Recent YA fantasy and sf

[rachelmanija]

I realized while chatting with sartorias the other day that I've disliked an unusually high percentage of the YA sf and fantasy that's come out in the last couple years. There have certainly been some novels I've adored, but compared to, say, what was coming out five years ago, it's been a lower percentage. The authors I already liked, I still like; but I've been liking the debut novels less, overall.

I suspect that part of the problem is that certain subgenres I'm not big on have become very popular. I'm a little burned out on "modern teenager meets faeries." I've never much liked "my vampire/werewolf/angel/zombie boyfriend." I have yet to really enjoy a dystopia of the Primary colors have been banned and the government controls your sexual orientation variety, and while I like post-apocalyptic novels that focus on the changed landscape of the far future, or in which people are actively trying to rebuild civilization, I am a hard sell on post-apocalyptic stories in which the focus is despair, cannibalism, and rape gangs.

1. Do you feel the same way? Or are you loving the explosion in YA paranormal romance and so forth?

2. What very recent (last three years or so) YA sf or fantasy would I like? Please rec me books which are either in different genres (space opera, high fantasy, steampunk, etc) or such absolutely stunning examples of genres I don't like that I will like them anyway. Also, PLEASE check my author tags to make sure I haven't already read and reviewed the books in question. (To head off a flood of recs, I didn't like The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland. Sorry.)

Comments

[ambyr]

::cosigns::

Did you read Peterfreud's Rampant and Ascendant? They are of the "modern teenager meets fairies killer unicorns" genre, but I found them charming largely because of the protagonist's attitude, which could be summed up as "okay, I guess I'll hunt unicorns, because someone has to do it, but can we make sure there's a retirement plan in place? In a few years we should have plenty of other hunters trained up, and I'd really like to finish school and get my MD. In the meantime, how does the science of unicorns work, anyway? Ooh, while I'm stuck here I can do experiments."

[rachelmanija]

I read Rampant. I had mixed feelings about it. I liked the concept a lot, but I didn't love the book, and I'm not quite sure why. I think I didn't like the protagonist enough to make up for the lack of development of the other human characters. I also found the rape plotline depressing - justifiably so, but still.

I did, however, absolutely love the unicorns. Now those characters were well-developed and memorable.

How's the sequel?

[holyschist]

1. I feel the same way.

2. I don't think I have any recs you haven't already read. :-(

[holyschist]

BTW, since I don't see Valente in your author tags--I'm curious why you didn't like The Girl Who... (I haven't read it), if it's not any trouble to summarize.

[cofax7]

I forget -- have you read Scott Oppel? Airborne and its sequels? It's very much old school Boys Own adventure, but Steampunk-AU-cryptozoological, with a Hermione-esque girl lead. I enjoyed the first two, haven't read the third yet.

Really, what I want is an old-school Boys Own adventure like that with a female lead (and some updates on the racism/colonialism), and there don't seem to be a lot of them out there...

[rachelmanija]

No! Thanks for the rec!

[polarisnorth]

Did you read Joanne Harris' Runemarks? It's a very cool take on Norse mythology. I'm not quite sure how to properly describe it. It reminded me of Pamela F. Service's Tomorrow's Magic, if you've read that.

[rachelmanija]

Never even heard of it, but will check it out. I vaaaaaguely recall Tomorrow's Magic - was it post-apocalypse and maybe Arthurian?

[owlectomy]

I am a YA librarian and a YA author and I am miserably burnt out on everything YA for exactly the same reasons. I agree with one of your LJ commenters that Franny Billingsley's Chime is very much worth reading.

[rachelmanija]

Thanks for the rec. That has now been recced repeatedly, so it must be at least worth checking out.

[rilina]

1) I am tired of a lot of the YA fiction that's out there, but I don't know if it's actually any worse than it was before--it just seems like Sturgeon's Law at work to me, much as it always has been.

I also think a lot of YA sf/f tends to be aimed toward people who are genre newbies; they are accessible but not necessarily satisfying to people with our types of reading histories.

