Current popular YA novels

Meg Rosoff is the first author who springs to mind.

John Green's novels: Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines.

Anything by Sarah Dessen.

Ned Vizzini's: Be More Chill, Teen Angst...Nah, It's Kind of a Funny Story.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.

I think most people who read any YA have read at least some of those.

I haven't read any.

This Lullabye-Sarah Dessen and Looking for Alaska get my vote. Twilight is good too if you don't want as much edge.

scarletpeaches said:

I haven't read any.

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Really?? Read Perks.

ETA: Good call, roskoe: Those Twilight books are super popular.

Is it American? 'Cause I much prefer YA set in Britain. It's more relevant to me and my imagined readers.

oh I hate Twilight


A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Feed, forgot the author

Hmm. Well.

I always assumed it was American.

But it never says. The setting is very unimportant.

ETA: This was for Scarlet.

scarletpeaches said:

Is it American? 'Cause I much prefer YA set in Britain. It's more relevant to me and my imagined readers.

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Yeah human beings are very different from.....British people.

Shady Lane said:

Hmm. Well.

I always assumed it was American.

But it never says. The setting is very unimportant.

ETA: This was for Scarlet.

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Not to me it isn't. There's so much in American novels that doesn't apply over here. An entirely different way of life. I lost track of the amount of American YA I read myself as a teenager containing phrases that made me think, "What the shit are they talking about?"

Even things like kids driving to school...it just doesn't happen over here (see Twilight; it really bugged me when the MC temporarily whined over her dad buying her a vehicle and I thought, ungrateful swine. Count yourself lucky to have a motor at all).

YA books have to involve the reader, make them feel as if the author has some idea what life is like for them and if it's set in a place where the typical way of life is different to that of the reader you run the risk of losing them (unless it's something like fantasy where you're deliberately setting the book in another world).

Shady Lane said:

Hmm. Well.

I always assumed it was American.

But it never says. The setting is very unimportant.

ETA: This was for Scarlet.

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All those ones you listed? Yeah, they're American. Perks takes place in like a generic town and Alaska takes place in I want to say like Georgia? Forget where Sarah Dessen's books take place but they DO mention people driving on the proper side of the road so it must be America

scarletpeaches said:

Not to me it isn't.

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Didn't mean in general. I meant in Perks.

It's intentionally quite vague. Many of the characters aren't named, and he tells us the ones that are named are probably given fake ones. I'm sure Mr. Chbosky wanted the book to be able to take place anywhere.

Shady Lane said:

Didn't mean in general. I meant in Perks.

It's intentionally quite vague. Many of the characters aren't named, and he tells us the ones that are named are probably given fake ones. I'm sure Mr. Chbosky wanted the book to be able to take place anywhere.

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Yeah the whole premise is that the kid is writing to this anonymous person and changing names and stuff so the person doesn't figure out who or where or anything.

But uh, probably it serves a higher purpose.

His brother goes to "Penn State" which he says might not be the real college, for football, which is true, and the college is within driving distance. Probably not UK.

I've heard of Perks but never seen it on the shelves here. I'll keep an eye out for it though.

Danger Jane said:

Yeah the whole premise is that the kid is writing to this anonymous person and changing names and stuff so the person doesn't figure out who or where or anything.

But uh, probably it serves a higher purpose.

His brother goes to "Penn State" which he says might not be the real college, for football, which is true, and the college is within driving distance. Probably not UK.

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Good call. Forgot that bit. And he talks about going North to see his family, right?

I always assumed he lived in my hometown. Which I think was the point.

Yeah I think you're supposed to feel that way.

Anyway SP they use tons of cheesy britishisms so you're fine that's why it sells so well...American teenage girls are suckers for cheesy britishisms.

Do they all drink Earl Grey and say "What ho!" a lot?

scarletpeaches said:

Do they all drink Earl Grey and say "What ho!" a lot?

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AHH! MARTYN PIG!

Sorry, just has a flash of British YA.

I'm so in love with Kevin Brooks.

TONS of Earl Grey

Like, PUKAGE.


And then they go CHEERIO! WOT WOT!

Wait wait wait guys.

INDIGO'S STAR is British.

SP, tell me you've read Indigo's Star. PLEASE.

So it's technically MG but it's the best book I've ever read.

It's SO British. The Dad says, "Off you pop."

I haven't as I like to read books in sequence. I have the first in the series sitting on a shelf in my home. Does that get me off the hook?

no this hook is a big one


Like it doubles as a spit for roasting

yummmm I love roasted peaches

David Almond and Theresa Breslin. Can't believe I forgot those authors.

Yes. Especially since you recognized the title and whatnot.

Saffy's Angel is quite good as well, but not as good as Indigo. And Permanent Rose is amazing. Caddy Ever After is kind of a letdown.

I like to read them in sequence too...didn't realize Indigo was part of a series when I picked it up, and by the time I figured it out I was WAY too hooked.