Summer Reading, Part 2

I know you’re probably not a teen if you’re reading this article, but I hope you’ll stay with me anyway. After devouring teen fiction back in the sixties, I took a long hiatus once I discovered Victoria Holt and her cohorts. But recently, I’ve rediscovered the Young Adult section. Don’t think “Sweet Valley High” here, I’m talking about literature that’s well written, with subject matter that mirrors what we find in adult fiction. If you haven’t read teen literature lately, you need to check out one of these titles.

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak comes up frequently when intense readers start tossing around titles. The story entwines the Holocaust, death, defiance and heroism in beautiful prose. Or, try Banished by Sophie Littlefield, full of fast-paced action, drama and romance, with a few zombies and healers mixed in on the side.

I’m fascinated with the surge of dystopian teen fiction. As a result, Divergent by Veronica Roth is next on my reading list, and I’m hoping it is as good as the Catching Fire series. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi sounds like another excellent choice for fans of that genre. Matched by Ally Condie reveals what happens when teens rebel against The Society, tiring of life without freedom of choice. The best thing about all of these titles: they’re first in a series!

If you’re a mystery fan, try the fun whodunit, The Deadly Sister by Eliot Schrefer. It will keep you guessing until the end. Fallen, by Lauren Kate, tells the tale of Luce, sent to reform school only to learn that it’s full of dark, dangerous secrets. In Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater, Grace discovers that one of the wolves in her backyard seems hauntingly familiar. An Iowa teen is sent to prison for a heinous crime, leaving behind a legacy of secrets in These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf. And in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (the title alone makes it worth investigating), the mixture of eerie photographs with a thrilling story add up to a chilling read.

If you prefer nonfiction, try The Naked Truth: Young, Beautiful and (HIV) Positive by Marvelyn Brown, an inspirational memoir that is both cautionary and inspiring. Smile for the Camera is the memoir of then-teen Kelle James, who fled an abusive father and entered the 1970s New York model scene. Enjoy a summer read!