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Not read it yet, so take this with a pinch of salt - but Corinne Duyvis's OTHERBOUND may fit the bill.

Hopefully this is the place for dumb questions because I have a few. I've read many, many adult romances. I'm even pubbed in adult romance but now I'd like to try to write a teen romance. I'm assuming they're not the same as adult romances with younger characters. Yes, I know the difference between YA and adult and it's not just age. Just thought I'd clarify.

Anyway I'm not finding anything in the YA romance genre that fits what I have in mind. The contemporaries seem mostly about everything else that is going on in the MCs world. Family issues, school issues, trying to fit in with their new volleyball squad, etc. The romance is mostly the MC wanting to be with boy A but everything else gets in the way. Or the MC is involved in some thoroughly depressing situation like trying to come to terms with a family suicide, death of a parent, drug addiction, what have you, and the boy involved is also from a dysfunctional situation and the story is mostly about them helping one another cope. If I go in the fantasy/paranormal route, then that world completely overshadows everything else.

I'm not bad mouthing any of these stories, and no, I haven't extensively read in the YA genre. I've read the Princess Diaries, and pretty much everything else Meg Cabot has written in the YA genre. Hunger Games, Percy Jackson (which some may argue is more MG). I'm reading a Sarah Mylnoski novel right now - 10 Things We Did that We Shouldn't Have. Its a good read but I'm not getting the impression its going to showcase the romance in a manner that I'm looking for. I'm getting the everything else gets in the way vibe from the bit I've read so far.

So my question - are the types of plots I previously described typical of the YA romance genre? Are there stories where the couple is put together in some situation, there's an attraction, for whatever reason they try to fight it, but they get drawn into a relationship anyway. I'll probably add a fantasy element because I do enjoy those elements, but I want to explore the chemistry and intense feelings that goes with a new romance. I prefer to not have to explore deep traumatic issues to bring about a physical attraction.

So clear as mud? Or have I just simply been overlooking dozens of books that are similar to what I've described?

What you want, I think, might be the works of Stephanie Perkins. Even there, though, life happens. Because, well ... Life happens.

(Also, YA romance isn't much like adult category romances. They exist to be YAs first and like to have things going on outside the growing relationship. Plus, not being held to quite the same reader expectations, I find YA rooms like to play with the pacing and the details a bit more.)

I have not personally come across any YA's that I would classify as simply romance. I actually posed a similar question awhile back for a writing buddy and received little response. Kiera Cass's SELECTION SERIES was suggested as having a more romance-leaning angle, and Sarah Dennissen's contemporaries. Otherwise, YA usually has a plot and characters with the romance being a sub-plot.

Also, I recently did a blog post where I compiled what YA readers are requesting in books to be written. It was far from scientific and definitely not all-encompassing, but one prevalent theme was no or less romance and no love triangles. Just FYI.

Thanks for the info. That basically confirms what I already suspected but I thought I'd ask people who were more in the know.

@romancewriter: It is hard to find 'simply romance' in YA. I ditto the Stephanie Perkins nod - she's a NYT-bestselling author for her YA romances, so there IS a market for it. Also, I think Huntley Fitzpatrick's novels are geared mostly to the romance; her MY LIFE NEXT DOOR was, at least. And Maggie Stiefvater's latest, SINNER, is nearly all about the romance. But then again, this was a companion novel to a hugely successful paranormal romance series of hers, so hard to tell if it would have had publisher interest from someone else.

I agree on Stephanie Perkins's books and Huntley Fitzpatrick's MY LIFE NEXT DOOR. There's also Kasie West's contemporary novels, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US and ON THE FENCE. I haven't read them but Katie McGarry's novels look like they're mostly about the romance.

romancewriter said:

Are there stories where the couple is put together in some situation, there's an attraction, for whatever reason they try to fight it, but they get drawn into a relationship anyway.

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I didn't think of it in my earlier response, but there are smaller presses that publish (sometimes only digitally or print-on-demand) YA romances that sound more like what you're looking for: Entangled Teen and Swoon Romance are two I know of. That's another route to consider.

Becca C. said:

I agree on Stephanie Perkins's books and Huntley Fitzpatrick's MY LIFE NEXT DOOR. There's also Kasie West's contemporary novels, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US and ON THE FENCE. I haven't read them but Katie McGarry's novels look like they're mostly about the romance.

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I haven't read any of the first three so not sure how they compare, and I don't really read adult romance, but KMcG wouldn't spring to mind for me as being romance-heavy. The romance is always a big part of the book and the chemistry between her characters is great, but in all of her first three (I somehow haven't got round to the fourth yet), there's a lot of other stuff going on in both protagonists' lives.

Entangled is one of the publishers I'm working with so I'll check into their teen market. Thanks for the input everyone. This is very helpful.

Hey folks, what are some of the darkest YA titles you know of that have been published in (roughly) the last ten years? Any genre is appreciated, although contemporary is preferred.

I don't usually read dark YA, but the subject matter in my WIP could go very dark very quickly if I let it. I want to get a feel for what's at the edge of YA.

