Seven Authors to Read if You Love If I Stay

Earlier this week, I re-read If I Stay because I’m seeing the movie TODAY. I can’t wait! I’m stocked up on tissues and everything. After I finished the re-read, I decided to look for books that had a similar feel to If I Stay. Truthfully, it wasn’t an easy task and in the end I decided not to focus on specific books but authors who weave tales that might appeal to fans of Gayle Forman. Here’s what I discovered:

 

 

Laurie Halse Anderson

Out of these three books, I’ve only read Speak, which is a must-read for the YA category. Speak addresses serious issues in a high school setting, and is simple, forward and real. The Impossible Knife of Memory and Wintergirls are on my to-read list.

 

Sarah Dessen

Dessen writes relatable romances about real-life issues. Her tales have strong female leads, unique situations and take place on the beautiful Carolina coast. I’ve read a handful of her books and I’ve never been disappointed by the hopeful nature of her endings.

 

Gayle Forman

Okay, so this might be cheating a little bit. But if you love If I Stay, then Where She Went is the logical next step. And I can’t say enough nice things about Just One Day and Just One Year, Forman’s other series, which is a love-at-first-sight European adventure.

 

Anna Jarzab

 

When I read All Unquiet Things, I was awed. The Opposite of Hallelujah didn’t have quite the same effect on me but it did have a killer Harry Potter reference (that I still remember even though I read it over a year ago!). Both stories are captivating tales about the intricate binds of relationships.

 

 

 

E. Lockhart

We Were Liars is a summer story in the simplest sense, but it's also a thrilling mystery, a twisty-turny tale of life and death and, of course, lying. Even though this is the only book of Lockhart’s I’ve indulged in, I can’t wait to meet Frankie Landau-Banks. I plan to before 2015!

 

 

 

Jandy Nelson

In The Sky is Everywhere, Lennie is reeling from her sister’s sudden death when she gets caught between two boys, one who helps her forget and one who helps her remember. The theme of music swings through this beautiful and honest story. I’ll Give You the Sun will be released September 16!

 

 

Lauren Oliver

Panic is about pushing yourself to the brink. It’s about taking risks, indulging danger and feeling immortal as only teenagers can. It’s about courting death for the chance to escape. Panic is a profound, quotable, heart-pounding thriller. It’s greatness reminds me that I need to read more Oliver, and soon!




What authors do you recommend for fans of Gayle Forman?

 

15 Must-Read Teen Books: 2014 Update

Shortly after I started this blog two years ago, I compiled a list of 15 must-read teen books. It's highly subjective and based on what I’ve read, but it also represents a variety of genres within the YA category. I’ve updated the list twice since then, in 2013 and now, in this 2014 update!

For those new to YA, this list provides an introduction to YA. Which books on the list would you pick up? For avid YA readers, what are your must-reads? Do we share ten, five or possibly even none?

Anna and the French Kiss: Stephanie Perkins (new)

Anna’s senior year in a Parisian boarding school is an adventure, especially when she meets Etienne St. Clair, a Parisian/English boy with a great accent. Their friendship and budding romance is a swoon-worthy YA relationship with an equal balance of realism and fairy tale. This is Anna’s first year on the list.

Boy Meets Boy: David Levithan

This is an expertly crafted book about a boy who loves another boy and the crazy unique high school that they attend. Its ground-breaking impact continues to be felt in YA, especially as it reached the 10th anniversary of it's publication last year! This is Boy Meets Boy’s second year on the list.

 

Code Name Verity: Elizabeth Wein (new)

This historical fiction novel isn’t your typical WWII tale. A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France with two best friends, the pilot and the passenger, on board. What follows in this Printz Honor Book is a fierce, forward, expertly plotted story. Code Name Verity is a new addition to this year’s must-read list.

 

Divergent: Veronica Roth

When Tris Pryor chooses to leave her family behind for the danger of the Dauntless, she has no idea the hard work, controversy and consequences that will come. Roth creates a magnificent dystopian tale where Tris, Four and others are not only in the midst of the action, they are the action. This is Divergent’s second year on this list.

Eleanor & Park: Rainbow Rowell

The relationship of Eleanor and Park is not only moving, but makes for an astounding and unputdownable read. It's ground-breaking in its realness and their love is relatable in its imperfection. A Printz Honor Book and the newest book on this list (published in early 2013), Eleanor & Park is a YA gem.

