpies) which has a very understated romance.
Re the Mercedes Lackey, I recommend but with a caveat: some ARE explicit indeed, so you may want to pre-read or check individual reviews. Also many (most?) have same-sex pairings, usually dealt with in a highly accepting way. That is not a bad thing of course, but you should be aware of it in case it begins a dialogue.
Brodi Ashton, Brodi Ashton, Brodi Ashton! Everneath was one of the very best books I read last year and will hopefully appeal to her interest in mythology.
She could also try Stephanie Perkins’ Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door, both of which have a lot of kissing but nothing too graphic if I’m remembering correctly.
I’m adding my yes to Stiefvater’s The Scorpio Races, Ally Carter’s spy books, and Kristin Cashore (though I’d stay away from Bitterblue until she’s a bit older – it’s pretty disturbing).
I saw the 500 Kingdoms series by Mercedes Lackey mentioned earlier…the first novel especially has very descriptive sex scenes (I thought it was YA when I read it so was surprised by it). Lackey does have her Elemental Masters and Bardic Voices series which are slightly more YA friendly.
I’d add Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson; definitely second the Kingdom series by Cynthia Voigt; anything by Shannon Dole, Robin McKinley (except the already cautioned against Sunshine and Deerskin), Patricia Wrede, Patricia McKillip, Tamora Pierce, L.M. Montgomery, and Jessica Day George; Simon Pulse publishers has a series called Once Upon a Time which are fairy tale retellings—the ones by Cameron Dokey are the best out of the lot; The Hollow Kingdom by Clare Dunkle (there are sequels but those are too full of alpha-holes and sidelined heroines for my taste); the Cat Royal adventures by Julia Golding (it’s a British series and for some reason the second to the last book isn’t available in the US…but the final one is. Go figure.); The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare; Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier; The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle; Dusssie by Nancy Springer.
I have nieces 11 and 13 and usually get them books as gifts. Often, of course, I read them first, or get ones I loved as a kid. Newish discovery: Goddess of Yesterday by Caroline B. Cooney—historical YA with light touch of romance as she matures: courageous, resourceful young girl caught up in the Trojan War.
I also loved Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea books and gave a set to my 13-year-old niece who really got into them. And Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy went over big. Both have very light stains of romance, but the emphasis is on empowered youngsters who take action to fix the state of their worlds.
My 11-year-old niece loved Sorcery and Cecelia.
Mists of Avalon I loved, but I’d wait a few years to give to my advanced teen readers. There are somewhat mystifying otherworldly sequences, incest and adultery … yeah, about 15 or 16 should be right (I didn’t discover it until my late 30s and stayed up all night to read it through).
tee hee. Should be “strains of romance” … but maybe “stains” is just as accurate.
Ella Enchanted! Gail Carson Levine is the author, and there’s a companion book called Fairest. Both of them have strong romantic elements (they’re retold fairy tales, Cinderella and Snow White, respectively); the heroines are strong, independent, and interestingly flawed; and there’s plenty of smooching but no sex.
Also she may like Spoiled by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (the bloggers who run Go Fug Yourself). The sequel is called Messy. Romance definitely happens in both, but they’re also about friendship and siblings and staying true to yourself and all that good YA jazz.
What about the Soulless series by Gail Carriger?
Ooh, I can second the Caroline B. Cooney recommendation – man, I hadn’t read any of hers in years! But I remember that I definitely enjoyed them.
I also recommend Lois Duncan – she tends to have female heroines and there is almost always a touch of mystery/intrigue in her books. I think my favorite of hers was The Third Eye, but I read several of her others books and enjoyed them immensely.
Although it’s been a looooong time (these are pretty old skool), I always really liked Summer of my German Soldier and it’s sequel Morning is a Long Time Coming by Bette Green. Both are set during or immediately after WWII. This is another series where I’d browse through it, because I can’t remember if there was any explicit sex in the books, but I highly doubt it as they are both strictly YA. They’re both romance (more the second than the first, I think?), and there is some angst (the heroine’s family is not so nice), but not so much I think your daughter would be turned off by it. I don’t think I’ve read any others of Bette Greene’s, but they might be worth checking out!
Ooh, Natalie Babbitt! She is of Tuck Everlasting fame, which was a book I enjoyed. However, it’s been a long time since I’ve read her books as well, so let’s see if we can’t get anyone to second this rec for you.
Kristen Cashore books! Graceling and Fire are really good, though I prefer Fire myself. They might be a bit on the older side but they’re worth a shot. Bitterblue, the third book is also out, but I haven’t read it yet. Kick-butt heroines who make tough choices, but have happy endings. I’d call it fantasy.
The Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld really captivated me when I was 12/13 (I’m 18 now). It’s dystopian, with every teenager undergoing an operation to become “pretty” at 16—plastic surgery. Tally, the main character, starts of excited for the changes like everyone else but changes her mind when she sees another possible existence.
A Coal Miner’s Bride (It’s a dear america book) is still one of my favorite things ever. The romance is adorable and a sub-plot, and the story explores the issues immigrats faced in the late 1800s.
Shannon Hale is amazing for fantasy..maybe her books of Bayern series? The Goose Girl is the first and I still love it.
I hope this was helpful!!
Hey Bitchery—Barbara (the requestor) here. Once again I am impressed and overjoyed at the recommendations/suggestions you make to these sorts of fishing expeditions. I see so many possibilities here that could interest DD, some which I remember fondly and some I somehow missed and now want to read with her! I’m off to the library next week to pick up a selection for her. She’ll never know what hit her…Thank you all sincerely.
