Where is YA Going?

There has been a lot of talk in the publishing industry and among writers about the future of YA books. Where are we headed in 2016? Which genres are hot and which are fading? Some publishers are saying the popularity of paranormals like Shadow Falls are fading. But my fans always ask me to write more. And look at the success of writers like Colleen Gleason and Cassandra Clare. Vampires, Shadow Hunters and werewoles abound!

I just read an article in the Huffington Post that said time travel story lines are an up and coming trend. And of course the twist on the old classic has been selling well for a while. Think of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (there’s even a movie!) or books like Cynthia Hand’s My Lady Grey, a twist on British history’s Lady Jane Grey as a teen. Actually, I’ve heard anything with strong, royal female leads is popular. Meg Cabot’s The Princess Diaries helped bolster that trend–and it has kept getting stronger.  Royalty in any time period seems to go over well, especially with a strong female lead that changes things or goes against authority.

Best friend themes have been around for a while, and I don’t see them going anyplace anytime soon. Doesn’t everyone love a good story about besties that will go to great lengths for one another? But much of the YA fiction is issue driven with relatable stories filled with problems everyday teenagers face. And with the success of The Fault in Our Stars by John Greene, contemporary stories with heavier topics and “illness books” are also on the rise.

So, I’d like you to tell me your favorite YA genre and the themes that you like to read.

Catch Up With Me

 

 

 

 

I mentioned my friend and fellow author Colleen Gleason, and if you live in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area, Colleen and I will be at Schuler Books in Grand Rapids on April 28th at 7:00 PM. If you haven’t read Colleen’s Stoker and Holmes series, you’re missing out! Come by Schuler’s and say hello. We’ll be giving away t-shirts and my tote bags.

 

Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes never meant to get into the family business. But when you’re the sister of Bram and the niece of Sherlock, vampire hunting and mystery solving are in your blood.