Books Young Adult Novels

[blur92]

I'm not really keen on current YA novels. Occasionally, I'll re-read something I first read as a girl, just for a trip down memory lane. I'm not a great fan of the fantasy genre and that's all that seems to be available for today's kids.

I think a lot of it has been based on vampire and supernatural genres. They keep recycling the same themes that are becoming further watered down thus lacking originality. When they try to make it unique it just ends up being silly. For example: sparkling vampires.

 

[vivivivicky]

A few people have mentioned The Hunger Games and other dystopian futuristic books and I wanted to throw out another title that was a fun read. Matched by Ally Condile is the first book in a trilogy (which seems to be very popular) is in vein of the Hunger Games as well as Divergent. Certainly it isn't the finest offering of fiction out there today, but engaging and enjoyable through all three books.

Though one of my favorite books/series of all times is probably considered YA (though honestly it seems way more than just a simple story) is His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman. I highly recommend it, even if you DON'T like fantasy, but especially if you enjoy any C.S. Lewis works.

 

[tontondaga]

I'm not terribly fond of YA, but they can be entertaining and profound. My recommendations are probably on the wee! serious side: Patrick Ness' Chaos Walking series and Bernard Beckett's Genesis. I second that recommendation on Phillip Pullman.

 

[Polgie]

I just turned 30 and do find myself reading a lot of YA these days. I think part of that is that YA has really picked up and there are a lot of interesting books/series out there in genres I do want to read (e.g. I loved the Marissa Meyer fairytale-inspired, cybernetic enhanced Lunar Chronicles). Yes, some of the genre can be silly and worrying (sparkly vampires I'm looking at you), but others really teach valuable lessons (everybody dies in war, Katniss Everdeen). I also find myself drawn into regular YA fiction - i super loved Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, who also wrote Eleanor and Park, just because it drew me back into University days which I loved, and because it created such an excitement for doing my own writing.

I guess a major draw of YA for me is that it doesn't need effort to get into, and it holds attention well, especially when you need a break from your own life for a while.