It's YA Week on Goodreads!

Wow--lots of comments here and lots of frustration with the genre. Can I answer as an author?

I write YA, but I try to stay away from the typical tropes. So you won't have steamy romances or heroines who are trying to beat everyone up. My favourite authors growing up were Jean Little and Louisa May Alcott, so their writing heavily influences mine.

However, my books aren't fantasy, and with many of the comments I've read so far, many of you may be looking for fantasy or adventure. My books are half historical/half contemporary and cover 6 generations of one family. The two protagonists are 14 years old but live about 100 years apart, in different countries. They're connected by a diary of drawings.

The series is called "Between Worlds," and I currently have a giveaway going on for the 4th book. Full title: "Between Worlds: What Friends Do."

Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside or throw them ..."

You should totally read The Strange and Beautiful sorrows of Ava Lavender and Yesterday She Was Tiffany! They are unique and unforgettable!

Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside or throw them ..."

Hi! My favorite book is The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. It's got quite beautiful writing and is very different from most of the other YA I've read over the past few years.

IT'S VERY VERY INPRESSIVE !

Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside or throw them ..."
try Not even bones by Rebecca Schaeffer no cliche YA troupes

Monika wrote: "To be honest, I'm 28 and I still read some YA books. But really, it's so hard to find a good one. For the time being, there is only one series for which I fell totally in love - The Shades of Magic..."
try Six of crows, Not even bones, All the truth that's in me they are really good and some of my favorites. I am also picky reader

I second The Strange and Beautiful sorrows of Ava Lavender. Such a beautiful and unique book.

Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside or throw them ..."

For high quality YA recommendations visit: ala.org/yalsa

For lists of outstanding/award winning YA books go to ala.org/YALSA

Juliet wrote: "Garth Nix's Abhorsen series is good, and I also loved Tessa Gratton's New Asgard series.
If you want something that takes cliché expectations, mashes them to pulp, and chucks them in the trash can..."

YESSS! the Abhoresen series is one of my favorites too!

I agree it can be hard to find good YA books, the market seems saturated with trope heavy stuff. I just read The Poet X, which was an excellent contemporary coming of age. I also like Terry Pratchett's YA Discworld books: the Tiffany Aching Series (not everybody likes Discworld though). Nnedi Okorafor is one of my current favorite authors: she has a couple good YA series, some more fantasy and some more sci fi. I've also always loved Diana Wynne Jones, she wrote both adult and YA fantasy: Howl's Moving Castle, The Nine Lives of Christopher Chant, etc. And there's always Neil Gaiman: The Graveyard Book and Coraline are his more YA books.

I’m not sure if you like fantasy but the Throne I’d Glass series by Sarah J Maas, The Remnant Chronicles by Mary E Pearson and the Traitor’s Kiss trilogy to name a few. They’re all wonderful adventures with lovely twists, and intelligent heroines that don’t make dumb decisions for no reason!

Christie wrote: "Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside..."

A lot of these recommendations are awesome. I just wouldn't suggest listening to Sadie on audiobook because the narration sort of ruins the story.

Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside or throw them ..."

Try reading YA books that everyone DOES not talk about. My two books are completely different and very progressive.

The Little Black Fish
24 Hours Between Dream & Reality

Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside or throw them ..."

Check out the the And I Darken series by Kiersten White, the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo and the Diviners series by Libba Bray. As for contemporary books, I recommend Eliza and her monsters, Radio Silence, and Ramona Blue

I highly recommend "Sophie" by Tal Tsfany.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

Abendstern wrote: "Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside..."

Hard to do when you hate ALL the tropes!

By Jove!: Ok.

That’s one reason why I tend to gravitate toward books from the 18th and 19th centuries. I’m sort of nervous about trying today’s books. But, given I am technically a young adult writer myself, I wonder if my own stories have the same flaws.

Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside or throw them ..."

Change Places With Me by Lois Metzger is a thoroughly underrated little book. Short yet strange, I will always recommend this to more unconventional readers.

It's ALWAYS a good question for an author to ask him/herself, Keith. He/she may not like the answer he/she gets, but it will likely help help him/her to improve his/her storytelling skills.

One thing you want to do is avoid info dump. Jean M. Auel's Earth's Children series, which began with The Clan of the Cave Bear, is a heinous example of info dump.

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You have been flagged as a spammer.

Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside or throw them ..."

I am prepared for my fellow posters to tell me to leave the profession because I am a h.s.. librarian and I hate YA. Not that I don't put it into kids' hands, because I do. When I can, I put adult novels that challenged YAs, broadened their horizons, improved their vocabularies, exposed them to people not like themselves and situations other than their own, but let them experience our universal humanity AND even enjoy the book. And language. And reading. My greatest joy is when a student comes to me and asks for "something else like that" (Brave New World, In Cold Blood, Tess of the D'Urbervilles). I read what was considered YA -- books sold by teachers through the Scholastic newsletters. They were usually candy. I read gothic mysteries. More candy. But I read other adult novels and classics because, well, I had no choice but to move on from simple past and present tense, stream-of-consciousness epistolary novels. I read them and pass the best on to the students, but I can't understand why adults enjoy YA. And I agree. Enough with the tropes!

