15 Must-Read Teen Books

…that can be found in the Teen (or YA) section

You may be wondering what qualifies me to make this list. Well, I’ll tell you.

I’ve been reading teen books since I was a teenager (roughly a decade ago now). After college, I got a job at Barnes and Noble and began reading teen ferociously. Now it’s four years later, and I’ve read dozens, probably hundreds of teen books (and I have the journals of reviews to prove it!) Reading and writing teen has become a passion for me.

Here are 15 books that stand out in the realm of teen fiction:

A Wrinkle in Time: Madeleine L’Engle

This is a classic fantasy adventure where Meg and her younger brother travel to fictional worlds to save their father. It’s been a mainstay of the teen and children’s section for decades.

Ender’s Game: Orson Scott Card

Another classic, however this one swings more toward science fiction. Ender is a genius and an inspiring revolutionary. Card has written many other Ender adventures as well.

Graceling: Kristin Cashore

This is Cashore’s debut novel, and it’s a gem. Katsa is a strong, Graced but flawed girl struggling to break from her uncle’s control. Her world is a medieval fantasy one, and her story is definitely worth the read. Also check out the companion novels “Fire” and “Bitterblue.”

Heist Society: Ally Carter

Carter writes light-hearted teen novels that are quick, fun reads. Heist Society is the first in her second series. Katarina Bishop, a girl from a family of thieves decides to use her skills for good. That plus her (boy)friend Hale’s involvement makes this a great read.

If I Stay: Gayle Forman

Life is about choices, and nothing better emphasizes this than Forman’s novel “If I Stay.” Mia is in a coma after a devastating car accident that involved her family. In an out-of-body experience, she relives life and watches her friends and family gather around her. Will she decide to fight to live or wither and die?

Leviathan: Scott Westerfeld           

Westerfeld writes an alternate version of World War I in his Leviathan series. This imaginative story pits the Darwinists (British, French) and their living creatures against the Clankers (Austro-Hungarians, Germans) and their war machines. Behemoth and Goliath are the second and third in this steampunk trilogy.

Matched: Ally Condie

This much-talked about debut takes place in a dystopian world where the Society matches its citizens for life. Cassia is matched with Xander, but she discovers he may not be her perfect mate. As the story deepens, Condie proves herself as an up-and-coming teen author. This book is followed by “Crossed”, and the final book in the trilogy, “Reached” is due in November.

Paper Towns: John Green

Margo is a stand-out girl who takes a seemingly normal boy, Quentin, on a late night adventure. Then, she disappears. As Quentin searches for her, he discovers her secrets. Green has many other soul-searching novels to his name, including “The Fault in Our Stars” and “Looking for Alaska.”

The Book Thief: Markus Zusak

This historical fiction novel has become a modern classic. Narrated by Death at the time of the Holocaust, the story follows Liesel and her life in Nazi Germany. If you’re looking for a multiple award winner and a fascinating read, this novel is for you.

The Giver: Lois Lowry

A classic dystopian novel, this is a quick, intriguing tale. A precursor to today’s dystopian genre, Lowry created a classic in her telling of Jonas and his seemingly perfect world.

The Hunger Games: Suzanne Collins

If you haven’t heard of the awesomeness of Hunger Games by now, then I don’t know where you’ve been hiding. This is an intriguing, dystopian book about a televised fight to the death. Unputdownable, as are the sequels “Catching Fire” and “Mockingjay.”

The Maze Runner: James Dashner

This dystopian fantasy opens with Thomas waking up in the Glade, knowing only his name. The mysteries compound from there. Dashner wrote a page-turning start to this series, and he continued with two equally impressive sequels and a prequel.

The Truth about Forever: Sarah Dessen

Dessen is an expert at real-life teen angst, as she writes about love and loss in today’s society. “The Truth about Forever” is about overcoming your past and taking risks for your future. Dessen has nine other stand-alone novels, with another coming in 2013.

Thirteen Reasons Why: Jay Asher

This thought-provoking novel is about the thirteen reasons why Hannah committed suicide. A heart-wrenching story and a must-read for any YA guru. Also check out Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler’s “The Future of Us.”

Wings: Aprilynne Pike

This fantasy book is a story of love and of self-discovery. Plus, it has fairies! A solid debut series, it is followed by 3 books, “Spells,” “Illusions,” and the finale: “Destined.”

Hopefully one or some of these awesome teen books made its way onto your reading list. Remember, every adult was a teenager at one point in their lives, so even if you think you’re too “grown-up” for the young adult section, I suggest you give it a chance. You might just be surprised at the greatness you find there.

Practice Makes Permanent

Day 4 of the Habits of Great Writers Challenge

Twelve years ago, I was a member of my middle school orchestra. (I played voila, thank you very much). The orchestra teacher was kind of psychotic, which is a great thing for a public school (please note my sarcasm) but she did teach our class one concept that stuck:

“Practice makes permanent.”

