What YA book are you reading RIGHT NOW?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Yeasayer

see you on a dark night
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 17, 2011
Messages
327
Reaction score
43
Location
between coasts
Trying my hand at Daughter of Smoke and Bone but I'm struggling. I may just have to accept I can't do this kind of fantasy? Because it's clearly well-written and yet... nothing. I'll give it another shot on my flight tomorrow. No distractions.


I finished CREW3L and am now sitting here staring at a long pile of Book Expo galleys. It never ends. Seriously.....

What did you think of Crewel? I read a few different synopses of it and I honestly can't even figure out what it's about! Did it warrant all the agent & publisher attention?
 

waby32

Just Keep Writing...
Registered
Joined
Feb 20, 2011
Messages
17
Reaction score
2
Location
Maryland
I just finished The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han. I liked it, even though Belly kind of grated on my nerves a little bit. I will finish the rest of them though, because I want to find out who she ends up with. Since it is the beginning and she starts at 15 years old, I'm hoping she'll grow and be more likable by the end of the series.

I'm starting Cinder by Marissa Meyer.
 

Smiley0501

Lurker, now activated. :-)
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 2, 2010
Messages
2,948
Reaction score
264
Location
The Northeast, USA
What did you think of Crewel? I read a few different synopses of it and I honestly can't even figure out what it's about! Did it warrant all the agent & publisher attention?

Cr3w3l for me was a shmgasboard of The Giver, Handmaiden's Tale, a little bit Ella Enchanted, The Hunger Games & a tiny bit of Mad Men. I really enjoyed it but also had some issues. I felt, after reading, that it was a bit more fantastical than science fiction, but Gennifer has a strong writing style and for the most part I liked Adelice -- she was feisty and determined to do things on her own, which I really liked. She also didn't always recognize the consequences which I felt was realistic. I thought it was more Giver than THG though.

Currently reading- K33p3r 0f Th3 L0$t C!ti3s by $hann0n M3$$eng3r (from Book Expo) She is super sweet. I'm only 30 pgs in and it seems a bit rushed (information wise) but I've heard that, besides this, it is SUPERFABULOUS. Here's to hoping...:)
 

MysteryRiter

Murder isn't so bad...
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 3, 2011
Messages
1,719
Reaction score
325
Smiley, you got to go to BEA? *Jealous*

I just finished reading L3gend by Mari3 Lu. It was really good--I'd give it 4 stars. The word-building was great, the characters were interesting, and the writing was easy to get into. However, it's told from two POVs and both of them sound the exact same. Same voice, same personality (although interesting), and they're both geniuses, apparently. Also, since they had the same voice, the MMC sounded so... female the whole time. It took me a while to believe he was a guy.
 

Aslera

Not an exact science
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 15, 2007
Messages
1,508
Reaction score
160
Location
The Tundra
Smiley, you got to go to BEA? *Jealous*

I just finished reading L3gend by Mari3 Lu. It was really good--I'd give it 4 stars. The word-building was great, the characters were interesting, and the writing was easy to get into. However, it's told from two POVs and both of them sound the exact same. Same voice, same personality (although interesting), and they're both geniuses, apparently. Also, since they had the same voice, the MMC sounded so... female the whole time. It took me a while to believe he was a guy.

Really? I didn't get that at all. He felt very male to me from the beginning. I preferred his voice.

I just finished SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL by Trish Doller. Really excellent! It's one of those stories that an author can really eff up if it's done wrong because there are SO few of these stories out there (protag is a 19yr old guy back on leave after a tour in Afghanistan). But she gets it SO right. It was raw, emotional, completely male, and contains some of the best one-liners I've ever read in YA lit. I liked it!

(You guys will probably only see raving reviews from me. I don't finish what I don't like, sadly. I started Jellic0e R0@d and just couldn't get into it no matter how hard I tried.)
 

