So these might not be my definitive-cross-my-heart-hope-to-die favourite young adult fiction books,
but they’re five which have made a notable impression on me.
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// 5. Life of Pi – Yann Martel //
Most people by now have already seen the movie, to which I have to say the obligatory “The book was better”. If you haven’t seen the movie then I highly suggest you read the book which follows a boy named Pi who, for the most part of the novel, is stranded on a boat with an orang-utan, a zebra and a tiger. Not your typical young-adult fiction, but the relationship that Pi has with his animal friends is different, and much more interesting than most romance-based novels that I’ve read. The real magic comes with the fantastic ending but I’ll let you get there yourself.
“You might think I lost all hope at that point. I did. And as a result I perked up and felt much better”
// 4. Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery //
While I must confess that I watched the televised version of Anne of Green Gables first, picking up this novel was a refreshing read. Written in 1908, this is the story of an orphan named Anne as she is adopted into a home and new life in the beautiful country-side of Canada’s Prince-Edward Island. Anne is somewhat unorthodox in the way she acts and speaks and is a keen writer and reader. I can’t promise you that this book moves quickly, but I can say that if you bear with some over-description you’ll fall in love with the characters (especially one Gilbert Blythe).
“Gilbert took from his desk a little pink candy heart with a gold motto on it “You are sweet,” and slipped it under the curve of Anne’s arm. Whereupon Anne arose, took the pink heart gingerly between the tips of her fingers, dropped it on the floor, ground it to powder beneath her heel, and resumed her position without deigning to bestow a glace on Gilbert”
// 3. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon //
As a bit of an English nerd this book appeals to me as the author uses language in an interesting way to create a quirky protagonist. Chris suffers from autism and happily admits that he doesn’t understand people, the way they write and even the use of things like metaphors. It turns how what you’ve been told to write in school upside-down through a murder-mystery that’s narrated by a socially awkward teen. Figuring out relationships in the neighbourhood, and trying to solve the crime, along with Chris, makes for an interesting read.
“Sometimes we get sad about things and we don’t like to tell other people that we are sad about them. We like to keep it a secret. Or sometimes, we are sad but we don’t know why we are sad so we say we aren’t sad but we really are.”
// 2. Finding Cassie Crazy – Jaclyn Moriarty //
Finding Cassie Crazy (AKA “The Year of Secret Assignments”) is a book about a bunch of Sydney school girls. But oh, it’s about so much more. A book complied of letters from the girls to their pen-pals, this novel is familiar, surprising and really, really funny. That formula combined with a dash of romance and a sprinkle of sticking-it-to-the-man means that everyone I know who has read this has that constant wondering of if it’s too soon to pick up again.
“Dear Sebastian
Huh, the computer just told me that it looks like I’m writing a letter. Spooky. How did it know? It wants to help. It’s a little paperclip man and it wants to help.
That is so nice of it. I’ll try to talk to it.
YES PLEASE, PAPERCLIP MAN. HELP ME WRITE THIS LETTER. WHAT SHOULD I SAY NEXT?
(It’s not saying anything, Seb. It’s just smiling at me. Maybe it needs more information? Wait.)
DO YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION
(It blinked at me.)
WELL OKAY, HERE IS SOME MORE INFORMATION: THE LETTER IS TO SEBASTIAN. HE’S A GUY AT BROOKFIELD [...] PARDON? WELL, HE THINKS I WANT TO BUY DOPE OFF HIM. I KNOW! I KNOW! IT’S NOT HIS FAULT. HE’S JUST A BROOKER KID. AS MY TEACHER WOULD SAY. MAYBE THEY DON’T REALISE WHEN PEOPLE ARE MESSING WITH THEM THERE?”
// 1. The Fault in Our Stars – John Green //
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// 5. Life of Pi – Yann Martel //
Most people by now have already seen the movie, to which I have to say the obligatory “The book was better”. If you haven’t seen the movie then I highly suggest you read the book which follows a boy named Pi who, for the most part of the novel, is stranded on a boat with an orang-utan, a zebra and a tiger. Not your typical young-adult fiction, but the relationship that Pi has with his animal friends is different, and much more interesting than most romance-based novels that I’ve read. The real magic comes with the fantastic ending but I’ll let you get there yourself.
