Comments on: Guest Blogger: YA Reader and Reviewer Kelly Brennan

By: Allison Brennan

Allison Brennan — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:15:27 +0000

haha, I would love to take a class like that! But unfortunately my small christian school only offers Honors english!

By: sophie littlefield

sophie littlefield — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 07:21:45 +0000

UNWIND is a truly unique, moving book. It stayed in my head for weeks after I finished it. It also had the distinction of making my most unsentimental friend cry, which is pretty impressive!

By: sophie littlefield

sophie littlefield — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 07:19:55 +0000

I’m late to read this post, but I loved the comment “Authors often ‘over enunciate’ plots” – I’ve never heard it said quite that way but I do think that is a great way to describe one of the pitfalls of writing for teens.

I have my own teenagers weigh in occasionally when I get stuck. I have to be very thickskinned because they don’t mince words

Great list of reads. Have you read THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH (Carrie Ryan)? Based on your list I think you might like it…

By: Gammin

Gammin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 02:47:31 +0000

It was bizarre reading this, because I feel THE EXACT SAME WAY.

I am heartily sick of reading Adult Authors who cross into YA for the money and simply don’t know how to write the genre.

I am sick of bad Twilight clones. How many have there been now, 30? 40?

You spoke beautifully. I have no doubt I’ll read a book written by you one day.

By: Jill James

Jill James — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 02:45:29 +0000

Kelly, thank you for the YA recommendations. Went to BN today and got Unwind. Just read the first couple of chapters but….um….it is amazing. Very deep. Very dark. And very believable.

By: Sarah Ockler

Sarah Ockler — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 02:14:39 +0000

Hi Kelly & Allison!

Kelly, thanks for the well-written and thoughtful post.

I think some of the issues you pointed out actually keep YA from finding an even larger audience. There are so many smart, clever, unique YA stories out there, but they’re not always easy to find or well-promoted.

If you’re looking for YA mystery, check out the LuLu Dark series – I really enjoyed that. For fantasy, have you read Beautiful Creatures, Eyes Like Stars, or Prophecy of the Sisters? I found them to be unique and very non-Twilight (in a good way). I also loved the Mortal Instruments series.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts. I look forward to your blog!

By: Danae ayusso

Danae ayusso — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:24:48 +0000

I’ve never heard anyone in my life say bull poopie, even my 4 yr old says bullshit. I understand where you are coming from though, I have used effing instead of f*cking because it is less vulgar. Sometimes though, you have to us urbandictionary.com to find another word for penis since it is constantly changing in slang. Nice article overall. Thanks

By: Krissi Dallas

Krissi Dallas — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 23:34:06 +0000

Wow, Kelly… you would totally fit in with my 8th grade Pre-AP students at school! We have these conversations all the time. I’m a middle school Pre-AP teacher AND a new author of a YA cross-genre series called Phantom Island. So much of what you said aligns with the feedback my students give on their independent reading interests, too. When we read and discuss YA fiction in class, a lot of the time the students and I agree that it’s obvious some of these YA writers have NO INTERACTION with teens since their own teenage years because, well, it shows. I enjoy hearing from my audience… teenagers just don’t sugar coat how they really feel about a book. You seem to fall in that category, too. LOL. Thanks for the insight.

By: Jill James

Jill James — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:26:01 +0000

I’ve just started reading YA books. My favorite so far is Hunger Games. We didn’t have YA when I was a kid, I went straight from Little House on the Prairie to romance novels. I’m keeping Kelly’s list and I think I’ll try some new authors.

By: Alice Kasey

Alice Kasey — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:35:31 +0000

Thanks so much, Kelly, for giving us a teen readers insight on the YA category. I’ll agree that there are way too many of the same types of books out there, but there are some authors showing us others how to find your unique voice and show different sides of the paranormal/fantasy. that’s what I’m trying to do with my own story right now and I’m reading tons of YA books to make sure my idea is unique. Have you tried Aprilynne Pike’s Wings, or Wonderous Strange by Lindsey Livingston (unique takes on faeries)?