MysteryRiter

Murder isn't so bad...
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 3, 2011
Messages
1,719
Reaction score
325
Aslera, I'm pretty sure Trish (see, I just wrote "Tris" by accident. I've been reading too many dystopians!) is an AWer. :) ETA: Yes, she is. She's the second post on this thread. Ha! /ETA

And the reason I thought he sounded feminine might be because I was expecting a female MC right off the bat. It could've gone either way, I guess.
 

Stelle

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 13, 2012
Messages
141
Reaction score
13
Location
Canada
Website
www.claybaboons.com
I've noticed that several posters replace the letters in titles with numbers and symbols. Is there an inside joke or story about that? Or am I just old and this is a normal thing to do with book titles? Curious...
 

Smiley0501

Lurker, now activated. :-)
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 2, 2010
Messages
2,948
Reaction score
264
Location
The Northeast, USA
Stelle - by using numbers and symbols it hides the book or person or company from being found on a search engine/website. E.G. If you search for the book/person/company on, let's say, Google, it wouldn't direct you to this thread. Makes sense?

Also...I can't wait to read SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL!!
 

waby32

Just Keep Writing...
Registered
Joined
Feb 20, 2011
Messages
17
Reaction score
2
Location
Maryland
Stelle and Smiley0501-I've posted a couple times to this thread, and I thought that it was some sort of weird glitch or something.

It makes a whole lot of sense now. HA!
 

Parametric

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 17, 2007
Messages
10,818
Reaction score
4,684
Yep. Some authors have google alerts set up to tell them if you talk about their book. Then they make threatening posts on their blogs about what happens to people who write negative reviews. :tongue
 

MysteryRiter

Murder isn't so bad...
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 3, 2011
Messages
1,719
Reaction score
325
Yep. Some authors have google alerts set up to tell them if you talk about their book. Then they make threatening posts on their blogs about what happens to people who write negative reviews. :tongue

This is exactly why. They also complain about the negative reviews on Twitter... So do certain agents... *is referring to one event in particular*
 

Kitty Pryde

i luv you giant bear statue
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 7, 2008
Messages
9,090
Reaction score
2,165
Location
Lost Angeles
Yep. Some authors have google alerts set up to tell them if you talk about their book. Then they make threatening posts on their blogs about what happens to people who write negative reviews. :tongue

And these aren't really book reviews as such, they are super picky critiques by writers analyzing every aspect of a book. I wouldn't want my opinions posted here to influence a non-writer reader to not buy a book.
 

Aslera

Not an exact science
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 15, 2007
Messages
1,508
Reaction score
160
Location
The Tundra
This is exactly why. They also complain about the negative reviews on Twitter... So do certain agents... *is referring to one event in particular*

That was just ugly and unprofessional.


Re: Tris...haha, I have a character named "Theo" and I have, on occasion, written Tris instead. At least Trish and Tris are close? Gah!

Re: Legend. I think that's what helped me cement Day as a MMC. If she had opened with June, I probably would have noticed the voice similarities. But by opening with Day, I felt his maleness. Hm. Now I want to go reread!

And as it stands, I think Legend has one of the best opening scenes for YA dystopia that I've read. I think that's been a weakness in dystopia, the need to tell versus show, and a slightly omniscient narrator voice on occasion.
 

MysteryRiter

Murder isn't so bad...
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 3, 2011
Messages
1,719
Reaction score
325
That was just ugly and unprofessional.

I'm glad you know what I'm talking about. :) And it saddens me to see the book is selling well... (And I personally thought the Amazon sample was horrible). But I shouldn't hold a grudge like that. /mini rant

And as it stands, I think Legend has one of the best opening scenes for YA dystopia that I've read. I think that's been a weakness in dystopia, the need to tell versus show, and a slightly omniscient narrator voice on occasion.

YES. I love, love, loved the opening. It was by far the best part of the whole book, and one of the best openings I've read in a while. Which is why I was saddened when June's piece cut it off. That [spoiler, I think?] X with the line down the center! Oh my gosh it was so intense! :D
 

bickazer

someday we'll shine together
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Messages
280
Reaction score
21
Location
New York
Just finished reading SAPPHIQUE and adfdhsfnqsihnblaghblaghblagh.

