Young Adult Fiction for the Adults out there
I’ve bumped into several excellent works of fiction over the last couple of years that were squirreled away in the Young Adult section in the bookstore. Gone are the days when the dividing line between young adult fiction and adult fiction were defined by the quality of the story lines and the writing. Nowadays, the quality is equal in many ways and the line is blurring. I suspect that some adult fiction authors write for Young Adults as a change of pace from their main writing. I also think that the Young Adult genre may also be a bit easier route to publishing for some authors. In any case, the story lines have become more complex and authors appear to be giving the YA world a lot more credit to be able to understand appreciate higher level stories and subject matter.
Here are some authors and titles I recommend from the YA section in your local bookstore.
1. Patrick Ness- The Chaos Walking trilogy
The Knife of Never Letting Go(2008), The Ask and the Answer(2009), and Monsters of Men(2010)
These novels tell of a time in the future where planets are colonized after Earth becomes uninhabitable, and, in particular, a planet where Todd Hewitt and his family reside. Where Todd lives, everybody (men and animals) can read each other’s thoughts in what’s called the Noise. The women are gone. And where your thoughts are not your own, your life isn’t always your own, either. Todd finds that what he’s asked to do as he reaches manhood is more than he bargained for, and sets off on his own, with his mother’s journal containing a message for him and with the mayor’s men on his trail. He meets Viola, a girl who is a sole survivor of a crash landing of another ship, and they travel together to find a safe place. Unbeknownst to the two, the land they’ve inhabited is not all what Todd’s been told. Through conflict, racial tolerance, honesty, love, and loyalty are all tested. The three books deal with all of these issues without watering them down for the audience. The writing is top-notch and the story lines keep the reader engaged throughout. The Knife of Never Letting Go won the Guardian Award, the Booktrust Teenage Prize, and the James Tiptree, Jr. Award. Monsters of Men won the 2011 Carnegie Medal.
All three of the books are a compelling read and can teach us adults a few lessons along the way.
Patick Ness Bibliography
The Crash of Hennington(2003)
Topics About Which I Know Nothing(2005)
The Knife of Never Letting Go(2008)
The Ask and the Answer(2009)
Monsters of Men(2010)
A Monster Calls(2011), from an original idea from Siobhan Dowd
See Patrick’s website for the latest. He seems like a genuinely nice guy.
2. John Connolly- The Book of Lost Things, The Gates/ The Infernals
John Connolly is better known for his Charlie Parker detective novels, but he has crafted wonderful stories in these YA books.
In The Book of LostThings, David is alone in his room and mourning the loss of his mother. His shelves of books are a comfort to him, and one day they begin to whisper to him. Little by little, the line between David’s imaginary worlds in his books and the real world blur until he finds himself in another land where things are not always as they appear, there are good and evil characters, and a king who has a book that might contain the secrets to this place. At times dark and frightening, there are also those who are noble and care for and help David. It has a wonderful feel of a new fairy tale for today’s society, with the requisite heroes, villains, and mystery. This was the first non-detective novel of Connolly’s that I read, and got me started reading the other YA books as they came along.
The pair of related books, The Gates and The Infernals, tells of an ordinary boy, Samuel Johnson, and his dog Boswell, who happen across some curious goings-on in their neighborhood at 666 Crowley Ave. while out trick-or-treating early. By coincidence, Samuel and Boswell happen to find that a hole is being opened up in the universe, through which the gates of Hell can be seen and where demons have hatched a plan to pass through to Samuel’s side. The demon world in Connolly’s works are dysfunctional with all the same relationship problems and faults we ourselves have, and these stories have a good dose of wry humor built in, making the overall experience for the reader quite enjoyable.
John Connolly’s website with lots of good information
3. China Mieville- Un Lun Dun
China Mieville’s fiction is self-described as “weird”, a blend of fantasy, fiction, and complex settings, storylines, and characters. Un Lun Dun is a break from his traditional work and is based on an alternate London, or UnLondon. Zanna and Deeba, two girls who are the main human characters, find themselves drawn into this alternate London, populated by the creatures and animated objects that have been discarded in the real London. An evil Smog moves through Un Lun Dun and threatens all who live there. Zanna is thought to be the chosen one to save Un Lun Dun, but Deeba turns out to be a better fit for that role, and with the help of the denizens of Un Lun Dun, manages to save them all.
This story is a quick read and holds the reader’s attention throughout. It’s imaginative and well-crafted for young adults as well as the older crowd.
4. Marcus Zusak- The Book Thief
A fascinating story, set in Nazi Germany and narrated by Death. This book is widely read in schools and has been on the NYT children’s bestseller list for a long time. A very well written and poignant story, it should be required reading for all adults as well.