I prefer reading the historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction area of YA. Regular YA fiction reminds me of how much I am NOT a teenager, despite looking it.

I DID - however - like If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizen which is a LGBTQ story about two girls in Iran.

I like Sarah J. Maas, Gail Carriger, Ally Condie, Kiera Cass, and Richelle Mead (Glittering Court Trilogy).

Aside from Manga I generally don't read a lot of YA... until this year. Since April I've read over 60 books classified as YA. Most of them Light Novels and have no intention of stopping. Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? On the Side: Sword Oratoria, Vol. 1 has been a great series. I've enjoyed many of the Sword Art Online series. The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria, Vol. 1 is an interesting mystery-thriller series. There are too many to mention. If you're at all interested in where a lot of Manga or Anime came from -- check out the light novels.

For a more western take I would strongly recommend Willow Marsh [forgot the author -- by Jo Cassidy!] which was fantastic. Another book by her Good Girls Stay Quiet was also pretty darn good. Filler Friend by Sara Cluff is a solid read as well.

Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside or throw them ..."

aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe is a good adult/ya transition book i think, because while the characters and subject matter are ya, the language and tone is pretty mature. also, the poet x is a good short read that will get you really emotional and connected to the character...

YA is okay. I have a hard time finding anything I enjoy because I dont personally like sex scenes or swearing. Idk.

Any recs?

Amy wrote: "Melliott wrote: "Amy wrote: "Hello all! I'm kind of curious as to what books/series are considered the quintissential YA novels? The ones that established the tropes of the genre, like the love tri..."

Hi, Amy!

Well, first of all, and this is a pet peeve of mine, Young Adult literature is not a genre. A genre is a mystery, or a romance, or a horror novel, all of which appear in YA lit. Young Adult is a category of literature, as is children's literature etc. Sorry, I just can't bring myself to let that one pass!

As for online resources, you can look at the YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) website, http://www.ala.org/yalsa/. Click on "Awards and Grants," and there are all sorts of lists of YA books that have received various awards, YA book lists chosen by adults for teens, chosen by teens for teens, best graphic novels, etc.

My favorite list every year is the Teens' Top Ten. In the spring, they publish a list of 25 books that 15 book clubs in libraries across the country have selected as their favorites, and encourage teens to read them over the summer. Then, in September and October, teens can vote for their top three from this list, and in October during Teen Read Week, they publish the "top ten." Those will be books from the previous year, of course, because it takes time for everyone to read, select, put up for vote, and finalize.

If you are interested in a comprehensive history of Young Adult Literature, I can recommend Michael Cart's book, Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism, which is one of the texts I use in my class.

Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside or throw them ..."

Some authors write all different kinds of books. I write short stories, Literary Fiction, Thrillers, and now have my first YA book coming out. But YA is just the demographic, within that there are genres just like any other kinds of books. It's like wine - so many variables that make it up. As an author, I say keep trying; as a reader I say, read what you love. :)

Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside or throw them ..."

At the risk of pimping myself, I'd like to recommend The Girl With Stars in her Hair, if you like historical (1920s California) fantasy at all. Reviewers from middle school age to late 80s have all enjoyed it.

Maedeh M: No shame & no worries! I don’t like some of the bestselling YA either. I’ve stopped feeling guilty about abandoning books that just don’t “fit” me for some of the reasons you expressed. There’s been a shift to add a different category to what’s previously been considered “YA”: “New Adult”. Books in this category are geared more towards college aged people ...and beyond. It’s really up to we Goodreads’ folk to try and make distinctions between the categories of “Juvenile”, “Young Adult” and “New Adult”. Having said that, there will always be books with the tropes you mentioned, along with their fans and detractors. I’d suggest one book in the aforementioned “NA” category: “Uprooted” by Naomi Novik. Her earlier books don’t have the same appeal for me but this one is based on her native country’s fairy tales and folklore. I haven’t read her newest, “Spinning Silver”, but am hoping it’s as good. I’m combing my booklists for some other recommendations. Best of luck!

Christie wrote: "Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside..."

(I want to reply to Christie and Maedeh)

Aristotle and Dante was so good. I definitely agree; it was YA but it was really sweet and moving, not really like the stereotype for the genre. Sadie and We Were Liars were also fun, but Sadie was quite dark and extreme. We Were Liars is certainly a must-read.

The thing I like about YA is that it has so many genres-fantasy, realistic fiction, sci-fi-and most of the books are more detailed and real than children's books. There are cliches, of course, but sometimes those are also enjoyable. There's something for everyone in YA, and it also may be the most diverse genre. It's really interesting and beautiful to grow up with a community like this where some of the most anticipated YA books of the year feature LGBTQ+ characters or strong girls making differences and leading the way. But anyway, there is a book for you, Maedeh, and if you hate what you find, then that's okay. You don't have to like every book you read. Good luck!

Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside or throw them ..."

Tamora Pierce Song of the Lioness Series!

Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside or throw them ..."

