My friends all call me Everybody's Mom, and they call our house Teen Central. We have two of our own, but on any given afternoon, you can find six kids or more here. So, with 2010 drawing to a close, I decided to do a totally unscientific poll of my teen crew. The question? What book/s are you thankful this year, and why? A few of my girls responded, and my ever-faithful Padawan Learner, Austin.
Lexie, 19, says she's happiest that she read THE REPLACEMENT and also I AM NUMBER FOUR, because "they were different stories and had actual consequences and reasons to do things."
Brittney Marie, 15, said "I read the VAMPIRE ACADEMY series and i really really liked it. It's kind of hard to explain. I guess. even though it's obviously not true, the book makes it seem as if it is. And it puts real issues out there that a lot of teenagers face now-a-days. :P"
Kat, my 15 yr old DD said, "Well I have to say, HUSH, HUSH and THE REPLACEMENT. They're really good books and you can get into them. They put real common day issues in there that teens face everyday. The characters are easy to follow, though they make wrong choices, there are consequences, unlike other books."
Dakota, 13, says, "Well, I've read ALOT of books this year, but i have to say, THE HOUSE OF NIGHT series was just absolutely AMAZING. Puts a whole new twist on vampyres :)"
Austin, 18 years old, and working on his own dystopian novel said he liked PERFECT CHEMISTRY because it taught him a lot about how to handle sexual tension.
Common themes I found:
- THE REPLACEMENT, by Brenna Yovanoff
- Common teen issues.
- Dealing with consequences.
Gratuitous Linkage:
Brenna Yovanoff's WEBSITE
I AM NUMBER FOUR website/movie info
Official VAMPIRE ACADEMY Website
Becca Fitzpatrick's WEBSITE
Simone Elkeles WEBSITE
Offical House of Night WEBSITE
I find it really interesting that it's applicability to their own lives that draws kids even to paranormal and fantasy stories. It makes me wonder if hard truths are easier to take when wrapped up in a fantastical plot.
ReplyDeleteI'm thankful for 13 Reasons Why jetting to the bestseller list. It takes so many risks stylistically and thematically and came out a big winner. It's a compelling story and also gives me hope that there's still a healthy market for realistic teen fiction.
My daughter hasn't read the Replacement yet, but read the others. I guess I'll have to recommend it for our reading list. Have a Happy Holiday!
ReplyDeleteOh, yes. I enjoyed reading The Replacement. It was a very enjoyable read.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this post--it lets me know what teens are reading now. The Replacement is definitely on my list to read next. This year, my faves were probably The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff and Will Grayson, Will Grayson. :)
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