Yes, I keep coming back. I love doing this! 🙂
For the love of Pete, please avoid Lurlene McDaniels. It’s not that her books are written badly, per se, and they are romance, but one of the teen lovers almost always (if not always) dies of cancer or a car accident or some other terrible malady/fate. They are very overwrought. So…yeah.
I will also recommend Robin McKinley, especially Beauty by her, which is a great retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. Beastly by Alex Flinn is also good and tells the story from the Beast’s point of view.
Some folks have mentioned Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls series, but I also like her Heist Society series, which is sort of like Ocean’s Eleven but with teenage thieves. White Cat by Holly Black is also good.
I second the recommendations for Julie Kagawa, David Eddings, Gail Carson Levine, Kristin Cashore, Suzanne Collins, and Maria Snyder. I would also add Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George, which features a hero that knits, which I thought was really cool. The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett is also interesting.
I second some of the mentions I’ve seen above: Georgette Heyer and The Perilous Guard by Elizabeth Marie Pope. I read The Perilous Guard in Middle School and still own it and reread it ten years later. It’s fantasy with a wonderful slow-built romance and a heroine who uses her brain to save the herself and the hero.
I read my first Heyer when I was 14 so, while some of the language is advanced for a middle school reader, your daughter sounds like she could manage. Heyer writes straight mysteries, straight romances, and mystery/romance mixes. The one I’ve read that I would suggest to your daughter would be “The Masqueraders,” which is a fun adventure story with two romances and clever protagonists.
Also, “Angelfall” by Susan Ee, which is a YA with a kickass heroine who falls for an angel while trying to save her sister. The world-building is great, the heroine is awesome, and the hero is complex. It’s a series and only the first book has been published so far, but I highly recommend it for a teenage girl.
I was just about her age (maybe a little older) when I discovered Georgette Heyer, and I read every one of her books that I could get from the local library. I started with Friday’s Child and These Old Shades, both of which are still on my favorites list (even if I am now a little squicked by the age difference in TOS).
Just one word of warning: do not, under any circumstances, recommend that she read Cousin Kate. That book is not at all representative of the rest of Heyer’s work, and it is both depressing and disappointing. Stay far, far away! She might enjoy it when she’s older (though I never have), but at this point, it is more likely to put her off the genre.
I recommend Tamora Pierce, too. 🙂 Love her!
On top of the Song of the Lioness books already mentioned, she’s also got this other series called Circle of Magic. It’s about four children—a noble, a street rat, a merchant’s kid, and a traveler—who become foster children to a pair of female mages. Each of the children has powerful magic, and none of them know.
Seconding Heyer (The Talisman Ring is my personal fave; stick with the chronological middle of her oevre, where most of the problematic, awkward stuff has been worked out and she hasn’t gotten into the heavier emotional themes yet), McKinley (especially Beauty and Spindle’s End) and the Cadfael books. For a mythology fan I also hugely reccommend Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, starting with The Lightning Thief, which deal with Greek mythology; he’s into a second series now that deals with Roman mythology, as well as the separate Kane Chronicles series which deals with Egyptian mythology (and which I don’t care for as much.) There’s a slow-moving relationship between a couple of the characters who both have troubled pasts that develops realistically and shows how to be emotionally supportive of each other.
A variety of romance or mystery/fantasy with romance I was given at that age and got me hooked (and on all these series):
Georgette Heyer
Elizabeth Peters – Amelia Peabody Series (the Vicky Bliss series in a few years)
Lindsey Davis’ Falco series
Simon R Green’s Blue Moon Rising
The Princess Bride (although the heroine is very bland, it’s full of action)
(YA)
Garth Nix – Sabriel series
Terry Pratchett – Tiffany Aching series
Jaclyn Moriarty – Feeling Sorry for Celia
Patricia C. Wrede – Enchanted Forest series
Louisa May Alcott
Lucy Maud Montgomery
Dorothy Gilman’s Mrs. Polifax series (mystery only, but delightful!)
I’m taking notes for my 10-yo daughter!
My suggestion, if humor appeals to your daughter: Joan Smith category regencies. The first romance my mom gave me, when I was about 13, was a Joan Smith. (Of course, I’d been sneaking Harlequin Presents and Kathleen Woodiwiss from her nightstand for a couple years at that point.) I particularly remember re-reading “Escapade” many times because it was so screamingly funny.
I started on Heyer’s novels at 12, and devoured them. I was constantly looking up words in the dictionary—“sententious” comes to mind, and ended up with awesome verbal scores on the SAT!
Oh, yes. Wonderful romps and many now available as e-reads. They frequently have an adventure propelling the romance, so not at all angsty or slow-going.
There are some really excellent recommendations here. I loved Cue for Treason by Tease and the Valdemar series is very good.
If she likes history and mystery I suggest anything by Victoria Holt (they are being rereleased now). Historical gothic mysteries with a bit of romance in every book.
Ursula LeGuin is also excellent. I loved the Wizard of Earthsea books.
I was skimming the comments before saying anything. But I was going to suggest Ally Carter’s Heist Society, Uncommon Criminals, and Perfect Scoundrels (coming out in Feb). Kat’s a thief, WW Hale’s a billionaire, together, they steal stuff. Well, ok, mostly they’re putting things back where they belong, but there’s cons and stealing along the way. All YA, the characters are about 16.
Another author I didn’t see mentioned (if I missed it, my apologies) is Sharon Shinn.