Posts Tagged "ya fiction"

Last night, I had the opportunity to see young adult author A. S. King at my local bookstore, the Clinton Book Shop. I loved her debut novel The Dust of 100 Dogs, and something tells me that I am going to enjoy her latest book, Please Ignore Vera Deitz just as much. She did read some portions of the novel last night, and that makes me want to hurry up and get through the book I’m reading so I can start on Please Ignore Vera Deitz. I love hearing an author read from her own work, it gives an extra dimension to books that you can miss out on when you read a book in your own little vacuum. Of course, I also soaked up lots of valuable information mostly on books and publishing, though perhaps the most interesting tidbit I picked up was learning that I...

If you like great gritty and realistic fiction, get your hands on a copy of Split by 2010 debut author Swati Avasthi. This YA novel tells the story Jace Witherspoon, who flees an abusive father to try and start a new life with the older brother who escaped years before. But for Jace escaping from his past will take more than a long road trip and some new friends. Split has some scenes that had my heart racing, including a few where I was so worried about what would happen that I wanted to do what I do while watching a horror movie – close my eyes. Problem is, it’s hard to read with your eyes closed. Thankfully, I was brave and kept my eyes open and was able to enjoy of Swati’s novel. For fans of realistic fiction, I highly recommend...

What is it about the end of the world that makes for such good reading? The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan was recommended to me by a few different people whose book opinions I value, so I was pretty sure I was going to like this book even before I read the first page. I hesitate to describe this YA novel as a “zombie” book even though it is set in a post apocalyptic world filled with zombies, because the style of the book is so different from more traditional zombie books. It’s more of a really good post-apocalyptic novel that happens to have zombies in it. Okay, that description isn’t any good either. What it is is a really good book. Read it. I came a bit late to Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games series, and only just read...

When I finished reading Dirty Little Secrets by C. J. Omololu, I had the overwhelming desire to help my mom cut down on some of her clutter. As much as I complain about my mother’s tendency to hang onto things that she doesn’t need, she’s got nothing on Lucy’s mom in Dirty Little Secrets. This YA novel takes a look at the serious issue of hoarding. It was a powerful novel that pulled no punches. A warning to those who like me have a tendency to read while eating, you might want to avoid eating while reading this one as some of details get a bit graphic. This is a great novel that tackles a serious subject that hasn’t had much, if any, literary...

The book Uncle Silas by J. S. Le Fanu has been on my to-read list for awhile after reading about in some magazine article I have long since forgotten. My Dover Publications copy has a line at the top of the cover that describes it as “A Victorian Gothic Novel of Mystery.” It’s sort of like Pride and Prejudice with a thriller element thrown in, and a tad less romance. It tells the story of Maud Ruthyn who lives a sheltered childhood with her somewhat eccentric father, and upon his death finds herself going to live with her mysterious, at times frightening Uncle Silas. I was quickly drawn into the book, and despite its age, the novel didn’t have that dated quality to it. It still seems fresh. By the end when things get really exciting, I...