Tag: YA fiction

Which YA authors do bloggers prefer?

It is no secret that I have recently grown to love YA fiction books and so I started to wonder what sort of YA books other bloggers were reading. The YA genre came to light for me when I watched a few Netflix series which stemmed from YA stories. Now I am absolutely hooked on YA and can’t get enough of it. In fact, I even decided to write my latest novel in this brilliant genre.

My shelves are fast filling up with YA novels. These are not my shelves but you get the idea.

Putting my feelers out, I asked fellow bloggers for their thoughts on Young Adult books. I have discovered that these books certainly do not just appeal to teenagers and have a wide audience. In my opinion, this is due to their ability to relate to modern life, their clever use of dialogue and their quick pace.

The following are quotes by some of my favorite bloggers about YA authors that they adore:

Smelly Socks and Garden Peas was excited about Rick Riordan’s writing. She says…

“Rick Riordan’s books seem to appeal to a really broad age range, they stretch the literacy of 8 yr olds but satisfy the fantasies of teenagers. They also open the world of mythology (Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian) to younger minds who would doubtless find Sophocles rather dry. My 10 yr old knows more about those ancient gods than I ever have, and loves learning more.”

The Grumpy Olive sisters were keen to recommend Maggie Stiefvater, a writer I had never heard of but am now wanting to know more about. They say…

“One of my favourite YA authors must be Maggie Stiefvater. She has the ability to transport you from a world of werewolves to dreamers and ancient kings that feel so real and tangible.

I love how she takes time for details and describing, mostly locations, without getting too boring or lengthy on pages. And without omitting great and interesting character building.”

NotSoModernGirl is a wonderful all-round blogger and she enjoys the works of Amy Ewing. Eleanor says…

“My favourite YA author is Amy Ewing. I don’t normally read book series, but when I read her first book (‘The Jewel’) I couldn’t wait to read more. I really recommend checking out her books for a bit of dystopian fiction with a modern twist. I also got the chance to interview her for my blog a few years ago, which was amazing!”

Headphones and Thoughts Blog was also keen on Rick Riordan but has a place in her heart for a more traditional text which impacted her greatly.

“When I was in high school, I was required to read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I loved the book so much that I ended up reading all her novels. I own all of them. Pride and Prejudice is my favorite out of all her novels. Jane Austen is truly an amazing writer.”

Karalee at Tales of Belle wanted to share enthusiasm for another YA author that I have yet to check out. Ransom Riggs definitely sounds intriguing…

“My favorite young adult author is Ransom Riggs. He wrote the Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series, which has 6 books in the series as well as a collection of short stories. I absolutely love the series because it follows a group of children who have peculiar abilities and their fight against Wights who want to consume their souls, and there is also the added element of time loops and Riggs includes vintage found photographs in his books too.”

I was thrilled to read about these different YA authors and would like to thank these brilliant bloggers for collaborating with me in this article. I have definitely been persuaded to check out these recommendations.

My personal favourite YA author is Becky Albertalli although there are several others that I am becoming fond of. For a previous post I wrote about Becky, check out my Leah On The Offbeat review. For similar future posts, please consider following my blog.

Dear Book Snobs: It’s Okay To Read YA

I love this article which explains why YA books are just as credible and incredible as other stories. I agree that is is definitely OK to read YA fiction.

YA (Young Adult) fiction kind of gets a bad rap amongst some echelons of society, a phenomenon that’s been well-documented by bloggers and defensive …

Dear Book Snobs: It’s Okay To Read YA

For another article about YA fiction, check out 5 Talented YA Writers.

The Girl in the Blue Coat – Book Review

I just finished a story which was set in Amsterdam during the Second World War. This book was really interesting and thought-provoking so I felt I definitely should make time to review it on this blog. Packed with history and twists and turns, this book was even better than I initially expected.

‘The Girl in the Blue Coat‘ was published in 2016 by a writer called Monica Hesse and caught my attention because of its intriguing title and brilliant front cover design. Holland is one of my favourite countries and I had intended to visit Amsterdam in 2020 but the pandemic stopped me. Meanwhile, this book has transported me back there, during the 1940s, a time of shortages and conflict.

Now I feel even more motivated to go soon and, whilst in Amsterdam lookout for the features mentioned in this beautiful novel.

The Story

Hanneke was known for sneaking around Amsterdam delivering contraband goods, such as pieces of cheese and meat, otherwise not allowed during rationing. Whatever her clients wanted, she would somehow lay her hands on it. Hiding her deals behind a seemingly normal life, she was still grieving the death of her boyfriend, who had perished at war. Sneaking around behind her parents’ backs, she had woven a complex web of friends and confidantes.

One day, while in an old lady’s house, she was asked to find a missing Jewish girl (a girl in the blue coat) that had been living secretly in a hidden annex. Hanneke immediately got drawn into lots of difficult situations as she made it her life’s mission to find and protect the girl – Mirjam, hoping to do her bit for her community.

Thoughts

This book is advertised as a YA story but was a very mature tale of people suffering under the German occupation of Holland. Hanneke gets involved in the resistance as she delves into a trail of clues that she thinks will lead her to Mirjam – increasingly known as the girl in the blue coat. In some ways she feels she owes the world something for allowing her boyfriend to go off and join the army. She is constantly punishing herself for this decision, which she believes was her doing.

The writing is clever and entertaining. Each chapter is short and the book length is around 152 pages on Apple Books. I will definitely be looking out for more books by Monica Hesse as this was compelling and satisfying. I totally recommend checking out ‘The Girl in the Blue Coat.’

Thank you for taking the time to read my brief review. For another YA book review, check here. If you want to read similar future content about books as well as the environment, perhaps consider following my growing blog.