2) I really loved Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta, but I see you haven't liked her other stuff. (I also loved Jellicoe Road.) I never got to finish Ship Breaker by Bacigalupi because I ran out of time on my library checkout, but I liked what I read.

[rachelmanija]

I also think a lot of YA sf/f tends to be aimed toward people who are genre newbies; they are accessible but not necessarily satisfying to people with our types of reading histories.

Hmm, good point. You'd think after a point, though, those newbies would have read enough of the intro stuff to want something a little more sophisticated. But maybe they're then expected to stop reading YA and move on to adult sf.

[saunteringfiend]

Have you read Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines quartet? Steampunk after great catastrophe and a lovely undercurrent of what it means to love a city, a person and a life underneath all three.

[copperwise.livejournal.com]

Yes, I feel the same way. I did enjoy Holly Black's The White Cat, but I've been avoiding YA lately because of the Twilight influence and the vampire explosion. I went down the YA aisle at Powell's the other night and was singularly unimpressed.

Of course I was also disturbed that they had a display of books that said "Tired of the romantic YA fiction? Try these! YA fiction for boys!"

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Oh dear.

White Cat and Red Glove are great. I could definitely do with more like those. (I'm now imagining a bad writer getting the concept, and writing them as a "Bare hands have been banned and the government controls curse work" dystopia.")

Recent YA Patterns, and recs

[pingback-bot.livejournal.com]

User sartorias referenced to your post from Recent YA Patterns, and recs (http://sartorias.livejournal.com/481185.html) saying: [...] and I were talking [...]

[roadnotes.livejournal.com]

I haven't been reading much YA fiction lately, so I'm looking forward to the comments here. I like urban fantasy, but I am very tired of My Paranormal Boyfriend in all its manifestations.

[qian.livejournal.com]

Not super recent, but have you read Philip Reeve's books? The Mortal Engines books are really good; it's set in a future where mobile cities hunt other cities and devour them (i.e. break them up and use their bits). It's pretty grimdark but not in a pointless way, I think.

I also like his Larklight books which are more light-hearted YA/MG steampunk, narrated by a boy who's catapulted into various adventures where he and his sister Myrtle have to Save the Empire ... in Space! Written in a humorous pulp adventure sort of style.

Disclaimer in that I think Reeve writes really interesting, vivid female characters, but IMO his narratives are still sometimes warped by the fact that the main male character HAS to be the important one and has to save the day and everybody loves him etc. etc. etc. Not throw-your-book-at-the-wall sexism, but enough of a trend that I start to roll my eyes a bit. That said, a couple of his books have female protagonists and IIRC they don't suffer so much from that.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Will look out for these! If the females are not refrigerator girls, rape objects in order to propel the guy into action, or decorative prizes, I can cut some slack if all the rest is good.

[habiliments.livejournal.com]

Three that might fit the bill, despite all having underwhelming (to put it mildly) covers:

Eon (http://www.amazon.com/Eon-Dragoneye-Reborn-Alison-Goodman/dp/0670062278) by Allison Goodman
Chime (http://www.amazon.com/Chime-Franny-Billingsley/dp/0803735529) by Franny Billinglsey (which I particularly loved for its focus on the stories we tell ourselves, and the way it turns local legend into magic and back again).
Lips Touch: Three Times (http://www.amazon.com/Lips-Touch-Three-Laini-Taylor/dp/0545055857) by Laini Taylor (which does have a hint of supernatural significant other in that it's about three life-changing kisses, but it's relatively dark and doesn't go to the expected places).

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

I had trouble with Eon because it seemed hampered by Stupid Plot (the main maguffin was obvious from the gitgo, so I waited the entire book for the heroine to realize it, when conveyed a sense of marking time) but it did have a fast pace.

I am putting the other two on the List--thanks!

[tool-of-satan.livejournal.com]

Have you read any of the Haikasoru imprint books? They are not marketed as YA (I think) but the ones I have read are broadly similar to American YA in tone.

