So I've been on a YA kick here lately. Can I just say that YA has come a long way since I was a teen? Books like this didn't exist when I was younger. Maybe it was because by the time I hit 14 I was already reading adult romance and everything else paled in comparison, but I swear I don't remember books that were written for my age being this dang good. Because they are DAMN good!
I got my first taste of the new YA when Harry Potter came out. I still remember reading the very first book while I was confined to a hospital bed, hooked to an IV of antibiotics, 37 weeks preggars with the twins. I was bored out of my mind, and I had bought the first few books, just never got around to reading them. I wasn't going anywhere, so why not? Right?
The series had been out for a few years. I think there were four books out by the time I decided I'd heard enough hype and wanted to try it out for myself. I barely made it through that first book. But it WAS written for 11 and 12 year olds, so I made myself continue. The second book was okay, and little more meat to it, but still definitely written for a much younger audience. Then I got to Prisoner of Azkaban. Wait. What? By the time I got to Goblets of Fire, I was a rabid fan. And my appreciation for the YA genre grew. I've re-read the last four books at least twice and some of them as many as five times. Yep, all 800 plus pages...five times.
I took a break from YA after this, until I started hearing about this Katniss Everdeen and something called The Hunger Games. Everywhere I turned, someone was mentioning this series. I finally picked it up. Guys, I was floored when I read this first book. This was YA?!?! I suddenly felt like I had been gypped as a kid. I don't remember stuff like this. I thought Harry Potter was some rare phenomenon. But no! There was Katniss and a dystopia that completely blew me away. What else was out there?
I unfortunately don't have a lot of time to read, but what I seem to be devouring when I do is YA.
I've become a huge fan of The Lux Series by Jennifer Armentrout. For anyone who knows me, being able to hook me on a series that revolves around aliens is a HUGE feat. I don't like aliens--there's a history there I won't go into...and no, I wasn't abducted and probed. But I don't like aliens. I refuse to watch movies with them in it. I did watch Signs under peer pressure from my friends and I still can't walk past a TV that is turned off without remembering that scene and getting completely freaked out. So why I decided to give this series a try, I have no idea, but I am so glad I did. HUGE fan. Huge.
Right now I'm reading Inbetween by Tara Fuller, and I'm having a heck of a time putting this book down. The tagline is: Death Doesn't Fall in Love. Usually. It's not a comedy. It's not lighthearted. It's dark, raw and filled with emotion. And it has completely drawn me in.
I have a list of other YA books I want to read and are priority as funds become available. Single mommy here :) But soon I hope to be adding All the Broken Pieces, Flawed, Greta and the Goblin King and My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century. (the samples I downloaded were amazing!)
And I must admit, it's pretty awesome going to the two teens who live in my house and saying, "Guys, I just read an awesome book. You have to check it out," and not get into trouble with their parents. LOL. It also gives me something to talk about with them. A connection that wasn't there before. I'm just looking forward to the time I can do this with my own kids. Just a few more years. Right now, we're still Magic Treehousing it :)
So have you read any good YA lately?
Abby
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