Confession: I don't like most YA Fiction

[MolotovCocktail]

Yeah, I felt I would just get this out here. To be honest, I think most Young Adult fiction sucks. The reason I don't like it is because I find that most of these books nowadays are nothing more than some cheap way to advertise. Another thing that I find is that they have a very predictable plot (in some cases none whatsoever) or just otherwise require no thought or imagination to get through them. Also, I find that they are starting to be used as a cheap way to get around the censors (e.g. books about raping some 12 yr old, etc.) Another thing that I'm finding is that they are beginning to become more like reality TV shows.

Now I'm not saying that all YA fiction is bad, there are some good ones (e.g. Chronicles of Narnia). But unlike the good ones, the ones that I describe, such as the garbage my younger sister reads (i.e. some book called The Uglies by a representative in MTV), are clearly nothing more than a way to advertise or just otherwise belong in the adult section.

 

[Urien]

...are you a young adult?

If not then...

 

[MolotovCocktail]

I'm 19 yrs old, so yes.

 

[Urien]

I don't think YA books are aimed at nineteen year olds.

 

[MolotovCocktail]

Well, I guess technically they are aimed at people between the ages of 12-17, which was around the time I read those books and then stopped reading them for good. But that isn't the point. The point is that I'm criticising the way they are written and used.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Nope, YA books are aimed at kids much younger than 17.

The books you are complaining about sound like they might possibly be series books where the packager owns the basic concept, setting, etc. and they hire authors to write the books (sometimes under somebody else's name), or books based on games, TV shows, etc. (hence your remark about advertising).

If this is what your sister is reading, I think you would find that the adult equivalent has many of the same faults.

But if you are saying that books for teenagers seem to be heavy on issues like child abuse, etc ... well, it depends on how the subject is treated as to whether they are trying to bring some understanding to these issues or are just exploiting them. And there are certainly a lot of quality YA books out there that are more fun to read.

 

[Kailana]

Young adult fiction is better, in my opinon, now then it was when I was reading them. Or, maybe my interests have just changed. I just know that I read more young adult books now than I did when I was a young adult...

 

[dsmith]

I read young adult fiction all the time, since I work as a children's librarian, and I feel there are a lot of great ya books out there.I have also just started helping with the ordering of ya books, and just ordered a bunch that sounded really good!There are ya books of all genres, including some great sci-fi, fantasy and horror books, which are what I read the most. I don't care for the more realistic novels, which would include the ones about child abuse, ect., but there are some that are well written. I personally enjoyed Scott Westerfeld's books Pretties, Specials, and Uglies, although they weren't my favorites.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I guessed you were a librarian (going by your user-title) but I had no idea you were a children's librarian. That's useful to know!

What has come into your library recently, in the way of Juvenile or YA Fantasy or SF, that you think is really exciting -- particularly anything new?

 

[dsmith]

I guessed you were a librarian (going by your user-title) but I had no idea you were a children's librarian. That's useful to know!

What has come into your library recently, in the way of Juvenile or YA Fantasy or SF, that you think is really exciting -- particularly anything new?

These are the newer books I have read recently and really enjoyed:
J- Little Fur the legend begins by Isobel Carmody, The Fog Mound book1 Travels of Thelonious by Susan Schade and John Buller, The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless by Ahmet Zappa
YA- The Death Collector by Justin Richard, Changeling by Delia Sherman, New Moon by Stephaine Meyer (sequal to Twilight), Storm Thief by Chris Wooding, Gideon the Cutpurse by Linda Buckley-Archer, Bloodline by Kate Carey, and The Lost Journals of Van Polypleme: The Floating Island by Elizabeth Hayden. There are a lot of other ya sci-fi and fantasy books on order right now that I plan to read as soon as they get in!

 

[fancying_fantasy]

That's cool that your a librarian! Maybe you should come work at my local library, they could seriously use help in the area of what a good book is.

I'd have to agree with atomika. Alot of what's out there for teen's is not that great. To me it's seems like lately all that comes out are books about Preps and Clinque's. My sister and I call these books FuFu books, because they're worthless. Although not all the books that are coming out for teens are dumb, just seems like everyone is on a kick for FuFu books.

And I think we should start worrying a little when books for teens/YA have too much adult or touchy subject matter. My mom read a book, not to long ago that glorifies eating disorders and rebelling against your parents. She said it was a very haunting book. Then our Library proceded to put it on display as recommended reading. (Scary!)

