Get Yer YA Recommendations Here!

YA Adventure recommendations...

Hi All,

I am looking for some recommendations for some YA adventure/suspense or maybe mystery. I've read a lot but I'm now having trouble finding more and sincerely doubt that I've gone through all that's out there. What I really don't want is sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal or things that are not in the "real world" if you know what I mean. Things like Matt Whyman's Carl Hobbes books or Andrew Klavan's Homelanders series (though hopefully better written). Thanks is advance for anything you might think of.

Matt

Trash by Andy Mulligan (oh man this book is so good, don't be put off that it's about people who live in a garbage dump)
The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin
some stuff by Todd Strasser
some stuff by Chris Crutcher
and John Feinstein
also Walter Dean Myers
Tangerine
Leverage
Payback Time (and more by Carl Deuker)

Thanks

Hi! I have a request that's maybe a bit odd since it's more about character type than plot or subgenre. You know, there are often "dark" brooding heroes in YA or nice & "normal" ones. I'd like to read a story where the heroine's romantic interest is a "trickster" type. Smiling, deceptively sweet and innocent but actually pretty dangerous and maybe not even really nice.
It would be lovely if the story is also supernatural or fantasy-based or paranormal, etc.

Windcutter said:

Hi! I have a request that's maybe a bit odd since it's more about character type than plot or subgenre. You know, there are often "dark" brooding heroes in YA or nice & "normal" ones. I'd like to read a story where the heroine's romantic interest is a "trickster" type. Smiling, deceptively sweet and innocent but actually pretty dangerous and maybe not even really nice.
It would be lovely if the story is also supernatural or fantasy-based or paranormal, etc.

Click to expand...

Maybe The Iron King? I've never read it all the way through, but one of the love interests, Puck, is supposed to be mischievous. And Wicked Lovely. Keenan is kind of a trickster. I'll rec more if I can remember them.

MttStrn said:

Hi All,

I am looking for some recommendations for some YA adventure/suspense or maybe mystery. I've read a lot but I'm now having trouble finding more and sincerely doubt that I've gone through all that's out there. What I really don't want is sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal or things that are not in the "real world" if you know what I mean. Things like Matt Whyman's Carl Hobbes books or Andrew Klavan's Homelanders series (though hopefully better written). Thanks is advance for anything you might think of.

Matt

Click to expand...

Kevin Brooks writes AMAZING gritty mysteries--try Black Rabbit Summer.

Shady Lane said:

Kevin Brooks writes AMAZING gritty mysteries--try Black Rabbit Summer.

Click to expand...

Looked him up on Amazon and exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks for the recommendation. Keep 'em coming.

thebloodfiend said:

Maybe The Iron King? I've never read it all the way through, but one of the love interests, Puck, is supposed to be mischievous. And Wicked Lovely. Keenan is kind of a trickster. I'll rec more if I can remember them.

Click to expand...

Thanks--and they are both about fairies, that's lovely.

Doesn't everyone?

I'm currently reading Twilight, New Moon & Walk Two Moons (at the same time). I've read them all so much I can usually skip around to the good parts. Any reccomendations? I have The Lovely Bones but i've yet to read it along with a few others. Let me know! =)

Contemporary YA Recommendations

Hi all,
I know there have been a lot of recommendations given here, but this was a specific enough request I thought I'd ask. So thanks for your patience.

I read a lot of YA, but I'm a fantasy reader mostly, so that's the part of it I know best. I have a niece who we're trying to encourage to read, and she likes contemporary YA with a fairly serious tone and some romance. Since I don't know that side of it that well I thought I'd ask you guys.

Also, we'd like to avoid anything with a lot of sexual content or gritty detailed violence (she's still pretty young and we're pretty conservative, though apparently not as much as the Wall Street Journal . She recently read 13 Reasons Why and was engrossed in it, but admitted it was too depressing for her.

I'm probably going to get her Ally Carter's Heist Society, but any other recommendations would be great. Thanks!

What every young girl needs to read


Twilight


/thread



But really, umm, this is from a google search as I have no knowledge in the field of YA contempt.

http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/ya-contemporary

Hope that helps! And good luck to her for finding a book.

jenelcc said:

Hi all,
I know there have been a lot of recommendations given here, but this was a specific enough request I thought I'd ask. So thanks for your patience.

I read a lot of YA, but I'm a fantasy reader mostly, so that's the part of it I know best. I have a niece who we're trying to encourage to read, and she likes contemporary YA with a fairly serious tone and some romance. Since I don't know that side of it that well I thought I'd ask you guys.

Also, we'd like to avoid anything with a lot of sexual content or gritty detailed violence (she's still pretty young and we're pretty conservative, though apparently not as much as the Wall Street Journal . She recently read 13 Reasons Why and was engrossed in it, but admitted it was too depressing for her.

