Worst YA books

[Teresa]

And another way to look at this, if the child is reading, does it matter what they read? I have a friend who shoves classics down the throats of teenagers ALL the time, of course they rebell and won't read it. I just quietly slip those in a stack when I pass books on to them. I always tell them try the book, if you like great, we can talk about it, if you don't tell me, it won't hurt my feelings. I have had great conversations this way.

[C&C Library]

Kelly wrote: "I work at a library too. I am having to go through and pull older fiction to make room for newer fiction. My criteria was that if no one had checked it out in 20 years, it could go. I live in th..."

But using the check-out stats as criteria is tricky business. I'm also a school librarian struggling every day with which old books to toss, and there are many in my library. One dilemma is that many great old books have dated or unappealing covers that turn off kids, but if the playing field was "leveled" in some way (such as it is with kindles, by the way, since you don't see the cover, or alternatively if I go out of my way to recommend or display them) they might get read more.

[C&C Library]

Annalisa wrote: "Kelly,
I'd nominate Junie B for worst books in children's genre :). I introduced my daughter to Ramona (my childhood favorite) to get her away from that bad grammar (Clementine is cute too). I love..."

I think those who are critical of the Junie B Jones books because of bad grammar are really missing the boat. Firstly, pick up a contemporary adult-level novel that's any good and see if the dialogue is grammatically correct. Of course it's not because we don't talk that way! Great books, like all great art, reflect life-- they don't teach proper rules, grammatical or otherwise. And secondly, we are underestimating our 7 year olds if we think they will go off and start speaking "badly" because they're reading JBJ. The truth is the reason the kids love these books is because they get it-- they understand that Junie talks "funny" and they recognize her speech in the young kids they know and even in themselves. That's why she's funny and that's why the books ring true for the kids.

[Kelly]

Wow, I don't dislike Junie for her grammar. I just feel like there are a lot of other books written on a first/second grade level that have better character development/plot etc. I'm not a true fan of Magic Treehouse either, but these types of books are great in getting kids in contact with the written word.

As far as weeding...sometimes I have ordered the reprints with newer covers and the circulation has increased, but my copies from the 70s are untouched. I think doing book talks or write-ups of old favorites or even featuring them in the stacks, but there are other books that are dated and even if I liked them when I read them, they don't reach today's reader. I think that that is ok though. Everything has a life and some books live longer than others. We can't let our personal emotional ties clog our stacks. My library seems much lighter and happier now that some of the older books are gone. Now I have shelf space to move in other books. I pray that no one is ever fighting over keeping the PC Cast books on the shelves just because they read them as a youth.

[Lizz (Beer, Books and Boos)]

I think Evernight is the worst YA book

[Teresa]

Kelly wrote: "Wow, I don't dislike Junie for her grammar. I just feel like there are a lot of other books written on a first/second grade level that have better character development/plot etc. I'm not a true fan..."

Magic tree house books are such a great stepping stones to other things. It gives kids a chance to use their imaganation, learn history ( many times they research more of it), and even start to solve mysteries. It shows how if you work together you can get things done.

[Teresa]

Kelly wrote: "Wow, I don't dislike Junie for her grammar. I just feel like there are a lot of other books written on a first/second grade level that have better character development/plot etc. I'm not a true fan..."

What books would you recommend to a mom bringing an 8 yr old girl to you who is just starting to read chapter books?

What would you recommend to a boy 11 who reads you out of house and home and reads way above his grade level but mom doesn't want sex or excess violence in the books?

[Polkweed]

What's the last thing your son read?

[C&C Library]

I think the Magic Treehouse do great things for some kids (reluctant readers and those who, as you say, use it as a stepping stone) but I do see kids getting stuck in series like MTH, Secrets of Droon, Zack files etc. It's hard for me to really get behind any formulaic story over the long run, and these series—with their 40+ books—set kids up for the long run! It just becomes too safe for a lot of kids and they stop stretching themselves.