I liked the ones I read, but I'm not sure enough that I need to keep them for re-reading, so I could always send the ones I own to you.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Not yet, though several are on my to-read list. (Not the one where the hero gets photos of his girlfriend's rotting corpse. I can skip that one.)

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

I don't know whether you have read any Jasper Fforde? His Thursday Next Bookworld books are the best known and I know they're not everyone's cup of tea, however, his latest book The Last Dragonslayer is for younger readers and I enjoyed it.

Also Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series contains some of his best writing ever.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

I adore the Tiffany books. Fforde rubs me the wrong way, though I've only read Thursday Next.

[kateelliott.livejournal.com]

Further to my reply to your comment in Sherwood's lj, I've floated a couple of YA proposals through my agent and keep getting told that they're not "unique" enough (which has convinced me to stop writing up proposals and just go back to writing chapters). That is, they aren't nifty conceptually enough, which makes me think that the YA Dystopia Generator is part of the problem. Having an upfront idea that seems unique (all female after the age of 16 become myopic and the government controls eyeglasses) does not mean the execution will lift, or even that an idea of itself is the best way to create a strong story.

Not that you didn't already know that!

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

For a very, very narrow value of "unique," I suspect. (As you say.)

"My Supernatural Boyfriend" does not become any more unique just because the boyfriend is a kelpie/boggart/robot/sparkly vampire. And "blah" is illegal and the government controls "blah" is not unique no matter what fills you put in.

Meanwhile, I'm not seeing a lot that strikes me as genuinely standing apart from the pack, let alone unique. Though I actually think unique is overrated. Almost nothing is truly unique.

[sarahtales.livejournal.com]

I have difficulty with dystopias myself. But you might like Marie Lu's Legend, in which the government is much more realistic than in many dystopias, and also the girl and guy both get to be very active and protag about (the lady does some cage-fighting-equivalent thing that I particularly enjoyed). And also there is diversity. (Dystopia issue: boy that is a white heteronormative future!)

I do love a YA paranormal romance, and the explosion thereof, but I also always do go by recommendations. And sure, I'd like more diversity. If only selfishly. ;)

I do think you would like Kendare Blake's Anna Dressed In Blood (My Murderous Ghost Girlfriend). And speaking of YA high fantasy, and also books that are actually out unlike the other two recs, I really liked Cinda Williams Chima's series starting with The Demon King, with fierce biracial princesses and lords-of-street-gangs-trying-to-go-straight.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I had been vaguely wondering if Chima was worth reading, I have not yet read the Lu, and I never even heard of the Blake.

[strigine.livejournal.com]

Frankly I am Completely Over paranormal romance across the board, whether YA or grownup.

[janni.livejournal.com]

If you haven't read it yet, I'll re-rec Nancy Werlin's Extraordinary. I gather it's a mileage-varies book, but it hit the right buttons for me.

Also Malinda Lo's Huntress, but you've probably read that already.

Oh--and dancinghorse's House of the Star, for all that it's more MG than YA.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

I've reviwed the last two. ;) House of the Star is charming. Huntress is kind of uneven, but worth reading.

Extraordinary is on my list! (It's better than Impossible, right? I didn't much care for that one.)

[shveta-thakrar.livejournal.com]

Mmm, book talk. So much to say!

Let's catch up soonish?

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Yes, let's! Sorry I've been so scarce. I've been a little frazzled.

[sleary.livejournal.com]

I just breezed through Ally Carter's Heist Society and Uncommon Criminals, and I adored them. They are neither fantasy nor SF, but since you liked White Cat and Red Glove, these might be good antidotes to the dystopian crap.

[holyschist.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed Heist Society, but the characters never felt very real to me and I thought the writing was kind of eh. Didn't compel me to read Uncommon Criminals.

Also on the non-SFF front, Padma Venkatraman's Climbing the Stairs blew me away, and she has another book out now.

[rhinemouse.livejournal.com]

THAT BOOK IS SO GOOD.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Insert another rec for Chime, though i haven't actually figured out how to write it up yet.

