YA Novel at first seems like it's set in the Middle Ages, with a young boy joining some monks in an abbey. It turns out that they have electricity and outside of the abbey electricity is viewed as magic and a bad thing. Read around 1997.

[Anne]

The book at first seems like it's set in the middle ages, with a young boy joining some monks in an abbey. It turns out that they have electricity and outside of the abbey electricity is viewed as magic and a bad thing.

For the longest time I thought it was The Dark Is Rising but when they made the movie I realized it was not.

[Cupcakedoll]

This probably isn't the one you're looking for, but it's set in that kind of world and has several sequels so it's faintly possible that one of them is the book you want.

[[deleted user]]

The Prince in Waiting by John Christopher?

[Amanda]

While I wouldn't judge anything about The Dark Is Rising by the movie, it still doesn't sound like your book as it's about a modern boy in the modern world although he does go back in time.

Not sure this counts as YA, but Christopher Stasheff's Warlock series takes place on a planet that was colonized by Medieval romantiscists who wiped their memories of all modern technologies. However, the knowledge of technology, including electricity, is being kept alive inside the abbey. Not sure it's what you are looking for, though, as most of the main younger characters are aware of it because their father is from off planet. Plus the planet is full of espers (called witches and warlocks).

[Tab]

How many years ago did you read this? Anything about the cover?
Location story takes place?
Part of a series?
Any fantasy elements, like witches, dragons, trolls, etc?

[Anne]

Tab wrote: "How many years ago did you read this? Anything about the cover?
Location story takes place?
Part of a series?
Any fantasy elements, like witches, dragons, trolls, etc?"

I read it in 5th grade so...19 years ago?
It seemed to be set in England.
I believe it was part of a series.
I don't recall witches, dragons, or trolls.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Anne, are you still looking for this or did you find it?

[Anne]

Nope haven’t found it

[Rainbowheart]

Did you rule out The Prince in Waiting, suggested above?

I also thought of The Weathermonger as a possibility.

[Andy Phillips]

This is a long shot but A Canticle for Leibowitz?

[Anne]

The prince in waiting is a possibility, the canticle maybe but a longer shot. I think not on the weathermonger, as I don’t recall boats or siblings.

[Jim]

It sounds like The Prince In Waiting (Just had that solved for me!) I remember in the book about the monks having electricity, they had an arc furnace which the forged a fancy sword for the boy character who is called Luke. They also told him there was a network of such places around the world but over the years they had lost contact with them all.

[Kris]

Here's the Google Books preview of The Prince in Waiting by John Christopher:

https://books.google.com/books?id=kVw... There are different cover images.

[Rainbowheart]

I messaged Anne, and she replied back that The Prince in Waiting is not the book in question.

[Anne]

yeah, I am reading the prince in waiting right now and first off there weren't dwarves. and the main boy I think lived in the keep that was where these monks lived. there was definitely florescent lighting in said keep. and I remember them describing a tool and it took me a while to realize they were describing a vacuum.

[Rainbowheart]

Did you rule out Pamela F. Service?

Tomorrow's Magic is a combined edition of her first two books.

[Kris]

Anne, would you call this a YA Fantasy novel?

Are they referred to as Christian "monks"? Is the term "electricity" used?

Who and where is the boy's family? How does he comes to live at the abbey?

[Anne]

no they don't call them monks and I don't think Christianity is referenced. but they live in what is I believe referred to as a monastery. and the way its described it sounds like a medieval castle tower.
I dont remember his family at all. I think he's an apprentice.

[Justanotherbiblophile]

Another long-shot:

Anathem

[Anne]

the description sounds promising justanotherbiblophile

[Kris]

Wikipedia's plot summary (with Spoilers) of Anathem by Neal Stephenson - Justanotherbiblophile's suggestion:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anathem

Google Books preview:
https://books.google.com/books?id=8iw...

[John]

This sounds like The Prince in Waiting by John Christopher, but it's only a subplot, which might be why it seems less immediately obvious: the role of the "Seers" becomes more obvious in the sequels (Beyond the Burning Lands and The Sword of the Spirits).

[Kris]

Google Books preview of The Prince in Waiting by John Christopher - John's suggestion:

https://books.google.com/books?id=htq... There are different cover images.

Quotes from the book:
- We took seats. Lanark said: "Now, Luke, what would you like to know?"
There were so many things that it was hard to think of one. I said after a moment: "The machines - what makes them go?"
"Electricity."
"What is that?"
- The light, I saw, came from long tubes of glass. Ezzard touched another button and more of them flashed into radiance, lighting the stairs below.
"Ezzard!" I cried. "These lights..." He looked at me. I could scarcely bring myself to...

[Rainbowheart]

Anne had ruled out The Prince in Waiting in message 15.

I wish we could find this!

[Rainbowheart]

Vault of the Ages?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Anne, still looking?

[Anne]

I am.

[Rainbowheart]

Anne, did you rule out Vault of the Ages?