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Monday, April 11, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books Everybody Skeptical About YA Should Read

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.
To take part, just pick your top ten, and add the link here.

So, lately in the few months, I have encountered people in the book reviewing world, that don't like YA. And it seems it's because they feel they have either outgrown it, which is fine, or they just assume it's for kids. Well, I am almost 30, and I really love YA, particularly YA Fantasy/Sci-fi. I have kind of gotten bored with most YA Dystopian books, but that's a different matter. Here are some books I think would be great introduction books to YA.



I'm not sure how much I can say about this, that hasn't been said by every other person who's read this book/series. I assume that one of the main reasons why people don't like YA is they assume the characters and dialog are immature or something. I'm not really sure. But this is one of the best High Fantasy books/series I have ever read.







No surprise that this book is on, yet again, another list. It's a YA Sci-fi book, with a hinting of dystopian, but it's mostly focused on the Sci-Fi elements of the story. There isn't anything I can say that I haven't already said a thousand times.


If you don't want to commit to a series, this is  fantastic Stand-alone Urban Fantasy story. Set in a world where a small town resides next to a forest with Fae. Holly Black's other Standalone (Coldest Girl in Coldtown) is also a great option.
Mermaids, Mermaids can be a difficult being to write a book about that doesn't feel like something for children. All the watered down tales out there (no puns intended) with Mermaids would make it easy to assume that. These Mermaids are not nice, they are scary. 





If you haven't read this book/series yet, what are you doing with your life? Go, go either buy the books, or get them from the library. This series is fantastic. And it's Brandon Sanderson, so it has to be good right?






Another fantastic standalone. Well, it's kind of a spin-off standalone to the Across the Universe trilogy, but you don't have to read that series to read this book. There's one really vague easter egg to the series that only people who have read those books will catch.  This book is really good, and I can't wait to read what Beth writes next.




I was hesitant to read this series because I thought it was about shape-shifting boys. And I thought they turned into ravens. I hadn't really read the synopsis at that point. But I borrowed them from the Library and boy am I glad I did. This series is sadly coming to an end soon, and I am really nervous about how it will end.






Fairly unknown author and series. Got it from NetGalley, and it was one of those gems of a book. I am really weird about any form of media that has anything to do with time travel. But this book did it in a way that was really compelling and interesting. Not cheesy and cliche the way it tends to be.





I feel like I shouldn't have to even mention this book/series. But I am going to anyways. These are fairy-tale retellings, and while I do love a good retelling, and these are good retellings, what I love most about this series is that it doesn't completely feel like a retelling. The other thing I love are the characters, even Queen Levana. The quality of a book can be measured by the quality of the villain, and Levana is a damn good villain.





What is great about this book/series... the MC is not a fighter. It is actually shown on multiple times that she is terrible at combat. Her strength lays with her mind. She has a great strategic mind. It's so painfully rare for a female protagonist to have the strength of her mind, and it actually be shown. Also, too often we are just told that a character is smart, and then they just constantly make terrible decisions and act really stupid.  Not this time. This time, we get to see how smart she is. It can be annoying that character, not even just in YA a character's strength is only shown as a physical strength.

11 comments:

  1. I am a huge fan of the Raven Cycle series, I need to get the fourth book. I believe it is out now. YES. Can't wait.
    My TTT Award Books

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  2. I am not a skeptic, I am a card carrying YA reading adult!! I actually haven't read any of these series, though I hear about The Lunar Chronicles and The Raven Boys series a lot! Maybe I need to invest in a library card. :)

    My TTT.

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  3. I loved the Lunar Chronicles, but that is the only book on here that I have read. I have all the other ones on my massive TBR shelf, but haven't gotten around to them yet. Great list!

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  4. I used to read a lot of YA and I found some really good books during that time. But I gradually got tired of it being the same plots over and over ie full of love triangles & instaluv, which I hate, whiny boy obsessed MCs, school bullies and too much annoying teen angst. I know they aren't all like that but I'm no longer prepared to plough through 30 books like that to find the one good one!

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  5. Ohh such a great list !! I'm currently reading the third book of the Falling Kingdoms series and I love it !! Just as Gates of Thread and Stone.. so gorgeous !! And I love the Lunar Chronicles !!!

    I really like your take on the topic as well, great choices. I've chosen something different ^^

    http://freyjaeatsbooks.blogspot.nl/2016/04/top-ten-tuesday-120416.html

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  6. The Falling Kingdoms always catch my eye due to those awesome covers. I have those on my list, and Darkest PArt of the Forest too. And... I'm always looking for good merfolk stories that aren't hokey, so I'll definitely look at that one.

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  7. I have to admit scary mermaids caught my attention. I also need to start The Falling Kingdom series and now own the first two. I read the first book in the spin-off series so I know I like Rhodes' writing style. I also love Holly Black but haven't gotten to this one yet. Great list and thanks for sharing!

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  8. The Body Electric and Falling Kingdoms are both on my tbr :)

    Thanks for visiting my blog!

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  9. I have found a new appreciation for YA Genre. I have just started reading Cinder and it is great so far! Great list!

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  10. The Darkest Part of the Forest was amazing! I'm glad it made your list :)

    My TTT

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  11. I love The Raven Cycle.
    My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2016/04/12/top-ten-tuesday-52/

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