Young Adult Fantasy Books Which Inspire Thought
Wednesday, February 15th, 2012Witches, vampires and werewolves, oh my. These are just a few of the inhabitants of the world of young adult fantasy novels. This genre has really taken off in the past decade for young readers looking for thrills, chills and, surprisingly, romance. These books make reading a pleasure for teens and the best of them are true literature that inspires and provokes the mind.
The “Harry Potter” series by J. K. Rowling is king of the genre. Teenagers enjoy these books tremendously as they feature a boy wizard who fights against the evil Lord Voldermort. Harry is a schoolboy at the Hogwarts school of magic who must defend himself and his friends against the constant presence of opposing forces. His wit, heart and courage make Harry an intriguing and much loved hero.
Those who prefer eternal love and romance in their teen novels are drawn to Stephanie Meyer’s “Twilight” books. These are all about the ordinary schoolgirl Bella who falls for the intense beautiful vampire named Edward. Things get complicated when a werewolf named Jacob, who has an inherent hatred of vampires, also vies for the love of Bella.
While these books represent the best selling works of the genre, there are other notable tales as well for teen readers. Among the most noteworthy of these is Lois Lowry’s “The Giver”. A boy named Jonas lives in what should be the perfect society where pain and suffering do not exist. The realization that this world is not all that seems becomes apparent to Jonas when he is assigned the role of receiving all the world’s memories from the society’s “giver”.
Nancy Farmer’s “House of the Scorpion” is another fantasy novel that deserves attention. Teens reading this work learn of the life of Matteo, a clone of a rich drug lord, who has been created to be a living bank of spare parts for the original El Patron. The novel is intense, dark and revealing as it considers the controversial subject of cloning and its possible repercussions.
Readers everywhere can revel int he young adult fantasy books that have become so popular. Teens should look for the best in this genre so that can not only enjoy these books but consider the tough concepts they embody. It is a sure bet these books will line the shelves for a very long time.
If you’re in the market for a new fantasy and adventure novel, get ready for Victoria Foyt’s upcoming book release, “Revealing Eden”, the opening book of her “Save the Pearls” trilogy. In a familiar but alternate reality where higher social ranking is directly tied to more melanin in the skin, the light-skinned ‘pearls’ must adhere to stringent mating rules.