#young adult literature
Started The Raven Boys this weekend as per my mother’s suggestion. Determined to finish it before the holiday weekend is out so I can catch up with her.❤️
(And please ignore the shredded corner of the cover…I have a kitten….)
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We Are Not Free by Traci Chee
Set in the United States during World War II, We Are Not Free by Traci Chee follows a group of American teens of Japanese descent. At first, life is pretty straightforward - the standard dramas of high school, the looming specter of adulthood on the horizon. Then, Japanese-Americans are removed from their homes, forced to leave most of their possessions behind, and relocated to camps. Inside the fence, life is different, but the teens are still teens: they love, they laugh, they dance, they fight, they play sports, they create, and they dream. Their circumstances initially bind them together, but everyone is unique, and eventually different ideas about how to respond to their internment threaten to drive everyone apart. Relocation, imprisonment, and even death are all distinct possibilities. College is one possible way out of the camp, for those who can convince the admissions office they are real Americans; another is the Army, which brings the dangers of fighting Nazis in Europe. Chee uses the voices of fourteen different teens to show many different perspectives, challenges, and circumstances, and weaving all those threads into one narrative highlights the power of community in the face of oppression.
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Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
I have not been reading a lot of YA this year but spotted this in Waterstones yesterday and I just had to get it! Cinderella is one of my favourite fairy tales, and this book offers such an interesting and original twist on the classic tale. So far I have been enjoying it, and think it would have a great Christmas gift for any fans of fairytale retellings!
As a WoC, it is also great to see another WoC as a central character in a YA novel where her colour is not a plot point. She’s already got the patriarchy to deal with, and she’s rocking that!
I am only an Ally myself, but I can imagine how great young adults from the LGBTQ+ community must feel to see themselves in here as well!
Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman
Thank you @hotkeybooksya for sending me a copy of the book!
I was very excited to read this YA novel, an Indian-inspired story (it’s going to be duology actually), set in a land where magic, a prized resource, is the only thing between peace and war. When magic runs out, four estranged royal siblings must find a new source before their country is swallowed by invading forces.
At a personal level, it is always great to see how the YA community is growing, creating a space for rich and diverse stories from different communities and cultures. To see not only a small ‘italicised’ mention of a familiar word or a phrase, but a whole book (duology eventually) be that immersive, from the characters names, backgrounds, clothing, foods etc. made me very happy.
It’s took me a while to get fully immersed into the story, as all the different characters were introduced and the plot was set up, but once it kicked off, I found myself yelling at the characters, ‘omg please just talk to each other’ and when they did I was cheering for them saying, ‘see this is why communication is key!!’ There we’re a lot of twists and turns, and it was a fun experience to watch it all unfold!
Riya and Kaleb were probably my favourite characters, and I am looking forward to reading the next book to see where they go next!
Picklemen beware. On November 3rd, we shall Finish what was started.
Finishing School Book the Last: Manners & Mutiny:Add it to your shelf.
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R.I.P. to all the books I read in middle and high school that I can’t remember their names or plot but know that I thoroughly enjoyed them
With This Free Short Film, Meet Author, Hero, Super Star: Jason Reynolds
Jason Reynolds is shaking and shaping the landscape of Young Adult literature. He is talking about real life in a voice that is unlike one that most teens have read before. He is being noticed. He has won numerous awards (John Steptoe New Talent Award, finalist, National Book Award for Young People’s Literature,Walter Dean Myers Award,Coretta Scott King Award honor in 2016, 2017, and 2018, NAAC…
teenage boys in young adult novels: greed bows to me. it is my servant and my lever. there was no part of him that was not broken, that had not healed wrong, and there was no part of him that was not stronger for having been broken. it’s shame that eats men whole.
teenage boys in real life: i bet you can’t eat that entire pizza by yourself-
teenage boys in real life: oh yEAH? WATCH ME-
i love YA fiction but it’s so funny to me that a bunch of sixteen year olds are walking around murdering people and sacrificing themselves for love and martyrdom and the Greater Good and i’m sitting here doing calculus like “yes this is relatable i too hold my enemy at sword point and would be easily able to knock out a man three feet taller than me” whereas in reality i can’t win an arm wrestling match and i leave the house once every three months
Edward Francis Burney (1760-1848) was a British illustrator and portraitist born to a family of artists. His illustrations were featured in a 1791 edition of his cousin, Fanny Burney’s novel, Evelina.EdwardBurney included satire and wit in many of his illustrations and was influenced by the British artist and satirist, William Hogarth (1697-1764).
This Burney illustration, Degenerate Bees, is featured on the title page of Elegant Extracts. His original sketch includes the quote “tis industry our state maintains”. This book includes a different quote. Beneath the illustration on the title-page is a quote from the Roman poet Horace’s Satires, “studio fallente laborem.” This phrase roughly translates in English to “enthusiasm deceives hard work.” The idea is that hard work doesn’t seem so bad if you enjoy it, like children educating themselves through “useful and entertaining” renditions of the classics.
Image from:
Elegant Extracts: Or, useful and entertaining passages in prose, Selected for the Improvement of Young Persons: being similar in Design to Elegant Extracts in Poetry. London: Printed for J. Johnson…, 1808.
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“We got so much!” screeches Willow.
We’re clearing Hopper Street, headed home. I’m the navigator. Ian’s humming ’80s songs. Between us, Willow marches, wide-eyed, already dreaming of the sugar overdose she’s about to experience after Mom investigates every piece of candy.
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I’m absolutely in love with this artwork @inkandowl did for How to Be Remy Cameron! I can’t get over how he perfectly captured Remy, Ian, and Willow’s costumes; the joy on Willow’s face from making a killing trick-or-treating; Ian’s expression and Remy realizing, “Oh no, this guy is hot and kind of perfect.” Everything about this is adorable and I couldn’t be happier.
Please, if you share/repost the artwork, credit TJ Ryan. You can also give him a follow: @inkandowl@quinndreaming
How to Be Remy Cameron is available now!
Thank you so much to @mavilez for this beautiful artwork of Remy Cameron and his dog, Clover. I can’t get over how perfect this is. From Remy’s expression to his clothes to the sticky notes and POP ETC memorabilia, this art definitely captures the beginning of How to Be Remy Cameron and Remy’s journey to learning who he is.
If you repost/share the above art, please be sure to credit the artist. She’s super talented and deserves all the recognition for her amazing art.
How to Be Remy Cameron is available now!
So… I have some exciting news:
I’M WRITING MORE BOOKS!
I’m so grateful that my next YA book, RIGHT WHERE I LEFT YOU, will be published by Viking/Penguin in Spring 2022. Can’t wait for everyone to meet Isaac, Diego, Davi, and all the other characters in Isaac’s journey.
