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Young Adult Fiction

Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak - Melinda Sordino starts the school year as an outcast. Her friends won't talk to her, because at the end of the summer she called the police at a party and got everyone busted. What her friends don't know, however, is why she called the police. Nor do her parents, or anyone else for that matter. Because Melinda is saying as little as possible this year. An emotional and redemptive (but also dryly funny) novel and spot on in its depiction of high school life.

Elizabeth Chandler

The Dark Secrets Series: No Time to Die, Legacy of Lies, Don't Tell, The Deep End of Fear - Set in the town of Wisteria, Maryland, these four novels are delightful gothic lite--each stars a plucky, self-confident heroine facing a slightly supernatural situation. Like popcorn: fluffy, tasty, ultimately not very filling, but awfully fun.

Christopher Paul Curtis

Bucking the Sarge - If there's anyone who crafts more hilarious, endearing characters and situations than Curtis, I can't imagine who it could be. Luther T. Farrell aims to be one of the great philosophers someday but in the meantime, he's pretty busy, working at the Happy Neighbor Group Home for Men, going to school, and trying to avoid the wrath of his mother, the Sarge. A fascinating novel with some pretty complex themes and a most interesting anti-hero.

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Sarah Dessen

A wonderful new young adult author, Dessen creates incredibly vivid characters with complex, realistic relationships. There's no easy shortcuts, no unrealistically dramatic scenes--every bit just feels so much like real (young adult) life.

~New!~ Dreamland - Caitlin's sister runs away instead of going to Yale and Caitlin falls apart as a result. She becomes a cheerleader, starts smoking a lot of pot, and dates a guy who hits her. In the wrong hands this would be moralistic tripe, but Dessen's even-handed writing gives interesting insight into how you could possibly stay with someone who hit you. The tension as Caitlin's abuse builds is almost unbearable.

Keeping the Moon - Formerly fat Colie is packed off to visit her eccentric artist aunt while her workout queen mother goes on tour. She works at the local diner, and makes friends with the waitresses there, and learns that all she needs is a little push to start standing up for herself and appreciating her life. You'll cheer when Colie begins to stand up for herself.

The Truth About Forever - Macy's boyfriend is going away to Brain Camp for the summer. Jason has been her one comfort since her father passed away, and she's not looking forward to spending the summer with only her busy mother for company. With compelling characters and relationships, this book is reflective and insightful, but never depressing.

~New!~ That Summer - Haven is fifteen and tall and her summer is spent working at a children's shoe store at the mall. Her family is consumed with preparations from her increasingly distant older sister's upcoming wedding. When she runs into her sister's ex-boyfriend, she's reminded of better times for the family. Like all good YA novels, Haven learns about life, and gets a backbone, and becomes a more self-actualized person.

E.R. Frank

Life is Funny � Great collection of vignettes about a group of high school kids whose lives are intertwined in intricate ways. Rich characterization, heart-rendingly complicated situations. Very moving and absorbing.

~New!~ John Green

Looking for Alaska - Miles Halter heads off to boarding school and meets and immediately falls in love with the unpredictable and exciting Alaska. Engaging characters, dream-like atmosphere, and suspenseful (the book is separated into two sections: before and after).

Mark Haddon

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time � Christopher is fifteen and autistic. This story is told through his unique viewpoint as he tries to solve the mystery of who killed his neighbor's dog, pass his A-levels and deal with everyday life. Compulsively readable and completely original, Haddon sucks the reader right into Christopher's world.

~New!~ Pete Hautman

Invisible - Told through the viewpoint of Dougie, who may not be the most reliable narrator, it's a gripping and suspenseful read. To say any more than this would spoil the mystery of this book. Well-written and impossible to put down.

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Tanuja Desai Hidier

Born Confused - This novel about a first generation American daughter of Indian parents finding herself is narrated with the charming voice of Dimple, who plays with language in an endearing and interesting way. If you liked Bend It Like Beckham and Monsoon Wedding, you'll love this.

