What YA book are you reading RIGHT NOW?

Trying to read the last book in the immortal series, but I can't summon up the enthusiasm to get past the first page... I forgot how annoying the series actually is.

PEARL by Jo Knowles

Recently finished Forever by Maggie Stiefvater, and now I'm returning to my epic George R. R. Martin reread of doom.

Parametric said:

Finished Josephine Ang3lini's STARCR0SSED. Eh. Heavily inspired by TWILIGHT, complete with a family of super strong, super fast, super hot, super awesome people who carry the protagonist around and watch her while she sleeps (and won't let her go anywhere without permission ...). Plus there are way too many of them. I'll be impressed if anyone can keep track of this many generically perfect mythologically named descendants of Greek gods. There's Jason, Ariadne, Hector, Lucas/Paris, Cassandra, Castor, Pallas ... there's another one, I swear ... Pandora? And maybe some others? Ajax, Tantalus, Daphne ... the only one I remember is the generically evil one.

On a separate note, can anyone recommend me any YA UF school stories? Protagonist goes to a weird school, weird stuff happens. Harry Potter, Vampire Academy, House of Night, etc.

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I really disliked STARCROSSED.

I know! It was pretty bad. I read it because I wanted to figure out why it got such a huge advance, but I'm at a loss.

I am trying really hard to not say anything too snarky about it because this is a writer's forum. But god. So so so bad.

Just finished Into The Wildewood, #2 of the Faire Folk series. I lurrrvvve it. Sometimes our heroine has a bit too much preoccupation with trifling teenager problems in the face of much larger troubles. But the books are so immersive with such a neat setting (elves and other magical folk undercover at a ren faire). I must track down more sequels, stat!

Last YA I finished was Ashes, Ashes and I admit, I didn't like it. I'm not reading a YA right now but next on my to read pile is an ARC of Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan I got through a contest. Since I'm a sucker for sci fi, I'm excited.

Originally Posted by Parametric
I know! It was pretty bad. I read it because I wanted to figure out why it got such a huge advance, but I'm at a loss.

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I heard it was because it was being pushed as Percy Jackson meets Twilight. Combining mythology with Twilight would appear to make it on paper the next best thing. Just IMO. I haven't read it because it isn't my type of book just by the synopsis alone.

Just read The Declaration by Gemma Malley. Other than the slightly over enthusiastic head-hopping I was very fond of the plot and the characters and the ending made me really happy. And I'm not too terrified of my own mortality now, which is a big plus.

pixydust said:

I saw one called, Unnatural, about angels, fallen angels and whatnot--they have to go to a special school--girl caught between two boys--pretty cliche. Couldn't get past page three but if it's for research purposes...

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I desperately wanted UNNATUR4L to be good, since there's a central m/m romance and how many of those do you see in YA UFs, but unfortunately it was absolutely dire.

pixydust said:

Hex Hall was cute! And the sequel Demonglass is already out.

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Just finished H3X HALL and thought it was excellent. It seems like a fun, light, popcorn read until you hit two massive revelations that make things a whole lot darker. Really nice.

The Unidentified by Rae Mariz

Currently reading The Unwritten Rule, by Elizabeth Scott.

Just finished Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetyas. This is the type of book that everyone should read, though it will tear you apart when you do. and it is really so awesome that one of the characters in the book was a real person (read the notes in the back of the book to find out who). I love those types of deals.

Now going to start Blood Magic because the cover looked intriguing - I have no idea what this is about but I'm thinking vampires. Hopefully it will be much lighter because I really need something a little escapist right now.

I've finished A TANGLE OF MAGICKS by Stephanie Burgis, which is a sequel to A MOST IMPROPER MAGICK and sees Kat and her family retrench to Bath following a scandalous revelation at her sister Elissa's wedding. It's a fun book set in Regency England and filled with adventure and a lot of adversity. It's probably more MG than YA and there were times when Kat's self-destructive temper began to irritate me, but there's a lot of character development so I'd recommend checking it out.

I'm going to read some 'adult' fiction for a bit as I'm YAed out.

MM

Just finished Burn Bright (YA dark fantasy - it's only available from Australia, FYI) – this book is like a total Goth fantasy: it takes place on an island where it's always night, the main purpose is to party at clubs, you rest in elaborate cathedrals and have awesome black lace and leather outfits provided, there are hissing night creatures... It's really lush, beautiful world building. But the actual story was a little too vague – it's clear this is the first in a series. It lacked character development too, but a lot of people really love it -- I think because it's so different, and the world building really is great. I only liked it, but I'm looking forward to the next one.

Just finished 'Blood Red Road' by Moira Young. It is amazing. <3

Currently listening to The girl with a Pearl Earing by Tracy Chevalier, it is a good period piece. Enjoyed the Adoration of Jenna fox by Mary E Pearson wich is has beautiful prose along with a compelling story.

Just finished Everfound. It was just as amazing/mind-blowing as I thought it would be.

Now, I'm reading Wither by Lauren DeStefano. I wasn't too eager to read it when I read the blurb, but Vickie Motter recommended it so...
It's turning out to be much better than I expected.

Just finished Divergent.

Just finished Laguna Cove by Alyson Noel. About to start Cruel Summer

I've now finished Beatle Meets Destiny and thoroughly enjoyed it, particularly as I'd read several quite heavy novels and this was a welcome change of pace. It also helped that I have visited Melbourne, though I mostly stayed around the tourist attractions and the CBD rather than the suburbs (all together now, "Near Kew or Far Kew?").

Written in 3rd omni (past tense, by the way) it's interesting in that narratively it's much "cooler" than many YAs I've read - it's distinctly narrated, even to the point of addressing the reader at times. This may be too distancing for many, especially in a drama, but in this case it added a lot to the comic effect. As I said above, I can absolutely see this as a movie, and if someone does make that movie it must have a narrator!

Thanks to DrummerGirl for recommending this.

Oh and there's an amusing illustration of the difference between Aussie English and UK English - a reference to a character's thongs hanging from her feet conjures up a different image to Brits than the intended one!

brainstrains said:

I had the same problem with 13RW. That and I just had a hard time believing a girl would go through so much trouble to punish the people that "made" her commit suicide. I didn't really like Hannah, either, because c'mon, take a little responsibility for your actions! And then someone told me that in the first drafts of the book, the suicide was supposed to be a hoax-- which actually seems a lot more in-line with Hannah's character and more plausible. I still liked it, but I didn't LOVE it, and I wanted to.

I'm reading Audrey, Wait! right now, and I have to say, it's hilarious.

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I was thinking of getting 13RW, maybe I won't now Does anybody have any other thoughts about it. I read the blurb it seemed intresting at the time.

Sarah G said:

I was thinking of getting 13RW, maybe I won't now Does anybody have any other thoughts about it. I read the blurb it seemed intresting at the time.

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The first time I read it, I couldn't connect with any of the characters over the first half of the book. Perhaps more than the first half. The only reason I read it was cos I thought it was intriguing and I hate leaving books half-finished. The second half, I thought, turned out much better and I ended up liking it.
I read it again a second time, and I liked that much better than the first time around. So.