 

Graceling: Kristin Cashore

Katsa is a strong, Graced but flawed girl struggling to break from her uncle's control. Her world is medieval fantasy and full of magic and mystery. This novel is one of my favorite YA reads, and due to the fact that I’ve loved it for over four years, Graceling has graced this list since the beginning.

Heist Society: Ally Carter

Kat Bishop is from a family of thieves but strives to use her skills for good, which equals an intriguing yet mischievous female Robin Hood. Carter writes light-hearted novels that are fun yet entrancing reads. Heist Society is the first in her second series and has been on this list since its conception.

If I Stay: Gayle Forman

Mia is in a coma after a devastating car accident that took the lives of her family. In an out-of-body experience, she relives past events and watches her friends and family gather around her. Will she join her family on the other side or wake to the everyday struggle that is life? This is a profound, moving YA book about the importance of choices and the will to fight. The movie adaptation's coming to theaters on August 22!

 

Levithan: Scott Westerfeld

Westerfeld writes an alternate version of WWI in a story that pits the Darwinists (British, French) and their living creatures against the Clankers (Austro-Hungarians, Germans) and their war machines. Imaginative, full of action with sprinkles of history, this tale is on the forefront of YA steampunk and has been on this list three years running.

Shadow and Bone: Leigh Bardugo

When Alina, a lowly mapmaker in the nation of Ravka, discovers an ancient and terrifying power, she's whisked away by the mysterious yet alluring Darkling. Bardugo crafts an intriguing, new tale with layers of Russian legend and lore. This debut for Bardugo is the first in a trilogy and it’s appearing on this list for the second time. 

The Book Thief: Marcus Zusak

This historical fiction novel has quickly become a modern classic. Narrated by Death during the Holocaust, the story follows Liesel and her life in Nazi Germany. This is a fascinating, powerful tale and a new take on this time in history. The Book Thief has been on my must-read list since the beginning.

The Fault in Our Stars: John Green

Hazel and Augustus are both teens dealing with cancer. Theirs is a love story for the ages and is already a record-setting bestseller for YA. With the movie release just over a month ago, this novel has cleared a place in pop culture history. I added TFIOS to this list last year, shortly after I read it for the first time.

The Giver: Lois Lowry

A classic dystopian novel, this is a quick, intriguing read that leaves the reader thinking. A precursor to today's dystopia and a permanent fixture on this list, Lowry created a classic in her telling of Jonas and his seemingly perfect world. The movie adaption will be in theaters next month.

The Hunger Games: Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games will likely be immortalized as the poster-child for YA dystopia. In a televised fight to the death in a futuristic world where the U.S. has fallen and the Capitol controls twelve districts in a grueling manner, one girl starts a revolution. With the Mockingjay: Part I in theaters this November, this series is now a household name. It’s been on this list three years running.

Throne of Glass: Sarah J. Maas (new)

Celaena Sardothien is an assassin brought before the king not to be sentenced to death, but for a chance to win her freedom in a competition to become the king’s champion. But there’s evil lurking at the edges of the castle, and possibly even inside. Throne of Glass is one of my favorite YA fantasies and I’m thrilled that the third book in the series is less than two months from publication! It’s new to the list this year. 

 

Thanks for reading!

John Green: YA Superstar... and savior?

With the release of The Fault in Our Stars movie just weeks away, I’m seeing John Green everywhere. (Not in person, though that’d be so cool!) He was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2014, TFIOS was EW’s cover story last week and the nerd-hero was featured on Buzzfeed. John Green has exploded into a household name (or close to) and while that’s great, I’m worried about the ramifications of his celebrity status on YA.

Don’t get me wrong, I love John Green. I’ve read TFIOS and all his books except one (I’m saving Looking for Alaska but I’m not quite sure why). I watch vlogbrothers semi-regularly. I live in Indianapolis and feel a certain kinship.

But with all the press around TFIOS, articles about Mr. Green and his bestsellers are appearing everywhere and not all of them are accurate. They’re turning him into the savior of YA contemporary fiction—even the savior of YA overall—from the awful dregs of vampires and supernatural romance and UGH fantasy. (Sarcasm, because of course I love fantasy.)

This has been on my mind a lot in the past month, but I didn’t know how to put it into words. So luckily someone did it for me. But she did it WAY better than I ever could have. Last week, Justine Larbalestier tweeted THIS blog post by Anne Ursu. The article not only hit on my feelings but went into more depth than I ever could have. I even learned a thing or two. (And it reminded me that even though I may be a YA expert in the bookstore where I work, there are many more seriously intelligent and tuned in YA experts out there that have years and years of experience with YA, MG and the publishing world.)