“You might think I lost all hope at that point. I did. And as a result I perked up and felt much better”
// 4. Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery //
While I must confess that I watched the televised version of Anne of Green Gables first, picking up this novel was a refreshing read. Written in 1908, this is the story of an orphan named Anne as she is adopted into a home and new life in the beautiful country-side of Canada’s Prince-Edward Island. Anne is somewhat unorthodox in the way she acts and speaks and is a keen writer and reader. I can’t promise you that this book moves quickly, but I can say that if you bear with some over-description you’ll fall in love with the characters (especially one Gilbert Blythe).
“Gilbert took from his desk a little pink candy heart with a gold motto on it “You are sweet,” and slipped it under the curve of Anne’s arm. Whereupon Anne arose, took the pink heart gingerly between the tips of her fingers, dropped it on the floor, ground it to powder beneath her heel, and resumed her position without deigning to bestow a glace on Gilbert”
// 3. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon //
As a bit of an English nerd this book appeals to me as the author uses language in an interesting way to create a quirky protagonist. Chris suffers from autism and happily admits that he doesn’t understand people, the way they write and even the use of things like metaphors. It turns how what you’ve been told to write in school upside-down through a murder-mystery that’s narrated by a socially awkward teen. Figuring out relationships in the neighbourhood, and trying to solve the crime, along with Chris, makes for an interesting read.
“Sometimes we get sad about things and we don’t like to tell other people that we are sad about them. We like to keep it a secret. Or sometimes, we are sad but we don’t know why we are sad so we say we aren’t sad but we really are.”
// 2. Finding Cassie Crazy – Jaclyn Moriarty //
Finding Cassie Crazy (AKA “The Year of Secret Assignments”) is a book about a bunch of Sydney school girls. But oh, it’s about so much more. A book complied of letters from the girls to their pen-pals, this novel is familiar, surprising and really, really funny. That formula combined with a dash of romance and a sprinkle of sticking-it-to-the-man means that everyone I know who has read this has that constant wondering of if it’s too soon to pick up again.
“Dear Sebastian
Huh, the computer just told me that it looks like I’m writing a letter. Spooky. How did it know? It wants to help. It’s a little paperclip man and it wants to help.
That is so nice of it. I’ll try to talk to it.
YES PLEASE, PAPERCLIP MAN. HELP ME WRITE THIS LETTER. WHAT SHOULD I SAY NEXT?
(It’s not saying anything, Seb. It’s just smiling at me. Maybe it needs more information? Wait.)
DO YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION
(It blinked at me.)
WELL OKAY, HERE IS SOME MORE INFORMATION: THE LETTER IS TO SEBASTIAN. HE’S A GUY AT BROOKFIELD [...] PARDON? WELL, HE THINKS I WANT TO BUY DOPE OFF HIM. I KNOW! I KNOW! IT’S NOT HIS FAULT. HE’S JUST A BROOKER KID. AS MY TEACHER WOULD SAY. MAYBE THEY DON’T REALISE WHEN PEOPLE ARE MESSING WITH THEM THERE?”
// 1. The Fault in Our Stars – John Green //
This book has gone as viral as it’s YouTube-famous author John Green. If you
haven’t read it yet then you are in for a treat. The teenage protagonist Hazel
is funny, daring, relatable, and living with terminal cancer. The novel follows
Hazel as she connects with other teenagers affected by cancer, and takes a (I’m
told) realistic snapshot of the highs and lows of life with a terminal illness.
While you might be thinking that so far this sounds kinda bleak, let me assure
you that it is as eye-opening as it is hilarious, as heart-warming as it is
heart-wrenching and well worth the roller-coasteric ride.
“What a slut time is, she screws everybody.”___________________________________________________
Hope they inspire you to read, and please let me know - what are your top 5?
“What a slut time is, she screws everybody.”___________________________________________________
Hope they inspire you to read, and please let me know - what are your top 5?
But not the Queens Thief Series????
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