SCBWI's Blueboard - A Message & Chat Board
Writing, Illustrating & Publishing => Book Talk => Topic started by: lily-quan on June 27, 2017, 10:09 AM
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Hi everyone,
I'm new to YA/MG fiction. I'm looking for great books, similar to books by Susan Juby (Alice, I Think) or Susin Nielsen. Open to suggestions. Much thanks!
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Hi Lily,
I can't make a recommendation, but I though it might be worth looking on Amazon and finding the pages for the books you mentioned. Half way down each book page there is often a "similar books to these" list with about four other titles promoted. Or it might be "buyers of this book also bought these". Regardless, it might put you on the right track. Best of luck.
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Can you elaborate on the genre or what it is about those authors you like?
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What I'm looking for is a novel with an authentic voice or engaging narrator. The books I'm reading seem to be written by adults who are thinking their way through the adolescent experience, rather than feeling it.
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I don't know if this is what you're looking for, and it's a few years old now, but one example of what feels like an authentic teen voice (with plenty of feeling) is Dairy Queen, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock.
I also feel like I've picked up (and put down) an awful lot of "teen" books lately that feel more like entitled 20YOs instead of real teenagers. I have four of them in my house right now, so yes, I actually do know what real teens are like...
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THE HATE U GIVE by Angie Thomas is the most recent example I can come up with that has a very authentic teen voice, IMO. I loved that book.
I also loved DAIRY QUEEN that Olume suggested above.
Jeff Zentner's GOODBYE DAYS struck a chord with YA male voice.
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What I'm looking for is a novel with an authentic voice or engaging narrator. The books I'm reading seem to be written by adults who are thinking their way through the adolescent experience, rather than feeling it.
This made me think you might like THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by Jandy Nelson.
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Loved the Sky is Everywhere. Also, Dairy Queen. Have The Hate U Give, on order.
Gary Schmidt is a favorite of mine for voice and just plain good writing. Okay for Now. Also, Kate DiCamillo.
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You already have some good recs. Let me add: The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon. Great voice and story.
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Theresa Toten's books (also Canadian). Her novel, THE RELUCTANT HERO OF ROOM 13B (I think that's the title) won the Governor General's Award a couple of years ago.
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Gary D. Schmidt, OKAY FOR NOW.
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whatever. by SJ Goslee has a unique and authentic voice, imo -- male POV.
#famous by Jilly Gagnon also seemed authentic -- dual POV (one female, one male).
the takedown by Corrie Wang gives an authentic voice for a female, I'd say.
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I think Janet Gurtler's writing has an authentic teen voice. Here are three I've read and recommend: Who I Kissed, If I Tell, and #16ThingsIThoughtWereTrue. I also think Katie Kennedy's two YA SF novels nail YA voice. (Learning To Swear in America and What Goes Up). And Lindsey Leavitt writes awesome YAs and MGs with great voice.
Three fabulous writers of contemporary MG who have voice are: Gary Schmidt (especially The Wednesday Wars), Debbie Reed Fischer (This is Not the Abby Show), and Robin Yardi (The Midnight War of Mateo Martinez). For more MG recommendations you can look at this thread where I asked a similar question:
https://www.scbwi.org/boards/index.php?topic=83345.0
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I just rejoined SCWBI. I think you are my fave person. :yay
I forgot how much I love these emoji's
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Here's a list of books I've been impressed with in recent months: great voices, plots that aren't just-more-of-the-same. Sorry I don't have time to put down more about each one:
Heretics Anonymous, by Katie Henry YA
Scarlet Ibis, by Gill Lewis older MG
The Dollar Kids, by Jennifer Richard Jacobson MG
No Filter, by Orlagh Collins (odd title, little to do with the book) YA
Confusion is Nothing New, by Paul Acampora MG
If There's No Tomorrow, by Jennifer L. Armentrout YA
The Last to Go, by Amber Smith YA (don't let the bland title put you off) YA
The Way You Make Me Feel, by Maureen Goo (another plain vanilla title that has little to do with the book, but a great read) YA
Deep Water, by Watt Key MG
What is it with some of those titles, anyway? Did the publishers WANT to make those books hard to remember? Or were they just lazy? I'm willing the be the authors' working titles were a whole lot more memorable!