I predict that YA Literature in the next few years will broaden its scope and appeal and we will find realistic fiction again on the Top Ten Lists for teens. Yes, I am aware that Catching Fire, based on the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, is a box-office hit this Thanksgiving weekend, and I am sure that the last book in the series will be just as popular with movie-goers. Next up will be Victoria Roth's trilogy: Divergent, Insurgent, and Allegiant. The teens I know either hate or love the ending of Allegiant (no spoilers here).
Fantasy, science-fiction, and dystopian literature will always have their place in YA literature, but well-written realistic fiction is making a huge comeback. A few examples:
John Green's The Fault in our Stars, the story of two kids who meet at cancer camp and fall in love, has been the biggest book of the fall for teen book clubs, including my own Puma Readers. "Don't forget to be awesome," is the memorable line from that story that you may see on posters, in blogs, and probably soon on t-shirts (abbreviated as dftba).
John Green always delivers a great story and real characters. He totally deserves the promotion and attention this book has received, both in literary reviews and by the big-box chains such as Barnes and Noble. The success of The Fault in our Stars has also revived interest in some of his other titles, both recent (Paper Towns) and "classic" titles (Finding Alaska). What other author inspires young adults to look you in the eye and tell you that this book changed their lives?
National Book Award finalist Carrie Arcos visited our school for Teen Read Week to promote her first book, Out of Reach, about the impact on a suburban family of a son on drugs who is "out of reach." Don't look to this well crafted YA novel for happy endings, but teenagers loved this book,with word-of-mouth propelling this book from hardcover to paperback in its first year of publication. Carrie Arcos has a second book coming out in 2014 . . . stay tuned. She's young, lives in a multicultural neighborhood in Los Angeles, has a great ear for dialogue, and is not afraid to tackle serious subject matter honestly.
The success of Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, about a high school freshman so traumatized by a rape at a party that she cannot speak, struck a chord with teenagers a few years ago, and is now on many high school reading lists. Be forewarned: boys and girls react very differently to this book, and you may be shocked by the reaction of many young teen boys.
On the other end of the realistic fiction spectrum, Janet Tashjian continues to delight with her humorous fiction. Vote for Larry and The Gospel According to Larry languished on my shelves for a few years but are popular again. In the same genre are Jerry Spinelli (Star Girl), and the delightful Rachel Cohn, prolific author of Gingerbread, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, and many other great YA titles.
YA publishers, take note! Don't send humorous and realistic fiction to the slush pile, and stop trying to clone the fantasy/dystopia titles that have won such huge followings. None of these recent realistic fiction successes are "quick reads" or
"high-low" books -- they are beautifully written, with characters that
teens can identify with, but challenging reads. Good books always find their audience, and the YA audience is turning once again to real stories with real characters with real problems, funny or serious, and they will reward authors who don't talk down to them.
