Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Young Adult

As y'all know, I'm working on my first Young Adult (YA) book. I'm excited about it, but then I get excited about pretty much every book I write (with the rare exception of the book I wrote solely to pitch to Nocturne - ugh, total slog.) Before I started writing, however, I prepped myself by reading a slew of YA titles - stuff that was considered "hot" and best-sellers. I found some I loved, some that were just sort of "meh" and some that shocked me (language, topics, explicitness I didn't expect.)

Now, I find that YA's are a regular part of my reading diet. The next two on my TBR pile are Scott Westerfeld's Peeps and Gena Showalter's Oh My Goth. I almost enjoy them more than books from the romance genre, probably because I know I'm not going to get in-your-face sex and R rated language as a rule. Beyond that, the storytelling is SO good. Innovative, fresh, imaginative. Things I think have gotten a bit lost in the romance genre. Don't get me wrong, I love the romance genre. It's just nice to have a palate cleanser once in a while and YA fits that bill perfectly.

Have you tried YA? If not, why not? If you read YA, what are some of your favorites? I'd love to hear what you think.

12 comments:

  1. Did you read Twilight? What about Adios to my Old Life and It's Not About the Accent? Hannah LOVED them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. LOVED Ally Carter's "I'd Tell You I Love You..."

    So clever.

    Looking forward to her new one next month!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Eva - I have read Twilight and I'm eagerly awaiting for New Moon to come out in paperback. I'll add the others to my list.

    Jennifer - I've heard alot about Ally Carter. I should really check her out!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm waiting for New Moon to come out in paperback, too.

    I've enjoyed every YA book I read this year. (They are all listed on the side bar of my blog.) I just recently finished Evolution, Me and Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande and it was tres good.

    Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr is in my TBR.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Heather - I actually had Wicked Lovely in my hands last night at B&N, but I put it back with the idea that I'd keep looking for it in paperback. I've heard good buzz about it tho!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I don't know if I've read any YA.
    Does Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card count? :)
    Help me, I'm YA challenged.
    L

    ReplyDelete
  7. Funny. I got an idea for a YA story yesterday. I don't usually lean in that direction, but the idea was too good to not think about. Time will tell if I actually write it, though. I read YA occasionally - sometimes to see what my daughter is reading, and sometimes because the story sounds too neat to pass up.

    ReplyDelete
  8. some that were just sort of "meh" and some that shocked me (language, topics, explicitness I didn't expect.)

    I haven't made it a haven't to read a lot of YA but I do remember hearing that quite a bit of it now is a little more risque than the fair I grew up on.

    I think it's awesome that you are excited about every project and I envy that. :P

    ReplyDelete
  9. I just started Twilight - my first YA novel read since I was an actual YA! LOL

    Good luck to you on the new project - how exciting! :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'm writing a YA too and while I'm not letting them have sex, I will say the language is ... um ... realistic. LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh, there is so many. A Girl Like Moi. Bloom. The Boys next Door was fab. Revenge of the Homecoming Queen... You will enjoy, Oh My Goth:)
    Teri

    ReplyDelete
  12. hmm, can't remember reading YA, but I admit to loving the Artemis Fowl books. :-)Both my boys love them, too. I think they're considered more middle school.

    ReplyDelete