Predicting the Near Future of YA in Shelf Awareness

Last summer I began to forge a theory about the what-next in young adult books.  In time the 2011 National Book Award finalists were named, the 2011 Best Of lists were put forward, and the 2011 Printz and Newbery slates were unveiled.  Throughout it all, the theory held.  Today I am grateful to Shelf Awareness for sharing my thoughts in a story that begins like this:

For reasons both maddeningly obvious and impossibly elusive, young adult literature is particularly prone to categorization and trends--fenced in by labels, discriminated for or against, sold according to headline. Teeth sink. Wings ascend. Murderous games hold court. Landscapes are annihilated, and then annihilated again. It's a package deal.

Please read the whole here.  I'm interested in your thoughts, of course.  Where do you think the future lies?[image error]