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Registered Members => Book Talk => Topic started by: olmue on October 26, 2007, 09:37 AM

Title: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: olmue on October 26, 2007, 09:37 AM

Anyone have favorites to recommend? I'm looking to submerge myself in a teen boy voice, and since I don't have a wide source of English material to browse, I'm depending on suggestions of others. I'm working on a contemporary book (with fantasy overtones and a male MC) and that's one thing I feel like I need to study a bit more. Ideas?

Title: Re: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: mrspilkington on October 26, 2007, 09:49 AM

I love David Lubar, especially Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie...and Jordan Sonnenblick's Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie.   Just about anything by Walter Dean Myers and Christopher Paul Curtis... Oh, and Tyrell by Coe Booth -- great voice!  A lot of age range in these recommendations, though...

Title: Re: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: millencake on October 26, 2007, 09:49 AM

KING DORK has a very authentic teen voice.  Also LOOKING FOR ALASKA.   BURGER WUSS.

Title: Re: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: AlmaFullerton on October 26, 2007, 09:59 AM

America - ER Frank
Monster - Meyers
Tyrell -  Coe Booth
Acceleration - Graham McNamee
Shattering Glass - Gail Giles
Tom Finder Martine Leavitt


Alma

Title: Re: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: Laurie on October 26, 2007, 10:57 AM

TWISTED, Laurie Halse Andesron
YOU DON'T KNOW ME, David Klass
KNIGHTS OF THE HILL COUNTRY, Tim Tharp
FAT KID RULES THE WORLD, KL Going
GODLESS, Pete Hautman

Laurie

Title: Re: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: olmue on October 26, 2007, 12:50 PM

These are great--keep 'em coming!

Title: Re: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: Jude on October 26, 2007, 12:51 PM

Anything by Chris Crutcher.

Title: Re: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: Mandy Hubbard on October 26, 2007, 12:51 PM

BE MORE CHILL by Ned Vizzini

Title: Re: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: Natalie on October 26, 2007, 01:54 PM

Great suggestions, so far! I'll add the blue board's own D.L. Garfinkle and her YA novel STORKY.

:) Natalie

Title: Re: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: Heidi on October 26, 2007, 03:39 PM

MT Anderson's FEED and THIRSTY (I especially love FEED)
Jay Asher's 13 REASONS

Title: Re: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: C.K. on October 26, 2007, 04:49 PM

After Summer and 48 Shades of Brown (Nick Earls)
The New Rules of High School  and Rock Star Superstar  (Blake Nelson)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky)
Blood Brothers (S.A. Harazin)
What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know  (Sonya Sones)
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl (Barry Lyga)
Nailed (Patrick Jones)
Boy Meets Boy (David Levithan)
Target (Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson)
Sexy (Joyce Carol Oates)
Stuck in Neutral (Terry Trueman)

Title: Re: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: Athena529 on October 26, 2007, 04:51 PM

I second TWISTED, GODLESS, FEED, and SEXY.

Title: Re: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: Vijaya on October 26, 2007, 10:34 PM

Lots of great suggestions already ...
Let me add Randy Powell's books.
Vijaya

Title: Re: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: Margherita on October 26, 2007, 10:55 PM

It's been several years, but as I recall, Youth in Revolt by C.D. Payne has a STRONG voice.  It's a hideously filthy book, but also hilarious in a squirmy, painful way.  It's shelved in my library as YA, though much of it would make a sailor blush.  Not for the squeamish. 
                     :reading2:

Title: Re: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: luckydog on October 27, 2007, 05:45 AM

I second the Crutcher and also Robert Cormier.

Donna

Title: Re: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: Liz on October 27, 2007, 07:14 AM

Saint Iggy      Fat Kid Rules the World -- K.L Going
Getting the Girl  -- Marcus Zusak

Title: Re: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: LindaB on October 27, 2007, 04:38 PM

Born to Rock by Gordon Korman
Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman
Headlock by Joyce Sweeney
Players by Joyce Sweeney
Breathing Underwater by Alexandra Flinn
Nothing to Lose by Alexandra Flinn
The Alex Ryder Series by Anthony Horowitz
Raven's Gate by Anthony Horowitz
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

LindaB

Title: Re: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: mrspilkington on October 28, 2007, 01:21 PM

Double ditto -- K.L Going, Chris Crutcher, Storky, and Twisted are absolute musts!

Title: Re: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: gretchenlaskas on October 28, 2007, 04:49 PM

INEXCUSABLE by Chris Lynch.

Title: Re: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: sarah_create on October 29, 2007, 04:01 AM

RIVER SECRETS by Shannon Hale.

Title: Re: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: kaza_kingsley on November 05, 2007, 12:26 PM

I have to mention my own books here, because it's a good fit. The main character of the Erec Rex series (Erec!) has to rely on his own wits and gumption to get himself out of dangerous situations. He learns the hard way that doing what's right is not always easy, but he stands up for what he believes in the end.

Someone mentioned Jordan Sonnenblick. Another of his which was great is Notes from the Midnight Driver. It made me cry on an airplane once - embarassing but totally worth it!

Kaza Kingsley
Author of the Erec Rex series
http://www/erecrex.com :dancing:

Title: Re: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: emykate03 on November 05, 2007, 04:41 PM

My little guy and I are reading Erec Rex together. So far we love it. Great boy voice.

Title: Re: best YA books with strong boy voice?
Post by: olmue on November 05, 2007, 10:55 PM

Thanks for all the recommendations! I should probably mention that it's YA.