rachelmanija (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rachelmanija) wrote2012-05-28 12:25 pm
rachelmanija) wrote2012-05-28 12:25 pm
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YA fantasy with ordinary protagonists
Can you all name me some comparatively recent (ie, less than 20 years old) YA urban fantasy (ie, not set in a fantasy world or post-apocalyptic world) in which the protagonist does NOT have any magical powers or attributes or devices (ie, no magic rings), does not develop any later, and is not a professional demon-hunter or anything like that?
I'm thinking of books like A Wrinkle in Time (but more modern) or Neverwhere (but for teenagers.) Also, ideally, more along the lines of Charles de Lint than "my vampire boyfriend."
The only ones I can think of offhand are Holly Black's Valiant, Flora Segunda, Fire and Hemlock (borderline - Polly does have a power, of sorts), and some of Charles de Lint's novels.
It's a little hard to write stories like that and not have the action be entirely driven by the magical characters, leaving the protagonist drifting passively in their wake. The characters with abilities are inherently going to be far more powerful. Tolkien used this type of plot very well, but even so, Frodo and Bilbo had the One Ring. I'm thinking of books in which someone like Sam is the protagonist.
I'm thinking of books like A Wrinkle in Time (but more modern) or Neverwhere (but for teenagers.) Also, ideally, more along the lines of Charles de Lint than "my vampire boyfriend."
The only ones I can think of offhand are Holly Black's Valiant, Flora Segunda, Fire and Hemlock (borderline - Polly does have a power, of sorts), and some of Charles de Lint's novels.
It's a little hard to write stories like that and not have the action be entirely driven by the magical characters, leaving the protagonist drifting passively in their wake. The characters with abilities are inherently going to be far more powerful. Tolkien used this type of plot very well, but even so, Frodo and Bilbo had the One Ring. I'm thinking of books in which someone like Sam is the protagonist.
no subject
_My Boyfriend Is a Monster_, Evonne Tsang (graphic novel).
_Things That Are_, Andrew Clements -- Not really urban fantasy because there is only one magic/science fictional mcguffin, but two of the books center on kids who don't get the magical device.
Joseph Bruchac has lots of books with ordinary kids facing monsters; the ones I've read are borderline young YA: _The Skeleton Man_, _The Dark Pond_ are two I've read recently.
_Team Human_ (Larbalestier & Brennan) will probably qualify, but I haven't got hold of it yet. It looks like a book directly written for your specification -- urban fantasy world with vampires and stuff, but the main character is just standard human.
Although really, Meg's tessering with C.W. is a bit of magical powers, so even _Wrinkle In Time_ doesn't quite fit.