Political YA Fantasy?

[JCAllan]

Hello everyone.

I was just wondering if anyone knows of any explicitly political YA. I am toying with the idea of writing something along these lines but am not sure if there is any precedent for it. If you do know of anything I would be interested even if only to read it.

Thanks,

James

 

[Stephen Palmer]

Nothing springs to mind except Pullman's trilogy.

Maybe 'Viaduct Child'?

 

[JCAllan]

Thanks Stephen that's exactly the sort of thing I was looking for!

 

[JCAllan]

Anyone else want to suggest anything?

 

[Lenny]

I'm not sure about "explicitly political", but Jennifer Fallon's trilogies have political elements:

The Second Sons Trilogy (starts with Lion of Senet)
The Wolfblade Trilogy (s.w. Wolfblade)
The Demon Child Trilogy (s.w. Medalon)

The Wolfblade Trilogy is probably the most political out of the three.

 

[JCAllan]

Cheers Lenny. The Wolfblade trilogy looks good. Any more?

 

[JCAllan]

I have just stumbled across a great little book by Jan Needle. It is called Wild Wood and is a retelling of the Wind in the Willows from the point of view of the oppressed and exploited working class stoats and weasels. A hilarious book if you ever get the chanceto read it.

 

[soulsinging]

Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games seems to somewhat fit this mold. Maybe it's not so much explicitly political, but it definitely seems to have some heavy social criticism. A friend of mine just finished it and said she loved it... I plan to check it out myself soon. It's the first in a trilogy with the third book due out soon.

 

[JCAllan]

Thanks Soulsinging that looks like the sort of thing I'm looking for. I'm going to see if its availale in my library.

 

[Doctor Crankenstein]

I Just finished all ofThe Hunger Games. It's got some political elements in it but I dunno if it's to the extent that your looking for.

Before I read The Hunger Games I read a book by Sam Taylor called The Republic Of Trees. This may be more along the lines of what you are looking for. Has some pretty strong political/philosophical themes.

 

[Nesacat]

The Dark Materials books immediately come to mind and that has already been mentioned.

Another lot would be Malorie Blackman's books which I finished recently. definitely political and pretty harsh in what it portrays. Very well written and well-worth reading. The four books are - Noughts & Crosses; Knife Edge; Checkmate; Double Cross.