She stressed that even if you practice endlessly, you can’t guarantee that it will be perfect. If you practice the wrong hand position or the wrong finger placement, it will be permanent, and definitely not perfect. Therefore, practice makes permanent. It was a pessimistic lesson for a bunch of 7^th graders, but it was an important one.

In the case of orchestra, “Practice makes permanent” is a bad thing, or it can be. However, in the case of writing, it’s a good thing.

If you write daily, then it will become easier to pick up the pen or turn on the laptop and start pecking away. Writing 300 words a day will turn into 500 a day and even hopefully 1000 words daily. Luckily though, there’s nothing permanent in writing. That’s what editing is for. There’s just something permanent in the writing habit.

So I practice. I open my story document – saved on my Darth Vader USB drive (borrowed from my boyfriend) and I write. Some days I just stare. Some days I add comments: “This needs work.” “Describe the character here.” “WHERE’S THE TENSION?!”

You know, helpful reminders. A few days later, the document will be full of comments. Some days it so full of notes that it’s tough to look at. But with work, and a little writing, I can have it comment-clean and a few pages longer within a week. Then the writing, re-reading, editing, extending process starts again. It’s a long one, and it’s definitely confusing, but there’s always progress. And progress is the point, as well as creating the permanent, but not always perfect, writing habit.

Here’s some helpful blog posts on creating a writing habit:

Goins, Writer:  How to Form a Daily Writing Habit

Write to Done: 10 Steps to Create the Habit of Writing

Declaration to Society

I’ve said it once or twice. Maybe I’m closing in on a dozen times. But, here it is again: I am a writer. I tell stories. I dream in dialogue. And the Day 1 Habits of Great Writers Challenge was to tell someone that you are afraid to, or that might judge you. I didn’t have someone particular in mind, so I decided to declare it to society.

I made a sign, and embarked on a journey to campus. I enlisted my awesome boyfriend, Josh, to assist as photographer. At first, I was weary of the sign I carried around in public. I wanted to roll it up or at least fold it so no one would see. But, what’s the point in that?

It was tough as I posed with my sign. I wanted no one to be around, but I understood that wasn’t the point of the declaration. As we ventured into more trafficked areas of campus, I began to feel more comfortable carrying a sign that said, in colorful bold print: “I am a writer.”

Here’s my photo journey:

 


Just across the street from the parking garage, there is one of IU’s great antiquey clocks.



The Showalter Fountain: A mother from a tour group walked around to read my sign. My introverted self explained in short.



Stop! I’m a writer!

In front of the IMU, blocking one of the gated entrances.

No one needs to know what the sign underneath says. Except it might prevent a few crashes. Okay, I won’t leave mine there permanently.

It was such a beautiful day!

Woodburn Hall, where I spent a good portion of my time on campus.



Close-up.

Lost in the woods, or in my imagination.

And there’s my journey. Maybe I didn’t approach anyone (I’m still quite shy), but I didn’t mind the tour groups and their watchful eyes. I didn’t care if all the people walking by judged me. (Except the one time I held the sign upside down for a photo. That was a little embarrassing.) But, by the end, I was proud of my sign.

And that's what it's all about: being proud of who you are. 

Day 1: Declare (Postponed)

Yesterday I joined Jeff Goins' 15-Day Writing Challenge. Today the first challenge was extended. As my great idea on how to fulfill it expanded and congealed in my mind, I realized that I wouldn’t have the time or assistance to complete it today, a lonely Tuesday. My idea requires a photographer, some creativity and a bit of traveling. Therefore, I will prepare, and wait for the weekend. But in the meantime, here’s a temporary Day 1 entry:

My Letter to JK Rowling

Dear Joanne,

So, you are kind of my idol. And by kind of, I mean that I kind of want to be like you. The money would be nice, the paparazzi not so much. The reverence wouldn’t be so bad, who doesn’t want to be worshiped like the Queen? Also, the acts of charity that you can accomplish are one word: awesome! And hey, you have the freedom to WRITE what you want (I’m sure there’s some pressure involved).

But, then, I don’t want to be like you either. No offense, I promise it’s not a British thing.

(I looove London!)

I really just want to be: ME.

I want to find my own way, struggle on my own mountainous journey and—oh yes—write my own (hopefully magnificent) books.

That’s correct, Ms. Rowling, I am a writer. I’m not a published writer, but I am a writer. I am not a full-time, stay-at-home or freelance writer, but I am a writer.

And I just wanted to share that with you, the celebrity author that I adore.

*shouts* Hey JK, I am a writer!

Sincerely,

Jamie

P.S. Can you tell I'm a fan?