More YA science fantasy, please? It can be done SO WELL.
 

TrishD

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 26, 2007
Messages
1,913
Reaction score
293
Location
Florida
Website
trishdoller.com
I just finished SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL by Trish Doller. Really excellent! It's one of those stories that an author can really eff up if it's done wrong because there are SO few of these stories out there (protag is a 19yr old guy back on leave after a tour in Afghanistan). But she gets it SO right. It was raw, emotional, completely male, and contains some of the best one-liners I've ever read in YA lit. I liked it!

AHHH! Thank you! So glad you liked it.

Also, I looked back to see what I was reading when I posted. I'm happy to say I'm finally finished with CITY OF BONE. Heh.
 

Kitty Pryde

i luv you giant bear statue
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 7, 2008
Messages
9,090
Reaction score
2,165
Location
Lost Angeles
I'm reading Epic by Conor K0stick. Man, I am actually a little shocked by how good it is. In the future, humans leave earth and settle on some crappy planet, where they have awesome Norwegian names, prohibit violence, oppress everybody, and settle all disputes by playing a World-of-Warcraft like MMORPG called Epic. Lots of good dystopian world-changing-teenager fun times and lots of good video game action scenes.

Plus it was published in 2004, before this sort of thing was cool. Gonna check out the sequels soon!
 

LadyA

Always lurking, never posting...
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 26, 2010
Messages
1,700
Reaction score
245
Location
The wilds of Devon, England
I've given up on WISH YOU WERE DEAD, because I just can't get into anything at the moment.
But I'm re-reading LOOKING FOR ALASKA by John Green, and it's as awesome as ever.

Next is SWEETHEARTS by Sara Zarr - is this one any good, people?
 

Momento Mori

Tired and Disillusioned
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 25, 2006
Messages
3,389
Reaction score
802
Location
Here and there
I'm half-way through KILL ALL ENEMIES by Melvin Burgess and I'm really enjoying it. It's about 3 troubled teenagers in a pupil referral unit and it's funny, sad and inspiring. He takes ideas and issues that could so easily be cliche and transcends them. One of the best YA writers anywhere.

MM
 

fireluxlou

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 17, 2011
Messages
2,089
Reaction score
283
Just finished Across the Universe leaving the second book until the third comes out, or I'll lose it if I read it too soon.
 

Alouette

bad apple
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 19, 2011
Messages
199
Reaction score
12
I'm half-way through KILL ALL ENEMIES by Melvin Burgess and I'm really enjoying it. It's about 3 troubled teenagers in a pupil referral unit and it's funny, sad and inspiring. He takes ideas and issues that could so easily be cliche and transcends them. One of the best YA writers anywhere.

MM

I loved Junk by him but was a little disappointed by this one. The characters just didn't feel that real and it felt kind of dated to me. I don't know how to explain in but it was as if the tone was a bit childish despite the serious subject matter. And I did find the voices of the characters a bit cliched. My friend loved it though so maybe I just couldn't connect.

I picked up The Night Circus today. Such a beautiful cover! I'm only a chapter or so in but I'm loving the fairytale-ish quality this has.
 

bickazer

someday we'll shine together
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Messages
280
Reaction score
21
Location
New York
I'm almost completely through with SHADOW AND BONE, and I really, really love it. I've noticed a lot more unique YA secondary world fantasies coming out lately and so far most haven't disappointed me.

(I have to admit my not-so-latent fondness for villain/heroine pairings is a major factor in why I like the book so much, though XD)
 

mac3910

Here, there, everywhere
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 19, 2011
Messages
235
Reaction score
25
Location
The Northeast
I finished Anna Dressed in Blood and it was awesome. I really enjoyed it and enjoyed it like I haven't enjoyed a book in awhile. I think because it's so different from what I've been reading lately. I fighting with myself over to savor it a little longer or give in and get the sequel as soon as possible.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.