I had to think about this for a while before realizing that (A) most YA I've been reading recently either isn't overly recent or (B) you've read, and were possibly one of the ones who reced it. I've apparently also been reading more MG and older kids stuff lately, too.

I have a soft spot for Anna Godberson's historical YA, though they're rather...divisive. You love them for the cheesy nostalgic melodrama or you hate them for the cheesy nostalgic melodrama. I did read Jaclyn Dolamore's Magic Under Glass, and thought it did a good job of combining gothic, romance, steampunk and fae fantasy, but also that it had a "token POC lead element" in that it was set in a fantasy version of 18th or 19th century England and everyone but the lead-a foreign dancing girl-was white. Have you read Sarah Beth Durst's Ice from a few years ago? It's a modern retelling of "East of the Sun, West of the Moon," that I thought was really good, and had a more sympathetic take on the Troll princess than most.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I haven't read any of those.

[roselet.livejournal.com]

Karen Healey? She wrote Guardian of the Dead and The Shattering, neither of them set in the USA, both featuring multiple non-white characters, and both featuring non-heterosexual characters. (Including asexual!)

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Read and reviewed the first (check author tags), just got an ARC of the second.

[phoebe north (from livejournal.com)]

Did you ever finish reading Across the Universe? I found it fairly riveting, though imperfect. The dystopian elements were much better realized than a lot of the earthbound-SF that's been floating around the YA world lately. I also really highly enjoyed Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma, an absolutely thrilling, creepy, and beautifully written magical realist novel about two sisters.

Based on your reviews, it seems we have really similar tastes in YA (eerily similar thoughts WRT Delirium, Divergent, and XVI, at least), so I hope you don't mind if I link you to my YA shelf on goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/979834-phoebe?shelf=young-adult). A Long Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan (imperfect, but heartfelt), and A Monster Calls (perfect and heartfelt) by Patrick Ness are too more that come to mind that you might enjoy.

[marfisa.livejournal.com]

Ellen Booraem's "Small Persons With Wings" probably counts more as junior high/middle grades (that's what "MG" stands for, right?), since I believe the heroine is about twelve. It's about a likable girl who's spent most of elementary school trying to live down a major first grade fiasco in which she promised to bring her (real) fairy friend in for show and tell and the somewhat Rumpelstiltskin-personalitied fairy in question flew into a rage and disappeared forever, leaving only an unconvincing china figurine of himself behind. Unsurprisingly enough, when she brings the figurine to show and tell and attempts to explain what happened, nobody believes her, and her more obnoxious classmates react by nicknaming her "Fairy Fat" (since she also weighs somewhat more for her height than she supposedly should). Six years later, she and her parents are notified that her grandfather has died and they need to come and claim his cluttered New England house, along with the unprofitable excuse for a pub built into its basement.

The determinedly sensible heroine is less than thrilled at the prospect of moving from the city to a relatively small town, but guardedly optimistic about the possibilities of relocating to a place where nobody knows about her embarrassingly overimaginative (as she now thinks) past. But things don't quite work out that way, largely due to the fact that the pub her family has allegedly inherited turns out to be infested with tiny winged eighteenth-century ladies and gentlemen whose first language is Latin, who insist on being referred to as Small Persons with Wings ("Parvi" for short--I've forgotten the rest of the Latin phrase for "Small Persons with...").

While we're more or less on the subject, Justine Larbalestier's "How to Ditch Your Fairy" is a relatively light-hearted YA take on the notion of troublesome (in a non-"My Paranormal Boyfriend" way) fairies, although the fairies in question, despite being universally believed in, are invisible to the naked eye and therefore don't exactly appear as characters in the story. Personally, I found this novel much more enjoyable than Larbalestier's "Liar," at least partly because it's much less complicatedly full of unreliable narratives and other depressing literary tropes.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Thanks! The Booraem novel sounds fun.

I have read How to Ditch Your Fairy. Great premise, interesting worldbuilding, but the characters didn't really grab me.