Anyway, I LOVE this article. Oh, and THIS one too, where a YA librarian with over 20 years of experience (and over 2000 YA books read?! WHAT?!) addresses the recent media portrayal of YA.

And one more, because who doesn’t love an accurate and interesting portrayal of John Green that just happens to have been published by my hometown newspaper. (I didn’t go searching for this one—it popped up on my feed as a pleasant surprise!) Key to this one’s accuracy: they didn’t try to interpret John Green’s success and explain his impact on YA but just let John speak for himself.

So if you’re a YA enthusiast, expert or merely an occasional reader, keep a steady diet of don’t-believe-everything-the-media-tells-you because sometimes they’re right and sometimes they are more than wrong. Sometimes they actually do their research and sometimes they say things just to say things.

Don’t let the bestsellers define a genre. Don’t let one author’s spotlight throw the rest into the shadow. And for goodness sakes, read diversely.

 

Reviews: Sequel Sensations

Sequels are lovely creatures. They are highly-anticipated continuations of the stories and characters we love. I usually have mixed emotions, as I’m both eager to read the next adventure and hesitant of the possibility that the sequel could let me down. Here are a few reviews of sequels that lived up to the hype, at least in my opinion!

Altered – Gennifer Albin

Released October 29, 2013

After reading Crewel, I immediately dove into Altered, its sequel. Even though Altered is a continuation of Adelice’s story, it’s a book of discovery as well. Adelice is on a new world, meeting new people while still on the run from Cormac. And if it wasn’t hard enough to be on another world, Adelice has to deal with the fact that this world moves slower, so her sister is quickly spinning away from her on Arras. This was a delicious, unanticipated twist. Speaking of unanticipated events, what happened between Adelice, Erik and Jost in this sequel took me completely by surprise. I don’t want to spout any spoilers, but I would like to say that it’s a mark of a great writer when she can make me weary of one character only to make me re-think my assumptions and grow to love him in the sequel. And all with words! I can't wait for the third book in the series, as I crave more of the Karios Agenda, Falon, Adelice’s sharp tongue and of course more developments on the Adelice-Erik-Jost front.

Independent Study – Joelle Charbonneau

To be released January 7, 2014

Sequel to the dystopian thriller, The Testing, this book ramps up talk of a rebellion while piling on action with conspiracy. Cia has moved on to Government Studies and subsequently been distanced from the only person she trusts in Tosu City, Tomas. One of the things that I love about this series is how deeply Charbonneau delves into Cia’s thought process. Also, I adore that Cia is a strong, smart and unapologetic female lead (even though this is becoming more common, it’s still refreshing!) I feel like Cia’s extracurricular adventures will catch up with her soon, especially after the cliffhanger at the end of this book! Speaking of, I appreciated that the cliffhanger was just right: not too big, not too small and just frustrating enough. I can’t wait to dive into Graduation Day, the next and last book in the series!
 

Just One Year – Gayle Forman

Released October 10, 2013

There was a point very early on in Just One Year where I could not set it down. It’s odd because I knew how it ended from reading Just One Day, as this is less of a sequel and more of a companion. In Just One Day, Allison and Willem have one glorious day together in Paris, but are separated. Just One Year is Willem’s story of the following year, as he searches for his mystery girl (because he never learned her actual name). So, even though I assumed their story would end at the same place, I needed to know Willem’s side of the story. I needed to know how he got to that apartment where Allison introduced herself, one year after their one day. I love almost everything about this book, notably the traveling and the everyday experiences that were both menial yet great. The only thing I wanted was more of an ending for Willem and Allison. I understand Forman’s creative choice, as they truly don’t know one another (as they did only spend one day together), so it would be unrealistic to provide them with a happily ever after moment. However, that didn’t stop me from wanting more, as a reader and as a romantic.

15 Must-Read Teen Books: 2013 Update

Just about a year ago, I gathered a list of the top 15 must-read teen books (that can be found in the teen section in a bookstore). At the time, I thought it was a pretty solid (though slightly subjective) list. Recently, I took a look back and decided I would change a few things. (That happens with time.) So here’s my 2013 update, with many repeats, but with some new (though not necessarily newly published) and awesome teen books!

