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Looking for good YA book


BSchultz19

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I've been working my way through a list of classics that I own and am trying to read, but I'd like to read something "easier" at the same time. Some type of YA fiction. 

 

I've already read The Hunger Games trilogy and Harry Potter anything similar or even any YA book that you really liked would be helpful. 

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I'd recommend a look at the Bartimaeus triology or Eragon.

 

Bartimaeus is also about an 11 year old magician's apprentice, but the feel and atmosphere of the book are very different from Harry Potter.

 

Eragon is about a young farm boy who finds a dragon's egg and sets out to become a dragon rider. Much more along the lines of high fantasy, but I found it very engrossing.

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My first response to anyone who likes The Hunger Games is Divergent. I read quite a bit of YA, is there anything in particular you like.. dystopia, romance, science fiction etc?

I will try Divergent, I've seen it posted elsewhere around here. I'm willing to try anything, but I have read a lot of romance and The Hunger Games is the only dystopian I've read but I liked it a lot. 

 

I'd recommend a look at the Bartimaeus triology or Eragon.

 

Bartimaeus is also about an 11 year old magician's apprentice, but the feel and atmosphere of the book are very different from Harry Potter.

 

Eragon is about a young farm boy who finds a dragon's egg and sets out to become a dragon rider. Much more along the lines of high fantasy, but I found it very engrossing.

I tried Eragon a couple years ago and didn't really like it, but I could try it again. 

 

Bartimaeus sounds interesting! I might check it out :)

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I am going to sugest the only young adult book that I have ever read (that I knew to be YA) :-) , The Dark Is Rising series by Susan Cooper are great books. There are five books in all :

 

Over Sea, Under Stone

 

The Dark Is Rising

 

Greenwitch

 

The Grey King

 

Silver on the Tree

 

They are magic adventers based on a little bit of Arthurian legends, Celtic mythology, and Norse mythology. Really good books :-)

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I am going to sugest the only young adult book that I have ever read (that I knew to be YA) :-) , The Dark Is Rising series by Susan Cooper are great books. There are five books in all :

 

Over Sea, Under Stone

 

The Dark Is Rising

 

Greenwitch

 

The Grey King

 

Silver on the Tree

 

They are magic adventers based on a little bit of Arthurian legends, Celtic mythology, and Norse mythology. Really good books :-)

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll definitely check them out. Gotta earn some money to buy them first though  :giggle2:

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I've mainly copied and pasted this from another thread where people were looking for YA, but these should apply to you too as I've listed some of my favourite (and extremely well written) series/books. You should have fun with them if you pick any of them up.

 

The Pure Trilogy by Julianna Baggott ~ Seriously amazing & beautifully written post-apocalyptic trilogy.
Blood Red Road by Moira Young ~ cross between a Western, dystopian & post-apocalyptic. First 50 pages slow but after that really good.
Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve ~ My favourite series of all time, light steampunk/sci-fi (not really though) about Cities eating Cities - the opening line: “It was a dark, blustery afternoon in spring, and the city of London was chasing a small mining town across the dried-out bed of the old North Sea.” And if that doesn't catch your imagination, nothing will ;)
Chronicles of the Icemark by Stuart Hill ~ excellent high fantasy with very large, well written battles and lots of original ideas (no dragons/elves/dwarves etc etc) also wonderful female protag
Airman by Eoin Colfer ~ author of Artemis Fowl, Airman is in my opinion his best book. Historical, about flying machines. v. exciting
Here Lies Arthur ~ highy original take on Arthurian legend, by Mortal Engines author.
I Am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells ~ horror with some supernatural elements about a sociopath. Bit like Dexter.

BZRK by Michael Greant ~ Great, highly original series about nanotech and biotech wars on/in humans. They're really pacy and quite edgy thrillers.

 

As for Divergent - it's good but a little derivative, in my opinion. And the sequel isn't great.

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I am going to represent Australia here and say anything by Victor Kelleher. His works span children's and adults too, but some of his YA novels are: Taronga; The Ivory Trail; and Papio. These are all pretty old though (I think one was even published as far back as 1984). And another Aussie recommendation would be the Tomorrow When the War Began series by John Marsden.

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Maybe have a look at the Abhorsen Chronicles (Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen) by Garth Nix (although they may be a bit too young), or perhaps the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare (starting with City of Bones, which has recently been released as a film).

 

Also, I believe James Dashner's Maze Runner series is a bit like Hunger Games, though I haven't read it myself.

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I did enjoy The Maze Runner, it's quite intriguing, but it felt aimed at a slightly younger age group, and it didn't hold me as much as The Hunger Games.

 

The other series I recently enjoyed was by Beth Revis - it starts with Across the Universe, and I read all 3 books in succession, which is unusual for me. :)

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And another Aussie recommendation would be the Tomorrow When the War Began series by John Marsden.

 

Just to let you know the Tomorrow series is quite cheap on the Kindle in the UK at the moment.

 

  • Tomorrow, When the War Began (1993)   £1.37  
  • The Dead of the Night (1994)  £0.69
  • The Third Day, The Frost (1995)  £0.89
  • Darkness, Be My Friend (1996)  £0.56
  • Burning for Revenge (1997) £0.89
  • The Night Is for Hunting (1998)  £3.60
  • The Other Side of Dawn (1999)  £5.01 (Not released yet)
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I would recommend Paper Towns by John Green and also Harlan Coben has written two YA titles following on the back of his Myron Bolitar series. Very good.

 

 

Maybe have a look at the Abhorsen Chronicles (Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen) by Garth Nix (although they may be a bit too young), or perhaps the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare (starting with City of Bones, which has recently been released as a film).

 

Also, I believe James Dashner's Maze Runner series is a bit like Hunger Games, though I haven't read it myself.

I've heard a lot about this book and that series and am really interested in reading them. Thank you for the suggestions. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I totally agree with Vimes! If only I had the cash then I would spend much of them on books. haha! Anyway, is the Percy Jackson series worth reading? Didn't like the movies much, but I'm willing to give the books a try. 

 

I have read the Selection series by Kiera Cass. I loved the characters. Waiting to get my hands on The Prince (book 3)

I am currently reading City of Lost Souls (Mortal Instruments series). Pretty good, too. 

 

And my bff mentioned Divergent. It's all she talks about lately so I'm guessing it is good as well.

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And my bff mentioned Divergent. It's all she talks about lately so I'm guessing it is good as well.

Divergent is one of those books you read and think "this is pretty cool" and then 6 months later you think "actually, it wasn't that great". It's okay, but there are plenty of better books to spend your time with.
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