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I'm looking for some excellent YA literature - what would you recommend?

This question is for Sarah. Most of my fun reading is YA lit - I love Chris Crutcher, L.M. Montgomery, and Cynthia Voigt. I like the Lemony Snicket books, Harry Potter, and Percy Jackson books fine. I pick up other things here and there in the YA section of my local used bookstore, but would really appreciate some leads on new authors!

I like books with strong female leads (I really liked Weetzie Bat when I was young, less so now) and people of color protagonists and strong writing.

Grown-up authors I love are Octavia Butler, Lorrie Moore, Lynda Barry, Jason Lutes, Sherman Alexie, Junot Diaz. I don't know if this helps. Any advice is welcome.

honeyandlocusts asked in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago | Report

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    Abby Bass

    Hello there,

    I'm a librarian for the teenagers in Seattle and I read a TON of YA fiction. I also happen to share several of the same favorite grown-up authors as you, so I have a feeling you may enjoy some of my favorite YA books as well. Here are a list of some YA books with strong female protagonists and excellent prose that haven't been mentioned yet (and you can find them all at the Seattle Public Library):

    How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

    To get away from her pregnant stepmother in New York City, fifteen-year-old Daisy goes to England to stay with her aunt and cousins, with whom she instantly bonds, but soon war breaks out and rips apart the family while devastating the land.

    http://seattle.bibliocommons.com/search?t=smart&q=how+i+live+now

    Imani All Mine by Connie Rose Porter
    Beautifully written, at times heartbreaking, story of an African-American teenage mom growing up in a tough urban neighborhood. The teenage mom, who narrates the book, has an incredibly compelling voice.

    http://seattle.bibliocommons.com/item/show/2105771030_imani_all_mine

    Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

    Through journal entries sixteen-year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. First in a series

    http://seattle.bibliocommons.com/search?t=smart&q=life+as+we+knew+it

    A Room on Lorelei Street by Mary Pearson

    To escape a miserable existence taking care of her alcoholic mother, seventeen-year-old Zoe rents a room from an eccentric woman, but her earnings as a waitress after school are minimal and she must go to extremes to cover expenses.

    http://seattle.bibliocommons.com/item/show/2530064030_a_room_on_lorelei_street

    Annabee mentioned E. Lockhart, who is generally fantastic but has produced a few clunkers. I have to give a special shout-out to The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, because it is so so so good. Frankie is a sophomore at a prestigious boarding school whose older boyfriend Matthew is a member of a secret society. When the boys won't let her join, Frankie infiltrates the society and makes it do her bidding. Razor-sharp humor and smarty-pants references to postmodern theory & situationist politics make this a very fun read.

    http://seattle.bibliocommons.com/search?t=smart&q=disreputable+history+of+frankie+landau-banks

    Since you mentioned Lynda Barry & Jason Lutes as two of your favorite authors, I figured you wouldn't be adverse to a few graphic novel suggestions.

    Local by Brian Wood (auth.) & Ryan Kelly (ill.) is a graphic novel that follows the life of Megan McKeenan, a young woman who leaves Portland to find herself. There are twelve interconnected stories, each set in a different city. Readers get to watch Megan grow up and figure out who she is and where her true home is over the course of 12 years.

    http://seattle.bibliocommons.com/item/show/2536947030_local

    Aya by Marguerite Abouet (auth) and Clement Oubrerie (ill)

    Based on the author's memories of growing up in Cote d'Ivoire in the late 1970s, this light-hearted comic follows the everyday lives and romantic entanglements of Aya, a independent-minded 19 year-old and her friends and family, who live in the working-class neighborhood of Yopougnon in Abidjan, the capitol city. First in a series

    http://seattle.bibliocommons.com/item/show/2398345030_aya

    If you enjoy fantasy at all, there are several great authors writing wonderful teen fantasy with strong female protagonists. Three authors that come to mind immediately are Tamora Pierce, Kristen Cashore, and Shannon Hale, whose books all feature fierce, resourceful and ethical young female characters. You can't really go wrong with any books by these authors.

