Get Yer YA Recommendations Here!

borogove

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This is sooo specific and I'm sorry in advance.

But can you recommend me books where two people are competing against each other in some kind of competition? Doesn't matter what circumstances they are competing or whether both are girls, boys or mixed gender.

Apart from the uber well known like Hunger Games and Divergent:

Caraval by Stephanie Garber
The Selection by Kiera Cass
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi
Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Frostblood by Elly Blake
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
 

be frank

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Oh, something with fantasy elements if possible. And not just YA, but if you know if any MG with fantasy elements that fit the description that would be great too!

Hmm. Possibly more SF elements than fantasy, but you could also try Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund. (Girl vs boy competing against each other to be best at an exclusive school).
 

MaryLennox

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This is sooo specific and I'm sorry in advance.

But can you recommend me books where two people are competing against each other in some kind of competition? Doesn't matter what circumstances they are competing or whether both are girls, boys or mixed gender.

The first thing that came to mind was Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. And the Harry Potter book Goblet of Fire.
 

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This is sooo specific and I'm sorry in advance.

But can you recommend me books where two people are competing against each other in some kind of competition? Doesn't matter what circumstances they are competing or whether both are girls, boys or mixed gender.

Dividing Eden
The Crown's Game
Scythe

are some recent ones off the top of my head.
 

Kjbartolotta

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Good YA Horror

Based on a conversation with a co-worker about what we should get more of at work, give me some reccs. Define 'good', 'YA', and 'horror' as you'd like, but I'd personally make the distinction between horror and supernatural romance, which often have some overlap but I view as different subgenres.

Edit- Ah, yes, this is where it goes *slaps forehead*. Thank you, mods :)
 
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avsong

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Oh, something with fantasy elements if possible. And not just YA, but if you know if any MG with fantasy elements that fit the description that would be great too!

I'm probably going in the wrong direction in terms of age, but an adult book that may fit what you're looking for is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.
 

zmethos

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Based on a conversation with a co-worker about what we should get more of at work, give me some reccs. Define 'good', 'YA', and 'horror' as you'd like, but I'd personally make the distinction between horror and supernatural romance, which often have some overlap but I view as different subgenres.

If you're looking for good YA horror, "My Best Friend's Exorcism" by Grady Hendrix? If you prefer a side of satire, "Meddling Kids" by Edgar Cantero? (Though I haven't read it yet, I loved Cantero's "The Supernatural Enhancements.")
 

Brightdreamer

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If you prefer a side of satire, "Meddling Kids" by Edgar Cantero? (Though I haven't read it yet, I loved Cantero's "The Supernatural Enhancements.")

I wouldn't call "Meddling Kids" YA - it's a sort of Lovecraftian spoof on kid detectives after they grow up. Definitely counts as horror, though, with satire.
 

edutton

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Based on a conversation with a co-worker about what we should get more of at work, give me some reccs. Define 'good', 'YA', and 'horror' as you'd like, but I'd personally make the distinction between horror and supernatural romance, which often have some overlap but I view as different subgenres.

Edit- Ah, yes, this is where it goes *slaps forehead*. Thank you, mods :)
  • Patrick Ness's A Monster Calls is more supernatural than horror per se, but is excellent... ditto Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book.
  • John Connolly's The Book of Lost Things (I have his The Gates on my pile as well, but haven't read it yet).
  • My teenager loves most books by Holly Black and Brenna Yovanoff.
  • I don't believe Raymond Feist's Faerie Tale is *classified* as YA, but as I recall I would have no problem giving it to a young horror fan.
  • Ann Aguirre's "Razorland" series (Enclave/Outpost/Horde/Vanguard) is a good YA zombie-like read.
  • Madeleine Roux's "Asylum" books came in the wake of the success of "Miss Peregrine", but seem considerably darker (another series my teen loves).

*goes a little farther afield*
  • Catherine Jinks's The Reformed Vampire Support Group is on my TBR pile and looks like fun (plays with horror themes but I'm 99% sure it's comedy).
  • Dia Reeves's Bleeding Violet is an extremely odd book, but I feel like it might fit somewhere near what you're looking for as well?

Hope some of this helps!
 

Periwinkle

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One of my favorite YA series is Rick Yancey's THE MONSTRUMOLOGIST series. I'm not usually a fan of horror but the characterization is great.
 

LittlePinto

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Help me, YA readers. You're my only hope.

My sister's niece is a second grader reading at an eighth grade level. I'm looking for book recommendations that will satisfy her more advanced reading level, but not also hit her with themes more appropriate to teens. (We don't want her mother calling us to ask why Kiddo is asking about sex or something like that.) My two problems are that I totally read books with more mature themes than my age level when I was her age, so books I remember liking might be a poor fit, and, more critically, I've not read in YA for at least 15 years. I have no idea what's out there! Here's what I've come up with so far:

Redwall series by Brian Jacques (She loves talking animals.)
Circle of Magic quartet by Tamora Pierce
Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede
Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer
Harry Potter series...of course

We're particularly looking for good female protagonists.

Anyway, I'd love to hear your thoughts on these books or others that we might check out.
 

Brightdreamer

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Talking animals? If she's that advanced, maybe try Tailchaser's Song, by Tad Williams (think Watership Down with cats.) No sex, some allusions to mating. Technically billed as an adult novel, but an advanced reader would likely enjoy it. A bit of a slow burn start, though.

Is she too "old" in reading to enjoy the Wings of Fire series by Tui T. Sutherland? Dragon-based MG series, can be violent.

I'll also throw a vote out for Jess E. Owen's Song of the Summer King, featuring gryphons and talking wolves. I'd call it upper MG/YA. Some talk of mating, but nothing graphic.