 

[BookStop]

These are the newer books I have read recently and really enjoyed:

Gideon the Cutpurse by Linda Buckley-Archer,

I have that book at home right now - a customer loaned it to me, thought I owuld like it, but I'm having trouble getting into it. Did you find the beginning a little predictable? I'm only 60 pgs or so in.


I love good YA fiction. EL Konigsburg, Lois Lowry, and Ann Brashares(and Rowling) are my current favs. Oh, and O'Brien, writer of Mrs. Frisby. One of my favorite passtimes is discussing books with my kids, so I read a lot of what they read. It's funny how much we'll enjoy the same books for the same reasons.

 

[dsmith]

That's cool that your a librarian! Maybe you should come work at my local library, they could seriously use help in the area of what a good book is.

I'd have to agree with atomika. Alot of what's out there for teen's is not that great. To me it's seems like lately all that comes out are books about Preps and Clinque's. My sister and I call these books FuFu books, because they're worthless. Although not all the books that are coming out for teens are dumb, just seems like everyone is on a kick for FuFu books.

And I think we should start worrying a little when books for teens/YA have too much adult or touchy subject matter. My mom read a book, not to long ago that glorifies eating disorders and rebelling against your parents. She said it was a very haunting book. Then our Library proceded to put it on display as recommended reading. (Scary!)

Yeah, there are a lot of bad books out there too, and unfortunately if we get enough teens requesting those books, we end up getting them. I don't put them on any of the displays though. And we try to balance it out with finding the good quality books to order also, and putting those on displays and recommending them.

 

[dsmith]

I have that book at home right now - a customer loaned it to me, thought I owuld like it, but I'm having trouble getting into it. Did you find the beginning a little predictable? I'm only 60 pgs or so in.


I love good YA fiction. EL Konigsburg, Lois Lowry, and Ann Brashares(and Rowling) are my current favs. Oh, and O'Brien, writer of Mrs. Frisby. One of my favorite passtimes is discussing books with my kids, so I read a lot of what they read. It's funny how much we'll enjoy the same books for the same reasons.

It took me awhile to get into Gideon the Cutpurse, but once I did I finished the whole book and enjoyed it. Lois Lowry is one of my favorites too- especially The Giver, Gathering Blue, and The Messenger. Great books! I also liked Mrs. Frisby, and the others in the series too.

 

[Melanie Nilles]

That's cool that your a librarian! Maybe you should come work at my local library, they could seriously use help in the area of what a good book is.

I'd have to agree with atomika. Alot of what's out there for teen's is not that great. To me it's seems like lately all that comes out are books about Preps and Clinque's. My sister and I call these books FuFu books, because they're worthless. Although not all the books that are coming out for teens are dumb, just seems like everyone is on a kick for FuFu books.

That's not a recent phenomena either. It's been that way for twenty years at least. Every now and then you'll find something worthwhile, but they're few and far between.

 

[kcs_hiker]

Yeah, I felt I would just get this out here. To be honest, I think most Young Adult fiction sucks. The reason I don't like it is because I find that most of these books nowadays are nothing more than some cheap way to advertise. Another thing that I find is that they have a very predictable plot (in some cases none whatsoever) or just otherwise require no thought or imagination to get through them. Also, I find that they are starting to be used as a cheap way to get around the censors (e.g. books about raping some 12 yr old, etc.) Another thing that I'm finding is that they are beginning to become more like reality TV shows.

Now I'm not saying that all YA fiction is bad, there are some good ones (e.g. Chronicles of Narnia). But unlike the good ones, the ones that I describe, such as the garbage my younger sister reads (i.e. some book called The Uglies by a representative in MTV), are clearly nothing more than a way to advertise or just otherwise belong in the adult section.

this is a late response..molotov may never read it, but...

I just finished Uglies and liked it a lot. I intend to read the rest of the series. I checked Scott Esterfelds bio and couldn't find anything about MTV.. so perhaps he's talking about something else.

Anyhow, I'm 48 and like a lot of the YA fiction out there. But I also recognize that most of it probably won't appeal to a 19 year old.

Perhaps you could try some ... erm.. more 'mature' fiction. There's lots.

 

[MandaG]

Maybe it's just me but I think the mojority of teens don't read. When I was growing up (admittedly I'm only 20, but still) I felt like a complete outsider for reading - nobody else did! Recently my friend and I have been reading our old childhood favourites - Point Horrors and all that. I was amazed to find someone who loved all them aswell.

Now I'm getting obsessed with Amazon - ordering old books I read when I was 12/13! lol