The Definition of Unputdownable

So I left off last time with this question: What do I write?

Well, I write teen. Usually fantasy adventure, occasional dystopian or historical. I’ve written about fairies in Ireland and resistance fighters in an alternate history of WWII Europe. I’ve written about a ghost of a girl watching her man die on Omaha beach. Did you know there’s a fairy portal in the backwoods of Kentucky? Neither did I, until I created it in my imagination.

Writing is imagination, for me at least. And I love it because it takes me away, to my own world.

So, why teen books?

I write teen because I haven’t really grown up, at least in my mind. I work 9-5, I pay my own rent and all that adult stuff, but I love the escape of teen fiction. There is something about the bravery of what teen authors are doing that really intrigues and entices me.

Just pick up Veronica Roth’s “Divergent” or Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler’s “The Future of Us” and you’ll understand.

And the teen genre—or young adult as some refer to it—is rising in popularity. Hunger Games, anyone?

As Lev Grossman, author of “The Magician," said in his New York Times article:

“Statistically speaking, most adults were young adults at some point in their lives, and some of us are still processing that experience. Young adult novels can be as powerful as anything out there. Read John Green's “The Fault in Our Stars," about teenagers with cancer. I did, and I'll be surprised if I have a more wrenching, emotional reading experience this year. Bottom line, there's one thing that young adult novels rarely are, and that's boring.”

If there’s one quality that I require in my reading (which I can hopefully exemplify in my writing), it’s that the books I read are unputdownable.

un·put·down·a·ble [adjective Informal]

(especially of a book or periodical) so interesting or suspenseful as to compel reading.

That’s what teen books are to me. So that's why I read and (am attempting to) write them.

Getting Used to Being a Writer

My boss told me that I am not a writer this morning.

Which I’m sad to say is true, in the sense of my job. At the Indie publisher where I work, I am not a writer. I’m not an editor, nor am I in the Editorial department. Therefore, I’m not supposed to comment on manuscripts, title queries, spelling, grammar, style or anything in relation to writing.

I am chained to a cubicle, where I can’t do what I love or help the authors I’m assisting with those kind of questions, who are also trying to do what they love. Though, maybe they don’t love it like I do (trust me I'm sure some don’t) but it is difficult to say that I can’t help them in that aspect.

But still I tell them no. Even though helping them will help my writing, it will not help my job.

Now, notice how I call it a job and not a career. I am lucky enough to have a job related to my dream career, and one that has taught me a lot about the publishing process. And even though I don’t write or edit at this job, I do help others as they move through our submission process. Which is kind of fulfilling. On occasion.

Anyway, back to my boss, he said: “You’re not a writer.” (Don’t worry it wasn’t out of the blue, it was in context to an author issue.)

So I told him: “Well that’s not true, but I’m letting him know that I can’t comment on his editing question, which is true.”

He didn’t say anything, but apparently I’m getting defensive now if people assume that I’m not a writer, even if I’ve never told them otherwise. Maybe that means that I’ll start telling people outright soon. You know, not in the removed safety of my blog, but in actual face-to-face conversation.

So I guess now I’ll have to come up with an answer to: “What do you write?”

Who am I?

I am a… reader. But, a writer?

The books along my wall say I’m a reader. They whisper it from their thousands of pages. My overstocked bookshelf dedicated to teen fantasy screams it pretty loud. My special Harry Potter shelf—British editions (be jealous)—have it scrawled into their spine.

I read, sometimes too much. But, am I a writer?

I was a writer in 3^rd grade, when I wrote a story about a hidden unicorn valley behind my grandparents’ house. In high school, I wrote about a horse stable fire in 18^th century England that turned one girl’s dream of freedom to a duty to stay with her family. And now, age undetermined, I write about assassins and soldiers in a dystopian future.

But for some reason, I’ve never considering myself a “writer.” Don’t you have to be a published author? Or at least have a publisher willing to print you? Even just have an agent that believes in you? Does a supportive boyfriend work?

Wait, are you saying I can just call myself a writer, and it will be true? I can just write every day, even if it’s only in my head, and consider myself a writer? Yes, that’s a question.

I write every day. Whether it’s quickly jotting down my dream from the previous night (intriguing in their impossibility). Or pulling open my latest draft on my lunch break. Or having a conversation in my head with two fictional people that I’d created seconds before. Or updating my to-do list.

Okay, I see how that last one doesn’t count.

So, maybe I am a writer. My Rowling-size dreams say I could be. Maybe if I believe it, I will act it, and then it will come true!  Even though that sounds fluffy and Disney-esque, it’s so happy! My dream can come true. So let’s start by saying it:

I AM A WRITER!

And a big thank you to Jeff Goins, who provided me a deadline to finally get this blog up and running. Please visit him and his inspiration at http://youareawriter.com/.