I have literally read 5, yes 5, young adult novels in the last two weeks. Get ready for this list: Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth, Nightengale by David Farland, Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles) Marrissa Meyer, Prodigy by Marie Lu. You might ask yourselves why this is so amazing? Well my friends, it's because I'm a wife, mother, professional writer, dance teacher, and Sunday School teacher. I have very little time to devote to reading, but for some reason the stars aligned just so that I could get some serious research under my belt. So for your enjoyment here are my notes about each of these novels:
Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth: Dystopian. If you loved the Hunger Games you will love this series. What I loved about it? The characters and the setting. Roth does an amazing job of creating believable characters. The story is seen through the eyes of Beatrice prior, a strong female protagonist who doubts her strength, but I would be just as interested to read it from Four's, the male protagonists, point of view. It is set in an apocalyptic world divided into major subcultures which children select and join when they turn 16. It is a fast-paced, energy packed series that keeps the reader invested because of the characters Roth creates.
Nightengale by David Farland: This is a contemporary fantasy. What I enjoyed most about this one is the fact it is set in my hometown! That's right a majority of the novel takes place in southern Utah, so as I was reading I found myself clearly picturing the setting for the characters. This was also a little unsettleing when it came to imagining the fantastical elements of the novel, but it gave me some good pointers for writing believable settings.
Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles) by Marrissa Meyer: Sci-fi, Fiction. If you love fairy tale twists this book is especially for you. Meyer weaves an interesting element of fairy tale and science fictions. I like how she intertwines the genre and updates fairy tales. This second novel was a bit slower of a read than the first, but it picks up toward the end. I really enjoyed Cinder (her first novel in the series.) But something in this novel fell a little flat. I'm still intrigued by Meyers ability to marry genres.
Prodigy by Marie Lu. Dystopian. This series is suuuuper addicting. I simply cannot put it down when I get started. The big draw for me is the duel narrators. Lu tells her story through both June and Day. It is mesmerizing to read the events in the story from two perspectives that never over lap and bring something different to the story. I'm not sure how she was able to keep the events in the story so together when she was writing from two protagonists perspectives, but it is awesome! I'd like to give it a try in a story or two.
The novels I read were all good for different reasons. If I had to rate them in order of what I'd read:
1) Prodigy (Legend Series)
2) Divergent and Insurgent
3) Nightengale
4) Scarlet