[Julia]

My daughter loved the Magic Tree House books as her go to free read books in high school. She's autistic and the sameness of the characters and predictability of the outcomes is important to her. And, she learned some more history!

[Teresa]

Polkweed wrote: "What's the last thing your son read?"

Currently reading alex rider, lemony snickett, hank zipper

[Alan]

Teresa: I'll be shameless and plug my own book A Measure of Disorder. The protag is female but there are plenty of boys in the story too and no sex etc. Just action/adventure. Here is the Smashwords link to get the first few chapters for free. If it's something he'd like to continue, let me know and I'll give you a coupon to get the rest free. Just write a quick review or comment somewhere in return : )

[Annalisa]

I'm going to have to disagree about Junie B.'s grammar. It's one thing to have bad dialogue grammar in YA (which I still don't like), but Junie B. confuses kids. I watched my daughter and the kids in her first-grade class read these books and not get that the use of adverbs is wrong. My daughter started speaking incorrectly after reading Junie B. when she'd never had a problem before and I had to explain to her what was incorrect about it. When kids are learning to read and learning the parts of speech, to give them books that showcase it incorrectly does them a disservice. Plus, Junie B. is just annoying. There are plenty of better-written books with way more endearing characters.

[Amena]

☪☠Lizz☠☪ wrote: "I think Evernight is the worst YA book"

Wow I was just talking to someone about how Evernight stunk! I agree though, it was pretty bad. It's like my art teacher would say, it was cheesy!

[Lizz (Beer, Books and Boos)]

Amena wrote: "☪☠Lizz☠☪ wrote: "I think Evernight is the worst YA book"

Wow I was just talking to someone about how Evernight stunk! I agree though, it was pretty bad. It's like my art teacher would say, it wa..."

It went to slow for me and a little to young

[Amena]

Same here. I hate when books move too slowly because then they get boring and a boring book is no good at all!

[Candace]

Teresa in Ohio wrote: What would you recommend to a boy 11 who reads you out of house and home and reads way above his grade level but mom doesn't want sex or excess violence in the books?"

I have a 10 year old son that is a huge reader. Some of his favorite books are:
Cryptid Hunters by, Roland Smith
Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by, Rick Riordan (5 books)
Fablehaven series by, Brandon Mull (5 books)
Deltora Quest series by, Emily Rodda (8 books)
Dragons of Deltora series by, Emily Rodda (4 books)

I have more if you want more suggestions.

[Kelly]

For your younger one, I suggest reading one Ramona aloud and then she'll Bevin love. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is great too. For your son, I second Lightning Thief and Fablehaven. I also think Ranger's Apprentice and Maximum Ride are good for that age. A lot of boys like the Alex Rider series, but I haven't read those. I also think Redwall is a nice addiction (there are a lot of them).

[Polkweed]

Series like Redwall are great for a kid reading you out for house and home. There easy to find at the library or store and there's no need to worry about sequence.

I'd add Peter and the Starcatchers To the lists Candace and Kelly gave.

[☼Bookish]

Teresa in Ohio wrote: "Polkweed wrote: "What's the last thing your son read?"

Currently reading alex rider, lemony snickett, hank zipper"

How about anything by Gary Paulsen. Early Heinlein. Rick Riordan, of course.

[Alice]

The Series of Unfortunate Events.
-The movie was great. The books...not so much.

[✰Marissa✰]

I loved The Magic Tree House books! They were too short for me though, I was always a big reader.

Some books that disappointed me:
Need. Everything happened so fast and the plot was basically chopped to bits. I wondered what the editor was thinking, it just left me feeling like something was missing and I didn't care what happened to the characters.

Betwixt was incredibly slow and confusing. The characters were slowly starting to interest me but the ending was confusing and I didn't get anything out of the story.

Twilight Series pretty much speaks for itself.

I'd have to say the House of Night series are badly badly written but they're somewhat of a guilty pleasure of mine.

Any books that try to cash on the Hot Teen Socialite trend. Or Hot Teen Vampire Socialites. You know, where they are all Hot Teen Socialites and spend all their time doing it, cheating on their significant other, passed out drunk or rolling around in their money. I wish some authors didn't try so hard to be relatable or cash in on what's popular at the moment.