I'm probably going to get her Ally Carter's Heist Society, but any other recommendations would be great. Thanks!

Click to expand...

Heist Society is a great read.

Anna and the French Kiss would be another good choice - serious, romance, but fairly tame. It is a bit sad, but not as sad as 13 Reasons Why.

~suki

I'd recommend any of Sarah Dessen's books, although it has romance, it doesn't get too graphic.

Also, Gayle Forman's "If I Stay" and Lauren Oliver's "Before I Fall."

Depending on how old she is I'd recommend Jodi Picoult, though she's not exactly YA, she often has younger characters. She goes into more detail with "love scenes" though, so maybe not.

Thanks for the recs so far. She loves the Twilight movies of course, but only read the first book because she has a very firm "why read the book if I can watch the movie" mentality, I think. It's been a challenge. All of her family (parents, aunts and uncles) are die hard fantasy and SF readers, so we're all kind of useless when it comes to finding her stuff. Luckily since I write YA, I at least have a clue.

Oh and age wise she's 13 going on 14 going on 40

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Dash and Lily's Book of Dares
Peace Love and Baby Ducks
Gingerbread/Cupcake/Shrimp
Five Flavors of Dumb
The Cupcake Queen
The Latte Rebellion

are all pretty easygoing contemp YA with a bit of romance, and not too sordid

jenelcc said:

Thanks for the recs so far. She loves the Twilight movies of course, but only read the first book because she has a very firm "why read the book if I can watch the movie" mentality, I think. It's been a challenge. All of her family (parents, aunts and uncles) are die hard fantasy and SF readers, so we're all kind of useless when it comes to finding her stuff. Luckily since I write YA, I at least have a clue.

Oh and age wise she's 13 going on 14 going on 40

Click to expand...

Tell her that Edward is 10 times hotter in the book. Also bribe her with candy and a Justin Bieber CD.

But for a girl that age, seriously. Twilight or Harry Potter are your best bets.

rather than type them all out, I'm gonna link you to my goodreads page:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/211815-hannah?shelf=read

I read almost exclusively contemporary, so that's most of what you'll find. There are some MG and adult books mixed in there, though, but it's mostly YA.

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins is a fantasy triology - but I really can't think of any teen who wouldn't enjoy it

Chumala said:

Tell her that Edward is 10 times hotter in the book. Also bribe her with candy and a Justin Bieber CD.

But for a girl that age, seriously. Twilight or Harry Potter are your best bets.

Click to expand...

There is a whole lot out there beyond Twilight and Harry Potter.

Another really great read is The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by E. Lockhart. A little mystery, a little romance, fairly tame, and a great voice.

~suki

Here are a few I've enjoyed recently:

1. Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins
2. Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour
3. When it Happens – Susane C
4. The DUFF – Kody Keplinger
5. Two Way Street – Lauren Barnholdt
6. Clockwork Angel – Cassandra Clare

ryannj5 said:

Here are a few I've enjoyed recently:

1. Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins
2. Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour
3. When it Happens – Susane C
4. The DUFF – Kody Keplinger
5. Two Way Street – Lauren Barnholdt
6. Clockwork Angel – Cassandra Clare

Click to expand...

The Duff is probably not what the OP is looking for, if he's looking for something without a lot of sexual content for a younger neice

~suki

I'd recommend 13 Little Blue Envelopes and its sequel, The Last Little Blue Envelope, by Maureen Johnson. They're about a girl who gets mysterious notes from her late aunt that send her all around the world. They have a smidgen of romance and they're very "clean," and they're so much fun to read! Actually, if she liked 13 Reasons Why but thought it was too sad, she'd really like 13LBE because it's a similar idea (messages from a dead person) but it's really upbeat and funny and quirky, and only a little sad.

For clean ones specifically, I reaaaally recommend the Ashbury/Brookfield books by Jacyln Moriarty. They're amazing.

Thanks again. This is great!

Just for the record...she REALLY isn't into fantasy...I think Twilight, honestly is about the cute boys. Several people tried to get her to read Harry Potter, and if I remember right, she made it 100 pages before she gave up, because so many people told her she had to read it. I suggested Hunger Games and the Uglies etc. and she had zero interest. In fact I think the current fantasy craze, which I love, has been part of what's made her a reluctant reader, because everyone tells her these are great books and they aren't her thing so she starts to think it's reading in general she doesn't like.

It's ironic, because when I was her age fantasy was not so cool, and I had to dig around to find books I liked.

Also, I will just add that for a 13-year-old we'd really would like to stay as "PG" as possible. She probably doesn't care, but her stodgy old aunt and uncle do