~New~ Susan Juby - This series of novels stars Alice MacLeod, a Canadian girl who is one of the most eccentric, endearing, and hilarious characters I've ever read. Fabulous books!

Alice, I Think - Alice, formerly homeschooled, decides to attend school. Hilarious. Read-out-loud-to-anyone-nearby-hilarious.

Miss Smithers - Alice decides to compete in the Miss Smithers beauty (scholarship) pageant. Still hilarious.

Alice MacLeod, Realist at Last - Alice decides to try her hand and screenwriting. The results? Hilarious.

Kathe Koja

Buddha Boy - An interesting exploration into friendship, faith and karma, this book is filled with realistic and interesting characters, especially Jinsen, a character that readers will not easily forget.

~New!~ David LaRochelle

Absolutely, Positively Not - Funny and charming novel about a teenage boy coming to terms with his homosexuality. Yay for light and funny gay teen lit! Better than those scarring books where the poor gay kid is victimized, terrorized and humiliated (and those are recommended ya books! Sheesh!)

David Levithan

Boy Meets Boy � Set in an alternate universe (sort of) where gay is okay, Paul becomes the first openly gay third-grade school president and helps form his school's first gay-straight alliance (mostly to help the straight kids learn to dress and dance). Paul is now in high school, where the quarterback and the head cheerleader is the same person--a drag queen named Infinite Darlene--and where he meets cute new boy Noah. This completely charming book is a fabulous antidote to the scores of horrible "being gay is bad and will ruin your life" young adult books. It's not about gay or straight�it's about friends and love and family.

~New!~ Sarah Mylnowski

Bras and Broomsticks - Rachel is a normal Jewish girl growing up in New York City, who wants nothing more than to be popular, have a boyfriend, grow breasts and stop her father from marrying her evil Soon-To-Be-Stepmonster (STB for short). When she comes home one day to discover that her younger sister Miri is a witch, as is her mother, she begins to make all sorts of plans to make her dreams come true. Very cute YA chick lit.

Louise Plummer

The Unlikely Romance of Kate Bjorkman - Well-told first person ya romance (set in St. Paul!) with funny, memorable characters.

The Romantic Obsessions and Humiliations of Annie Sehlmeier - Another charming ya romance, this one set in Salt Lake City.

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Dyan Sheldon

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen - Drama queen Mary Elizabeth moves from Manhattan to New Jersey with her mother and two bratty sisters, renames herself Lola, and sets about shaking up her suburban high school. Lola is a hilarious character and the story, as told through her melodramatic perspective, is equally hilarious.

Vivian Vande Velde

Being Dead - These seven stories are all wonderful and range from gently creepy to out-and-out horror. One story made me gasp aloud. The stories are definitely dark, but very good.

~New!~ Heir Apparent - A girl gets trapped in a virtual reality game and has to replay the game until she can win and escape.

~New!~Now You See It - Wendy finds a pair of sunglasses on her front lawn and finds that she can see things beyond the normal world, including a doorway to another world, where she meets a variety of interesting characters including one of her own ancestors.

The Rumpelstiltskin Problem - The author starts by deconstructing the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale and points out what a weird and sort of stupid tale it is. Then she proceeds to write six new versions of the tale that twist the story in some new and interesting way. Very well told.

Tales from the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird - There's nothing I love better than a little fairy tale retelling and Vande Velde is a master of writing humorous fantasy. For more fairy tale retellings, see the Classics/Fairy Tales page.

~New!~ There's a Dead Person Following My Sister Around - Vande Velde takes pretty standard elements (a haunted house, sibling relationships) and makes a great story from them. Surprisingly serious and quite suspenseful, this is a great mystery for kids.

Scott Westerfield

So Yesterday - Hunter is a cool hunter who meets Jen while admiring her innovatively tied shoelaces and soon they become involved in a kidnapping and a complicated consumerist scheme. It's an excellent look at coolness and trends and consumerism and features likeable, endearing characters. Great for pop culture addicts of all ages.

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Updated 2/26/06

Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Email me at schka46[at]hotmail.com.

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