Unlike genres, young adult (YA) is a category or age range. The main characters are teens, roughly 12-18 years old. You can find YA contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, mystery, and many other genres. I write YA historical fiction set in Alaska, and there’s always at least a thread of romance in there. YA romance is a perennial favorite. Why not—who can resist the first kiss, the high school date, all the heady experiences of teenage romance?
Some young adult novels focus on the love story and can be called true or straight YA romance. For example, Chris Cannon’s Boyfriend Chronicles series starts with Blackmail Boyfriend (http://www.chriscannonauthor.com/book-store/):
Sometimes, blackmail is the only weapon a girl has…
Haley Patterson has had a crush on golden boy Bryce Colton for ages. But when she hears a rumor that he hooked up with her she gives him a choice: be her boyfriend for a month to show other guys that she’s dateable—despite her overprotective and very intimidating brothers—or deal with the angry, cage-fighting boyfriend of the girl he actually did hook up with.
Bryce didn’t know the other Haley even had a boyfriend. He was just trying to get his ex off his back. And now, not only is he being blackmailed, he's being blackmailed by an honor student. His new “girlfriend” has two three-legged dogs, her father mows grass at the country club, and she's…well, difficult. And different.
Can something so fake turn into something real?
Pintip Dunn’s upcoming Dating Makes Perfect (http://www.pintipdunn.com/dating-makes-perfect) is another good example:
The Tech sisters don’t date in high school. Not because they’re not asked. Not because they’re not interested. Not even because no one can pronounce their long, Thai last name—hence the shortened, awkward moniker. But simply because they’re not allowed.
Until now.
In a move that other Asian American girls know all too well, six months after the older Tech twins got to college, their parents asked, “Why aren’t you engaged yet?” The sisters retaliated by vowing that they won’t marry for ten (maybe even twenty!) years, not until they’ve had lots of the dating practice that they didn’t get in high school.
In a shocking war on the status quo, her parents now insist that their youngest daughter, Orrawin (aka “Winnie”), must practice fake dating in high school. Under their watchful eyes, of course—and organized based on their favorite rom-coms. ’Cause that won’t end in disaster.
The first candidate? The son of their longtime friends, Mat Songsomboon—arrogant, infuriating, and way too good-looking. Winnie’s known him since they were toddlers throwing sticky rice balls at each other. And her parents love him.
If only he weren’t her sworn enemy.
CHINA, 484 A.D.
A Warrior in Disguise
All her life, Mulan has trained for one purpose: to win the duel that every generation in her family must fight. If she prevails, she can reunite a pair of priceless heirloom swords separated decades earlier, and avenge her father, who was paralyzed in his own duel.
Then a messenger from the Emperor arrives, demanding that all families send one soldier to fight the Rouran invaders in the north. Mulan's father cannot go. Her brother is just a child. So she ties up her hair, takes up her sword, and joins the army as a man.
A War for a Dynasty
Thanks to her martial arts skills, Mulan is chosen for an elite team under the command of the princeling--the royal duke's son, who is also the handsomest man she's ever seen. But the princeling has secrets of his own, which explode into Mulan's life and shake up everything she knows. As they cross the Great Wall to face the enemy beyond, Mulan and the princeling must find a way to unwind their past, unmask a traitor, and uncover the plans for the Rouran invasion . . . before it's too late.
Inspired by wuxia martial-arts dramas as well as the centuries-old ballad of Mulan, The Magnolia Sword is perfect for fans of Renee Ahdieh, Marie Lu, or Kristin Cashore--a thrilling, romantic, and sharp-edged novel that lives up to its beloved heroine.
11 comments:
Hi Lynn, It's so fun to discuss YA stories! I prefer YA stories with a young romance woven into the plot. I love Steampunk stories, my favorite YAs being Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices Series: Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess. Ms. Clare blends Steampunk, paranormal and dashes of humor and horror to create some rather unique coming-of-age stories rife with intrigue and romance.
Are there any other Steampunk fans out there???
I read tons of YA along with my daughter but haven't taken as much time to seek it out lately. I did, however, buy Stephenie Meyer's latest: Midnight Sun (Twilight from Edward's POV), and I'm loving it all over again!
I've enjoyed YA across a variety of subgenres too. Some of my favorites are possibly a bit dated:
Harry Potter series
Twilight series
Hunger Games series
Divergent series
The Outsiders is a timeless YA classic
Anything by John Green, but Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars are standouts
Historical WW2 YA include Caroline Leech's lovely books set in Scotland - Wait for Me and In Another Time
Mind-bending alternate WW2 historical YA fiction with young women fighting alongside the men: Michael Grant's Front Lines trilogy
Hands-down one of the best WW2 novels of any stripe: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Anything by Gayle Forman, Rainbow Rowell, Morgan Matson, Lauren Oliver, Gary Schmidt
Wow, Lynn, I may become a YA reader as I loved the blurbs for "Dating Makes Perfect" and "the Magnolia Sword". Several of my youngest granddaughter's friends were Asian and I gave one of them a ride home after school events. She was not allowed to date even as a senior in high school. I know books are a great way to educate others about different cultures and history.
Eleri, you have pricked my interest with such a long list of YA books set in various time periods. To be honest, while I watched the first Harry Potter movie, I neither read the books nor watched any others. The books you mentioned by John Green and Caroline Leech look interesting. The Hunger Games, Twilight, etc. were way too far out of my reading comfort. Since I read to relax, that's not a good match for me.
Sarah, don't you have a YA story or to in you've started? Steampunk was it? Faulty memory right now but I'm fairly sure you do or have.
Great recommendations, everyone! I'm adding to my TBR list.
I think the books you write Lynn, and the ones mentioned are so important. We need to keep young people interested in reading. Having a large and eclectic variety of stories will keep students reading. Great post.
Thank you, Diana! Ia agree that it's important to encourage teens to read.
Justina Ireland's amazing Dread Nation series imagines a school for bold female vampire slayers in a brilliant alternate post-Civil War setting.
Marissa Doyle writes sweet, clever fantasy romances in historical settings. Her latest, Evergreen, stars a teen-aged dryad whose BFF is the Teddy Roosevelt's impudent (and often imprudent) daughter Alice.
Also on my insta-by list for YA historical and/or historical fantasy: Jennifer Donnelly, Kate Forsyth, Y.S. Lee, Philip Pullman, Laura Amy Schlitz, Nancy Springer . . . and that barely skims the surface of my Goodreads bookshelf for that category.
Great list, Susan. Thanks!
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