All Unquiet Things: Anna Jarzab (new)

Truthfully, this should have been on last year's list. All Unquiet Things is murder mystery set in California. It’s intelligent, intriguing and profound not to mention one of the best teen books I read in 2010. Jarzab's debut continues to impress me, as well as her follow-up works The Opposite of Hallelujah and Tandem.

Boy Meets Boy: David Levithan (new)

This is an expertly crafted book about a boy who loves another boy and the crazy unique high school that they attend. Its ground-breaking impact continues to be felt throughout the YA genre, especially as it’s celebrating its 10^th anniversary this year.  

Divergent: Veronica Roth (new)

When Tris Pryor chooses to leave her family behind for the danger of the Dauntless, she has no idea the hard work, controversy and ultimately the consequences and heartbreak that will come. Roth creates a magnificent dystopian tale where Tris, Four and others are not only in the midst of the action, they are the action.

Eleanor & Park: Rainbow Rowell (new)

The relationship of Eleanor and Park is not only moving, but makes for an astounding and unputdownable read. It's ground-breaking in its realness, and their love is relatable in its imperfection. This is the only book on my list published in 2013, and it's quickly becoming a headliner of YA.

Ender’s Game: Orson Scott Card

Ender's tale is not only a teen mainstay but a science fiction classic as well. With the story soon to grace the big screen, the popularity (and controversy) will surely increase in the coming months.

Graceling: Kristin Cashore

This is Cashore's debut novel, and a repeat on this list. Katsa is a strong, Graced but flawed girl struggling to break from her uncle's control. Her world is medieval fantasy, and the story is definitely worth the read. Katsa appears in the sequel Bitterblue and briefly in the companion Fire.

Heist Society: Ally Carter

Kat Bishop is from a family of thieves but strives to use her skills for good, which equals an intriguing yet mischievous female Robin Hood. Carter writes light-hearted teen novels that are fun yet entrancing reads. Heist Society is the first in her second series, and is a repeat from last year on this list.

If I Stay: Gayle Forman

Mia is in a coma after a devastating car accident that took the lives of her family. In an out-of-body experience, she relives past events and watches her friends and family gather around her. Will she join her family on the other side, or wake to the everyday struggle that is life? This is a profound, moving YA book about the importance of choices and the will to fight. This is its second year on this list.

Levithan: Scott Westerfeld

Westerfeld writes an alternate version of WWI in a story that pits the Darwinists (British, French) and their living creatures against the Clankers (Austro-Hungarians, Germans) and their war machines. Imaginative, full of action with sprinkles of history, this tale is not only a repeat on this list, but on the forefront of YA steampunk.

Shadow & Bone: Leigh Bardugo (new)

When Alina, a lowly mapmaker in the nation of Ravka, discovers an ancient and terrifying power, she's whisked away by the mysterious yet alluring Darking. Bardugo crafts an intriguing, new tale with hints of Russian legend and lore. I devoured this debut as well as its sequel Siege & Storm and am anxiously awaiting the third and final in this must-read trilogy.

The Book Thief: Marcus Zusak

This historical fiction novel has quickly become a modern classic, and is a repeat on this list. Narrated by Death during the Holocaust, the story follows Liesel and her life in Nazi Germany. This is a fascinating, powerful tale and a new take on this time in history.

The Fault in Our Stars: John Green (new)

Hazel and Augustus’ story caused my heart to break and to leap with joy (though not at the same time). Admittedly, I took my time picking this one up, which is why it's not a repeat this year but a new addition. It will surely be a bestseller, must-read and feat of YA fiction for years to come.

The Giver: Lois Lowry

A classic dystopian novel, this is a quick, intriguing read that leaves the reader thinking. A precursor to today's dystopian sub-genre and a repeat on this list, Lowry created a classic in her telling of Jonas and his seemingly perfect world. Son, the last in the Giver quartet, was released just last year.

The Hunger Games: Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games will likely be immortalized as the poster-child for YA dystopia. In a televised fight to the death in a futuristic world where the U.S. has fallen and the Capitol controls twelve districts in a grueling manner, one girl starts a revolution. With the movie sequel to be released this November, if you haven't heard of the awesomeness of this trilogy, then I don't know where you've been hiding.

Thirteen Reasons Why: Jay Asher

This thought-provoking novel lists the thirteen reasons why Hannah committed suicide. It's a heart-wrenching, masterfully-written story and a must-read for the YA genre (as it's a repeat on this list). Asher has only one other YA novel, The Future of Us co-authored with Carolyn Mackler.

 

Let me know your thoughts! Thanks for reading!