In Praise of YA Fiction

it's been a bad book week for me. I just can't keep to one book, and I'm finding it harder to get involved with those books that do hold my attention. Even the children's books are too long for me. Tragic. Maybe it's the weather. I'm too cold to think, and my reading brain cells are frozen. Maybe it's just life getting out of control - chasing a toddler who never naps anymore, a house under construction so finding things is more like a grand scale scavenger hunt (if you knew my house and the endless crannies hidden away, you'd understand). it seems i spend more time cooking, tidying, chasing said child, than reading.

so my reports have been tardy.

but the ones that have been able to hold my attention have been superb. Laura Wiess' How It Ends was nothing like what I expected. I expected (fearfully) a teenager's angst filled confessions, turned into a complex love story about secrets, and the ultimate decisions we make for love. It left me positively breathless. The cover is very understated. Just a dried brown leaf curling slightly at the edges, on a white cover with the title in script. But don't let that fool you. Sometimes the more plain the cover, the better the book. (Sometimes not.)

Then I picked up Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. I knew nothing about it. I didn't even know it was waiting for me. But the great thing about getting to know the librarians, is that sometimes, there are little surprises waiting for you at the front desk (very unlike the little surprises your potty training -resistant child leaves around the house. In the crannies and dark corners. or on the computer chair while watching Pingu).

Revolution is one of those delightful surprises. It has everything that I like. Mystery, a sense of urgency, a slight paranormal feel to it (very slight), and excellent music. The mystery that it takes on is that of the Lost Dauphin of France (Louis XVII whose mother was Marie Antoinette). The soundtrack though not audible to us necessarily, is still pretty excellent. Morrissey, the Smiths, the Ramones, Bach, Mozart. All of these and more make appearances either in discussion, or in lyrics.

Which takes me to my next thought. When I was growing up (that makes me sound old) the Young Adult Fiction that I remember, consisted of The Babysitter's Clubs, Sweet Valley Twins (later Sweet Valley High...) Nancy Drew, and that sort of thing. I did a lot of the Dragon Lance Fantasy Series. That was where I hung most of the time because I didn't really like the Nancy Drew or Baby Sitter's.

My point in saying this is, what a great wealth we have today for Young Adult Fiction. I am constantly amazed at the quality and the exceptional stories, complexities of issues brought up (but not in an After School Special sort of way). There is nothing lightly written, or of lower quality. Some of the best books I have read of late have been Young Adult Fiction novels. Just a couple years ago, I wouldn't dare admit that. But no more.

Of course there are still books that are less than great. Certainly. But the stigma of YA fiction being of lower quality is definitely lifting.

Just think about the Hunger Games phenomenon. Cassandra Clare's Mortal Devices series. Neil Gaiman's Coraline. Harry Potter. Percy Jackson. The Uglies and Pretties Series. The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Hush, Hush. The Looking Glass Wars. Eragon.......(Not to mention the sparkly vampires.)

Good Reads.com is a great resource for browsing the titles and reading a myriad of reviews. It's like Pandora.com for books. Love it.