Thanks in advance!

yayeahyeah said:

I haven't read any of the first three so not sure how they compare, and I don't really read adult romance, but KMcG wouldn't spring to mind for me as being romance-heavy. The romance is always a big part of the book and the chemistry between her characters is great, but in all of her first three (I somehow haven't got round to the fourth yet), there's a lot of other stuff going on in both protagonists' lives.

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I agree with pretty much everything everyone's said here. Sarah Dessen, Jenny Han, and Jennifer Smith might be others for you to try out.

Hey folks, what are some of the darkest YA titles you know of that have been published in (roughly) the last ten years? Any genre is appreciated, although contemporary is preferred.

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These aren't the darkest, but my favs:
Anything by Laurie Halse Anderson, but particularly SPEAK and WINTERGIRLS (Which is pretty damned dark, if you ask me)
IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY
13 REASONS WHY
HATE LIST
LOOKING FOR ALASKA
All things AS King

Also, super dark and hard for me to read:
LIVING DEAD GIRL (*shudders*)
Anything by Ellen Hopkins.

(I think there was a thread fairly recently about hardest/darkest scenes to read. The books in that thread were pretty dark. Might be worth searching for?)

ETA: Do you have a particular dark aspect you're looking for?

RaggedEdge said:

Hey folks, what are some of the darkest YA titles you know of that have been published in (roughly) the last ten years? Any genre is appreciated, although contemporary is preferred.

I don't usually read dark YA, but the subject matter in my WIP could go very dark very quickly if I let it. I want to get a feel for what's at the edge of YA.

Thanks in advance!

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Kevin Brooks - THE BUNKER DIARY
Won an award recently, the Carnegie - and the win was controversial because this book is dark and bleak. Never read anything like it. It's a very good book.

wampuscat, Ellaroni, and Sage: Thank you all so much! I'm excited to acquaint myself with some of these. I did read most of L0oking for Al@ska a few years ago.

Daniel Kraus is super-duper dark. Though maybe those are considered horror.

This is a long shot, since the book isn't actually published yet, but I'm wondering if anyone saw a PM announcement of a book involving face transplantation. The person who told me about it couldn't recall the specs. Basically, I have a book on the same theme and need to know if this recently sold one is sufficiently different. (It's not Melvin Burgess' SARA'S FACE, which I have read.)

Also for dark YA: WHAT HAPPENED TO CASS MCBRIDE? by Gail Giles is totally searing and unforgettable. I HUNT KILLERS by Barry Lyga is another. (both contemporary)

Anyone have recs for some Steampunk YA. I'm going to be writing one sometime next year and I want to get started on reading in the genre. Well, the YA side at least. I'm already doing some reading in the Adult end of things.

Lillith1991 said:

Anyone have recs for some Steampunk YA. I'm going to be writing one sometime next year and I want to get started on reading in the genre. Well, the YA side at least. I'm already doing some reading in the Adult end of things.

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I haven't read a huge amount of YA steampunk, but I did enjoy Catherine Fisher's INCARCERON. It's weird, dark and interesting. I didn't find the characters that likeable but the concept is strong enough for me to think it's worth a read.

Lillith1991 said:

Anyone have recs for some Steampunk YA. I'm going to be writing one sometime next year and I want to get started on reading in the genre. Well, the YA side at least. I'm already doing some reading in the Adult end of things.

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The Girl in the Steel Corset (and other books in the series) by Kady Cross

Looking for YA fiction with Vikings, Viking folklore, or shieldmaidens.

Hi! I'm looking for some YA books.

1) Is there anything out there that has aliens as the villains? I'd like to do some reading on those type of stories that have aliens as the focus.

2) Anything out there that is YA that's manga-like (aka, action paced)?

3) Any YA books that have powerful antagonists that the protagonist manages to beat without it being a deus ex machina/***pull? I'd also like to do some research/reading on this!


Thanks in advance!

Niiicola said:

I'm looking for more lyrical, literary YA stuff like We Were Liars and Jellicoe Road. Slightly warped sense of reality is a plus. Any books spring to mind?

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Try A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. Marchetta also wrote some other books besides Jellicoe Road that are great (including a spinoff MG based on Jonah's little brother!).

Lillith1991 said:

Anyone have recs for some Steampunk YA. I'm going to be writing one sometime next year and I want to get started on reading in the genre. Well, the YA side at least. I'm already doing some reading in the Adult end of things.

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If it's not too late: STORMDANCER. It's not pure and classic steampunk but it's delightful.

I'm looking for Epic Fantasy with a big twist. You know how Dystopia books often have one? Our ruler wants us to die, there is actually a world outside our closed settlement... I want some secondary world fantasy that also provides some big plot twists along the way. Thanks in advance!

Lillith1991 said:

Anyone have recs for some Steampunk YA. I'm going to be writing one sometime next year and I want to get started on reading in the genre. Well, the YA side at least. I'm already doing some reading in the Adult end of things.

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I've really enjoyed The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross (middle of the series, but I happened to pick it up and read it first), and I also found Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld to be an interesting read. It's been a while, but I also found Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare to be enjoyable.