Can you recommend awesome non-paranormal YA reads? (old thread/deadline)

TrixieLox · Apr 30, 2011

I love me some paranormal romance and fantasy but lately? I've totally overdosed on it.

I have a week and a half off on bed rest coming up due to a procedure I'm having, so I need some recommendations for awesome YAs that aren't your typical PR / fantasy YA to fill my time alongside my planned Buffy-fest (so contemporary YAs or YAs with just a hint of other-worldly elements, like Before I Fall).

So, any recommendations of YA books that have completely blown you away?

Things I've loved recently are: Jellicoe Road, Before I Fall, You Against Me, Beautiful Malice, any Meg Rosoff stuff...

Shallee · Apr 30, 2011

I absolutely LOVED Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. It definitely fits in the "blew me away" category. I also liked XVI by Julia Karr.

Good luck with the procedure and the bed rest!

lenore_x · Apr 30, 2011

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. OMG I love that book. :Hail:

Oh, and for the less fluffy but doubly amazing side of things, A Step From Heaven by An Na.

brainstrains · Apr 30, 2011

I think Amanda Grace's BUT I LOVE HIM just released, and it is amazing. Okay I'm her critique partner but I love it when authors take risks with their books, and this one is told in reverse-chronological order.

eventidepress · Apr 30, 2011

if i stay (Gayle Forman) has just a few otherworldly elements (I'd call it magical realism), and I LOVED that.
also, Twenty Boy Summer, Anna and the French Kiss, and the Bermudez Triangle (Maureen Johnson) are some of my recent contemp faves

Becca C. · Apr 30, 2011

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins is my favourite book so far this year!

I'd also really recommend our own Kirsten Hubbard's Like Mandarin. I looooved it.

strictlytopsecret · Apr 30, 2011

The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.

Incredible.

~STS~

suki · Apr 30, 2011

Jellicoe Road, By Melina Marchetta
Feed, By MT Anderson
I am the Messenger, By Markus Zusak
Liar, by Justine Larbalestier
Hard Love, by Ellen Wittlinger
Nation, by Terry Prachett

Off hand, if I hadn't read those books, and had some reading time to fill, I'd read them

~suki

Becca C. · Apr 30, 2011

suki said:
Jellicoe Road, By Melina Marchetta
Feed, By MT Anderson
I am the Messenger, By Markus Zusak
Liar, by Justine Larbalestier
Hard Love, by Ellen Wittlinger
Nation, by Terry Prachett

Seconded!! Those three are some of my favourite books ever.

perfectisafault · Apr 30, 2011

Seconding the recommendations for LIKE MANDARIN and ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS. The first is like my favorite YA book so far this year and the second I'm reading right now and really liking a lot

ceenindee · Apr 30, 2011

I'll second If I Stay, and though I haven't read the sequel, I don't think it has any fantasy at all.

AlwaysJuly · Apr 30, 2011

I'm also going to say ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS.
Anna Jarzab's ALL UNQUIET THINGS.
SHINE by Lauren Myracle.
Anything by John Green. I especially love LOOKING FOR ALASKA and PAPER TOWNS.
A LOVE STORY STARRING MY DEAD BEST FRIEND by Emily Horner.

Those are a few of the YA contemps I've read and loved during the past year and a half or so; all fantastic books, I think. And as much as I love YA paranormal too, I have to say it's nice to get a break sometimes.

pixydust · Apr 30, 2011

ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS is awesome! And I really liked THE DUFF--great character--fun read!

Also:

PERFECT CHEMISTRY
THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO
20 BOY SUMMER
PAPER TOWNS
MOCKINGBIRDS

Becca C. · Apr 30, 2011

PAPER TOWNS by John Green, yes yes yes. Amazing.

Senora Verde · Apr 30, 2011

Seconding (thirding?) Anna and the French Kiss, Liar, and anything by John Green. Also The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is amazing.

AutumnLeaves · Apr 30, 2011

I want to echo those who said TWENTY BOY SUMMER by Sarah Ockler. It's definitely been one of my most recent favorites. I also liked her newer release, FIXING DELILAH.

perfectisafault · Apr 30, 2011

Seconding PERFECT CHEMISTRY. Such a great book if you want to write a good, well-balanced YA romance!

Smish · Apr 30, 2011

Anything by Courtney Summers (Some Girls Are is my very favorite.)
Anything by John Green (I can't even choose a favorite)
Graffiti Moon, by Cath Crowley
Twenty Boy Summer, by Sarah Ockler
The Sky is Everywhere, by Jandy Nelson
Stolen, by Lucy Christopher
The Year of Secret Assignments, by Jaclyn Moriarty
Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson
Love You, Hate You, Miss You, by Elizabeth Scott
Nothing Like You, by Lauren Strasnick
Sweethearts, by Sara Zarr

Sigh. I could go on and on. I love contemporary YA.

PoppysInARow · Apr 30, 2011

I'm unoriginal, so I'm just going to echo some of my favorite titles.

Anna and the French Kiss
Stolen
Perfect Chemistry
The DUFF.
Fat Kid Rules the World <-- HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMENDED.

That's about all I can think of off the top of my head.

Blind Writer · Apr 30, 2011

Anything by Elizabeth Scott - especially PERFECT YOU
LIKE MANDARIN by Kirsten Hubbard
LEAVING PARADISE by Simone Elkeles
Anything Sarah Dessen
And if you are okay with dark stuff, BALLADS OF SUBURBIA by Stephanie Kuehnert is amazing.

(Also, thanks Poppy for mentioning THE DUFF! <3)

C.bronco · Apr 30, 2011

Rash by Pete Hautman. I finished it in a day because I couldn't put it down!

yttar · Apr 30, 2011

If you like teen spies, I'd recommend the Gallagher Girls series by Ali Carter that starts with I'd Tell You I Love you, But Then I'd Have to Kill You.

Yttar

perfectisafault · Apr 30, 2011

Idk if it's already been mentioned but SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson is amazing!

Irissel · Apr 30, 2011

I'm pretty sure my recommendations have already been mentioned, but I absolutely LOVED Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, and any thing by John Green is good, especially Looking for Alaska and Will Grayson, Will Grayson. Oh, and 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson. I haven't read the sequel yet (it just came out) but I absolutely loved the first!

Undivided_Heart · May 1, 2011

I've been reading a lot of fairytale re-tellings lately, such as Beauty by Robin McKinley Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George, both of which I really enjoyed, despite not strictly being a YA myself... I am young, and I am an adult, so maybe it counts

Can you recommend awesome non-paranormal YA reads? (old thread/deadline)

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