And of course, anything where the love interest is basically a jerk. I've read countless books where the supposed good guy is really borderline abusive, and it isn't pleasant to read at all.

[Polkweed]

Oh yes, The Darcy Effect, I love how he always does something at the very end that is really just base level decent human being behavior, but it supposed to prove that he's really a sweet and selfless guy who has really loved her all along.

[Amena]

Marissa wrote: "I loved The Magic Tree House books! They were too short for me though, I was always a big reader.

Some books that disappointed me:
Need. Everything happened so fast and the plot was basically chop..."

wow!! It's like our brains were connected for that post!! Same thoughts on pretty much everything you touched on!

[Ariel]

I think Evermore is the worstttt YA book I've ever read .

[Amena]

ha ha! Everyone agrees. Evermore was an epic fail.

[Teresa]

Amena wrote: "ha ha! Everyone agrees. Evermore was an epic fail."

Sorry I think it is a great book, though the later books are full of a little too muh angst.

[Ariel]

Amena wrote: "ha ha! Everyone agrees. Evermore was an epic fail."

Oh yeahhh , it was absolutely horrible I was mad I wasted my money on it . & I'll never read anything else by this author because of that horrible excuse of a book .

[Amena]

okay, maybe not everyone hates the book! Sorry! ^_^

[✰Marissa✰]

I thought Evermore was your typical girl meets brooding hot guy scenario. And he was a bit of a douche. Also, the gay kid and the goth best friends were so cliche and you could tell she didn't really care about them. And she became an alcoholic and magically got better...as if she couldn't do anything without her guy to save her.

[Michael]

I'm going say, since no said it. Gossip Girl is definitely the worst book ever! but somehow I can't seem to stop reading them. But there entertaining in some ways, like laughing at the characters. Plus there is no what-so-ever character development nor any good plot. The only detail you will ever get is the clothing descriptions. Like "Blair walk down the stairs, wearing a black Versace dress she bought. That fitted her size-zero body perfectly." Just a sample and it's sometimes boring. But if you want to read a good GG book, then read "I'll Always Love You".

[Teresa]

Sly wrote: "I'm going say, since no said it. Gossip Girl is definitely the worst book ever! but somehow I can't seem to stop reading them. But there entertaining in some ways, like laughing at the characters. ..."

I lOVE the show tried reading one of the books and i just couldn't get through it.

[Julia]

So the Gossip Girl series is YA chick lit? I don't know about worst, but it sure doesn't sound like one I'd like!

[Nat]

I have to hop on the Marked series train. While I liked the first book, the others got progressively worse until I was basically skimming them. The main character is too self centered and too annoying for my taste.

I tried to read the first Cassandra Clare, but I couldn't get into that either. I may not have been in the mood or it just didn't grab me as it has others.

Fallen annoyed me since everyone else in the book knew what was going on except the main character and the reader! I don't mind being a little left in the dark, but this was ridiculous!

While I loved A Great and Terrible Beauty, I couldn't get into the second book of the series and never read the third. It lost its mojo for me I guess.

[Nepheleli]

Ryan wrote: "I'll nominate Marked as the worst YA that I've read. It was just so boring, so catty and the stupid references to pop culture thrown in everywhere made my head hurt."

I totally agree with you! I started reading "Marked", a few months back, thinking it was going to be a good fantasy novel. I read about half of it, and then stopped. It just did not capture my attention. it is still in my "currently reading" shelf. The plot is good, but it did not reel me in like the other fantasy books did.

[Amy]

Shannen wrote: "I think I must be an idiot because I love the Twilight series, Eragon and House of Night."

It's ok I must be an idiot too because I love the Twilight series.