Obviously I can't guarantee anything, but I personally love We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. The writing just HITS you, and if you do make it to the end, it will blow your mind. I would describe it as a YA thriller, but most of the book is pretty chill.

It would be helpful to know what you normally enjoy. I'll give one more if you read the description and decide it sounds horrendous.

Turtles All the Way Down offers a more mature and FANTASTIC own-voices depiction of mental illness (OCD). This is coming from someone who was disappointed by Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns. Those came off as generic YA books to me. It's hard to articulate, but Turtles All the Way Down felt more important.

If you like either of those, you could also try The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, which is my favorite book.

Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside or throw them ..."

I can recommend Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell. It's really good, tho not so popular on Booktube (I haven't heard many people talk about it)

Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside or throw them ..."

Oh man, I feel ya so hard right now. There seems to be reading 'trends' that publishers push and it makes for a very over saturated market where every YA fantasy, or dystopian, or paranormal romance novel sounds the same after one author has a huge success in that genre.

Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside or throw them ..."


Hi Maedeh, I'm not sure this will grab you or what 'rating' YA fiction has these days... in my days it was all manner of books but sex was never mentioned in them, note, I was born in '57, these days, who knows! ... So, I've just read a book that I thought was exceptional. Maybe not categorized as YA but it felt very young at heart and magical. The Book of Flying by Keith Miller. Maybe it will work for you, maybe not, but when I stuck with it, I felt very rewarded. It's beautifully written but has sex and brothels in it. Maybe they aren't considered 'OK' for YA. I just don't know. If you do read it, I hope you enjoy it!!

Mine Forever: A Young Adult Romance
Didn't know I would like this book this much!

Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside or throw them ..."

Hey, I agree that as you grow older reading YA becomes challenging. I want to share two YA books I found very fun/touching:
Beauty Queens by Liba Brey
Lock And Key by Sarah Dessen

For me they just had an element of truth or originality to them that I think might not get lost even with older, more knowledgeable eyes

Alice wrote: "Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside..." I love Sarah Dessens books and just finished her new one, it was good

Great book!

Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside or throw them ..."

North Oak. It's unlike anything else on the market-- tackling tough kid & teen issues such as bullying and suicide, all set against the exciting fast-paced world of horse racing.

Maedeh wrote: "Okay, I want to share something here and I hope it's appropriate. I'm literally too scared to read any new YA book because I keep thinking that I'll just hate them and put them aside or throw them ..."

talon and the iron kind series- Julia kagawa
the lunar chronicles- Marissa Meyer
of posiden-syrena legacy
Under a never sky- veronica rossi
the selection- Keira cass
The siren- Keira cass
All of these are very good, I'm 18 and I love these reads.

Saunders wrote: "I cannot read YA because of the DRAMA and the immaturity of the characters. YA just makes me want to grind my teeth and YES I believe that as an "older" reader (I am not Methuselah) there is an exp..."

That's an interesting point, because I've worried that the characters in my YA novel are a little *too* mature for their age. I don't want them to come off as idiots, but also not as little adults ... maybe I shouldn't be quite so concerned.

Melliott wrote: "Amy wrote: "Melliott wrote: "Amy wrote: "Hello all! I'm kind of curious as to what books/series are considered the quintissential YA novels? The ones that established the tropes of the genre, like ..."

Melliott, have you read Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda? It's kind of pat and obvious, but a touchstone just because of how mainstream it became.

p.s.
The only thing that feels better than teaching YA lit is stopping. :D

Mary wrote: "I am prepared for my fellow posters to tell me to leave the profession because I am a h.s.. librarian and I hate YA. Not that I don't put it into kids' hands, because I do. When I can, I put adult ..."

THANK YOU!

Laurie: Isaac Asimov did that, though I don't think he ever wrote what we would consider a Thriller today. Re: "Some authors write all different kinds of books. I write short stories, Literary Fiction, Thrillers...".

lucky little cat wrote: "Melliott wrote: "Amy wrote: "Melliott wrote: "Amy wrote: "Hello all! I'm kind of curious as to what books/series are considered the quintissential YA novels? The ones that established the tropes of..."

Yes, I read and liked it!
Where, when, and to whom did you teach YA lit?

Thanks to Goodreads Author and Reviewer Michelle MacQueen for your Young Adult Book Central (YABC) review of YA Novel, Spoken by Melanie Weiss:

Reviewed for YA Books Central (4 Stars)
A heartwarming story of finding out who you are.
The Story:
After his mom is involved in a Hollywood scandal, Roman is forced to leave everything he knows behind and move across the country to live with his grandparents. He's a young teenager who just wants to be back with his friends, but soon discovers there's more to life than what he knew. Like a father who doesn't know he exists and talent he never knew he had.
What I liked:
This was a cute story with an easy to read and fast-paced style. Roman is a likable kid who is hard not to root for. The friends he makes soon endear themselves to the reader. All of the adults care about Roman, and they just seem good. Even his mom gets herself together. There aren't really bad characters that add any ill feelings during the book. It's a pleasant read. https://www.goodreads.com/MelanieWeissSpoken

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