Moving on from talking animal tales...

Definite plus-one to Bloody Jack as a good female MC - though she does talk about menstruation and sex (not explicit, but something she must learn about as she grows up.)

Avi's The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle has an MC who becomes strong.

Vengeance Road (Erin Bowman) can be violent, but has minimal sex and a good, if flawed, female MC. A YA western.

Arabella of Mars (David D. Levine) is a YA/adult adventure tale set in a fantastic retro-future: sailing ships in space, sort of like Barsoom meets the Age of Sail, plus clockwork automatons. Good, capable lady MC.

Carrie Vaughn does some good YA stuff: Steel, the story of a modern girl pulled back to the age of pirates by a cursed sword, is pretty decent.

You might consider adding some Diana Wynne Jones fantasies to the list. And if they're not too juvenile for her, Gail Carson Levine does some great, imaginative MG fantasies with good female MCs. Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books might make a good addition here, too. And if you're doing Tamora Pierce's Circle of Magic books, consider one or more of her Tortall series, too.

As usual, the bored can click through the review link in my signature for more... just read my Descriptions if you don't want my impressions, as I try to keep descriptions spoiler-free and as unopinionated as possible.
 

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I was going to also rec Gail Carson Levine and Diana Wynne Jones.

Shannon Hale: the Princess Academy series

On the YA side:

The Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale, if she feels PA is too young.

Gail Carriger's Finishing School series might also be up her alley. They're marketed as YA, but have an MG feel to me. The third one talks about seduction, but doesn't go beyond longing looks and kisses. (I haven't read the 4th book, though).
 

LittlePinto

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Thanks so much, y'all! My sister and I are going to give 'em a read too. :)
 

ULTRAGOTHA

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Second Diana Wynne Jones. Also give Patricia Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles a try.
 

Ed8350

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Hi everyone. I'm new on the boards. I love Y.A. fiction but some of it I can't stand. I would love some recommendations if it's not too much trouble because I have NO idea what's good in the market at the moment.

I guess I should say what I like and what I don't care for. I am a fan of James Dashner - Maze Runner series/Morality Doctrine and I really like old 90's stuff from R.L. Stine or Christopher Pike. Not sure if there are many UK folk on here but we had a wicked series back in the 90's called Point Horror? So great. I loved Grasshopper Jungle too. So yeah, horror related and with a body count but light on the romance.

So anything like that. I'm not a fan of the romance stuff at all. So like stuff like Twilight or Hunger Games when the author seems to put a big love triangle in the middle of what otherwise would be a great story, at least that's my take. I just don't care about if the girl chooses Guy A or Guy B. I think that's so redundant.

Thanks for taking the time out to hopefully recommend some great titles.
 

MaryLennox

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Hi everyone. I'm new on the boards. I love Y.A. fiction but some of it I can't stand. I would love some recommendations if it's not too much trouble because I have NO idea what's good in the market at the moment.

I guess I should say what I like and what I don't care for. I am a fan of James Dashner - Maze Runner series/Morality Doctrine and I really like old 90's stuff from R.L. Stine or Christopher Pike. Not sure if there are many UK folk on here but we had a wicked series back in the 90's called Point Horror? So great. I loved Grasshopper Jungle too. So yeah, horror related and with a body count but light on the romance.

So anything like that. I'm not a fan of the romance stuff at all. So like stuff like Twilight or Hunger Games when the author seems to put a big love triangle in the middle of what otherwise would be a great story, at least that's my take. I just don't care about if the girl chooses Guy A or Guy B. I think that's so redundant.

Thanks for taking the time out to hopefully recommend some great titles.

A YA horror that has been popular is Anna Dressed in Blood but it is very much a teen romance, so you might not like it.
 

Ed8350

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Thanks for the recommendation but no if it's romance heavy it wouldn't be my cup of tea.
 

Sam Artisan

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Can I get some fantasy or adventure recommendations with really compelling characters? I'm looking for stuff that will leave me grinning at the interactions and dynamics, like The Adventure Zone or the first half of Good Omens.

Thanks!
 

ULTRAGOTHA

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Can I get some fantasy or adventure recommendations with really compelling characters? I'm looking for stuff that will leave me grinning at the interactions and dynamics, like The Adventure Zone or the first half of Good Omens.

Have you read the rest of Terry Pratchett yet? If you want to stick with YA go for his Tiffany Aching books and The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents.
 

Sam Artisan

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Have you read the rest of Terry Pratchett yet? If you want to stick with YA go for his Tiffany Aching books and The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents.

I've read a good deal of Terry Pratchett! I loved Maurice :) However, I was hoping for something a bit more modern, as he's 1. A really huge name in the genre and I've been told not to use huge names for comp titles and 2. most of the work I love by him is pretty old...
 

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I'm looking for some lighter YA contemporary! Something in the vein of Anna and the French Kiss or Fangirl, if that helps -- I prefer books without hard-hitting political issues, life-threatening diseases, etc. :)
 
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Hbooks

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Kasie West writes a lot of light romantic YA. Nothing heavy. Jenn Bennett also has released several YA contemporaries The Anatomical Shape of a Heart, which I really liked, and Alex, Approximately, which was okay. I haven't read her most recent book. They're both pretty light. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda is cute. Geekerella by Ashely Poston is super adorable if you like contemp fairy tale retellings and fandom. Tell me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum is such a cute book. Love that one. The next two books in the Anna and the French Kiss series are cute, too. I'm looking through my book list and realizing most everything I read is pretty angsty, but those are all light and cute. Hope you find something you enjoy!