[Hweeps]

The House of Night series was good the first time round; you know, an ordinary girl who is visited by this goddess who blesses with kick-ass powers with which she goes on to get in goals for the 'good' side. The plot can be pretty good and the story sometimes intense and usually the series was un-put-down-able for me but I have to say that I REALLY REALLY hate that the authors seem to be dragging their way through the books. I never read any series more so than this; it's like one book only serves to further the story by a little. The rest of the book was just filled up with worries from Zoey about her many boyfriends. Sometime earlier I reread the series and found the series real annoying. Burned is out but according to the reviews, it's just (yet) another of their fill-up-the-list books. Not gonna be spending my money even to RESERVE (not buy!) the book from the library! But it has to be admitted I will probably follow the series through.

Another series I really thought bad was Skinned. Or whatever the series' name is. I know the first book as titled Skinned, the second Crashed and let me tell you I could BARELY make it through Skinned. Really. One of the worst books I ever read.

Evermore really did feel like a rip-off from Twilight (which I liked a lot but since the hype? uh, not so much) - at the start. In Blue Moon and Shadowland, it kinda gets better (for me at least).

[The Readings of a Busy Mom]

wow atleast i know not to get evernight now!!!

I really have no books to say i hate hat ebut i disliked whisper

Come visit my Bloggy

[Thomas]

I really hated Tithe by Holly Black and Marked by P.C. Cast. Horrible writing, plot, and characters.

[Savanah]

Twilight i without a doubt the worst series ever

[Ernesto]

Beautiful Creatures was just a terrible book. It was pages and pages of nothing.

[Amanda]

I don't like Twilight. But some of the worst YA books I have read are Pandemia by Jonathon Rand and Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack.(I don' remember who it's by) I just fished it last night and I hated it I literally threw it across the room and I have never done that to a book before.

[Amanda]

Also I was wondering why everyone one hated Marked? I liked that book a lot. I don't care if you hated it and I'm not going to freak out about it I don't like it enough to do that but I was just wondering why everyone hated it.

[Thomas]

Just my opinion, but Marked possessed a poor excuse for a plot - girl goes to boarding school, she meets friends, guys are immediately attracted to her, blah blah blah. Don't want to spoil the ending but it really seemed like a really lame, underdeveloped story. The characters were annoying and stereotypical, and the writing was possibly the worst I have ever seen. Once again, just my opinion.

[Tara]

Okay, I like the Twilight series. It is one of my favorite guilty pleasure reads, but I can see the points of people who don't like it.
I thought I would share one of the funniest critiques of it that I have found (my husband tried to read it and now sends me links about hating Twilight). I just found it funny...although I am one of those people that ran out and read the new novella.
http://theoatmeal.com/story/twilight
I just finished Thirteenth Child and really wanted to like it, but didn't. I had a hard time with escaping to the reality that the book tried to create and although the characters were quirky they never drew me in. It is one that is on my worst list now. I also was not a big fan of Tithe.

[The Readings of a Busy Mom]

Hmm i have heard alot of god things about Marked.....I agree about beautiful creatures i was half and half about it, i felt like i couldnt connect much

Come visit my Bloggy Blog

[Alyssa]

Ryan wrote: "I didn't like Marked, Evernight or Vampire Academy. So I'm not going to read anything else where the story takes place in a boarding school. I think that whole idea is worn out and boring."

I really liked Evernight...and Vampire Academy is my favourite series! Lol. I love it. Sometimes I forget they`re just in high school - the books are so well written...

[Amanda]

Erica wrote: "I don't like Hex Hall. I thought is was poorly written with a weak plot. I didn't like any of the characters. Any of them, which is really sad. They were all pretty much annoying and didn't have mu..."

I've never read Hex Hall but my friend loved it. I want to read it but I don't know if I'll like it. My friend doesn't read much so she does not have a lot of other books to compare it too.

[Elleon]

I hated Incarceron. It was really bad. I mean who would like a book like that! it was just trash! I mean who would buy the book? ( other then a library)? why when there are so many good books are we reading the bad ones?!

[Elleon]

Erica wrote: "Well, most people like Hex Hall, I think. I would say read it and form your own opinion."

I started it.it was good. I would like to read more of it for my blog