    I hope you enjoy these titles, and the other great suggestions that other Questionlanders have offered here. Don't forget that librarians at Seattle Public Library are ALWAYS happy to offer more suggestions for good books. Just shoot us an email and we'll get back to you within 24 hours with a list of good books to read.

    http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=info_help_ask_email

    Cheers, and happy reading!

    Abby Bass answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago | Report
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    I highly recommend Graceling and Fire for strong female characters. Both feature young women with various gifts who are put into harrowing situations that they handle with strength and intelligence. Also, these books are on the liberal side when it comes to morals. There's no hemming and hawing around teen sex. It exists in these books and no one thinks anything negative about it.

    Sloggerette answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago | Report
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    I'm a huge fan of I, Coraline.

    duckgirlie answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago | Report
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    Authors of YA books with strong female leads, people of color protagonists, and strong writing:

    John Green (strong writing)
    Justine Larbalestier (all three)
    M. T. Anderson (strong writing, some p.o.c. protags)
    Laurie Halse Anderson (strong female leads & writing)
    E. Lockhart (strong female leads & writing)
    Markus Zusak (strong writing)
    Jaqueline Woodson (all three)
    Garret Freymann-Weyr (strong female leads & writing)
    Melina Marchetta (strong female leads & writing)
    Nancy Werlin (strong female leads & writing)
    Rita Williams Garcia (all three)
    David Levithan (strong writing)

    It wouldn't be impossible to randomly pick three sucky books by authors on that list (all those authors are pretty prolific) but it would be pretty damn difficult. Plus anyone at your local indie bookstore or library will probably know who these folks are and be able to recommend the best ones for you.

    annabee answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago | Report
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    I assume you've read "Golden Compass" and the rest by Phillip Pullman. So wonderful.

    Misty Brown answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago | Report
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  • Sarah_small
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    Hi! So I could go on for days about books & authors I love. So are you looking for new authors or new to you authors? I also get the impression you lean toward contemporary fiction, is this true or do you like the occasional well written fantasy too?

    To start, a few of my personal favorites (not all YA, but read with the same ease):
    Megan McCafferty, Sloppy First
    Diana Peterfreund, Secret Society Girl
    Gayle Forman, If I Stay
    Abby McDonald, Sophomore Switch
    Sarah Durant, Birth of Venus
    Caprice Crane, Forget About It

    smeister answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago | Report
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  • Cedar_photo_small
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    All of the John Bellairs books rock my world. I really can't recommend them enough! They aren't female lead books but they feature nerds who are either chubby and unathletic or skinny and bespectacled. And there are always kick-ass older people main characters. And lots of magic. They've been around for awhile. I grew up reading them. You'll love them!

    I also love the Susan Cooper Dark is Rising series.

    Cedarthvader answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago | Report
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    Suzanne Collins series for Young Adults, starting with "The Hunger Games", then "Catching Fire" and the last of the trilogy "Mockingjay." The female lead, Katniss, reminded me of Octavia Butler's lead character in Parable of the Sower. This dystopian tale is right on the mark.

    sharpsassy answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago | Report
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    A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray! Have you read the most recent Weetzie book (Necklace of Kisses) or FLB's "adult" novel, Quakeland?

    My favorite YA rec that I haven't seen here (Sloppy Firsts is my all-time favorite) is Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison-- it's the first in a series of ten and the narrator is a gloriously bratty and self-centered 14-year-old British schoolgirl.

    Jessica answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago | Report
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    SE Hinton!!

    also, if you like Weetzie, you might like 'WAS' by Geoff Ryman

    Rev.Enant answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago | Report
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  • Subcultureoftwo_small
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    Don't forget Diana Wynne Jones (all volumes of Chronicles of Chrestomanci, Howl's Moving Castle, etc.). Excellent stuff. And most of Madeline L'Engle's works as well.

    Sacrelicious answered in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago | Report
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