Love/Hate Relationships and Why I Can't Quit YA Fiction

I had a boyfriend, when I was in my early 20's, who drove me crazy. He was one of those guys who

swept me off my feet with declarations of undying love and extravagant gestures who became indifferent once he had my undivided attention. When I would express my frustration by breaking up he would suddenly become my dream guy all over again-- and the roller-coaster would continue.



Reading YA fiction reminds a lot of that relationship.



I'm not altogether sure why I am so attracted to YA fiction. As a *cough* older woman my tastes should have evolved by now. But when I see a shiny new book with an attractive cover (and YA has some fabulous covers) I turn into a schoolgirl all over again. I tell myself that this time will be different-- and yet I am most often disappointed.



Like the girl who bounced back to an old boyfriend too many times, I am forever on the rebound with YA fiction and I have come to a conclusion: it's all my fault.



Here's the thing: YA fiction is what it is. It should not change to please me-- who am I but one reader among millions? And when YA is good, or my definition of good, it's fantastic. Two of my favorite books from last year fell under the YA category.



Whether I'm in an unhealthy relationship, literary or otherwise, I often step away and try to gain perspective-- but inevitably return because I only remember the good times. If there's anything YA fiction does well is to appeal to the emotional triggers that allow us to abandon our logical side. The ups and downs don't seem that bad in the beginning-- we must suffer for love, right? And I do have the capacity to learn. I know to avoid books that including phrases like "the new boy she is crushing on" in the description-- I'm not that blind to my own preferences.



Sometimes I feel as if I am still caught between a literary childhood and adulthood. I'm not shy about trying to read adult fiction-- I don't blush when I read a sex scene; but I'm not terribly impressed by them either. (Read this article for some examples of just how bad fictional sex can be.) Most of the time I feel like the sex and violence are thrown in for effect and have little to do with moving the story-- and then I wistfully look back to YA fiction to satisfy my craving for a fantasy that doesn't try so hard to prove it's grown up; only to be let down by stories that don't appeal to my adult need for logic and consistency.



I can't seem to rationalize my dysfunctional relationship with paranormal fiction, whether it's the adult or the YA variety, but I can't seem to tear myself away either. Maybe I'm addicted to the chase. And when I do catch my ideal fantasy-- it is heavenly. But there's always the knowledge that my satisfaction is destined to be short term. And then the hunt begins again....



Maybe I'll never get off that darned roller-coaster. Who knows... Maybe I don't want to.

Are YA Authors the New Innovators?

I've never been a huge YA reader. I loved Harry Potter, yet I've always has a bit of a prejudice against YA fiction because I preferred a book that didn't feel as if it was holding back on content to appeal to a certain age group. But it's clear the success of Harry Potter has brought about more YA fiction than every before. And who can blame the authors? Clearly there's a huge cross-over audience for really good YA fiction.



And lately, I've been getting a lot of titles that have me rethinking my original biases. Most of the books are by authors I've never read before, though some old favorites are showing up to take advantage of the trend (De Lint is actually an old-hand at this-- I just thought his looked really cool); and I'm really intrigued by what I'm seeing. It's not that the ideas are wholly new and unique to YA fiction. But there seems to be a real effort in delivering well crafted stories that appeal to a broad range of ages. Could it be that YA fiction is where it's at these days?



Here's a small sampling of what I've gotten recently. What do you think? Innovative or not? Or am I just seeing a trend where none exists?





Mercury Falls by Robert Kroese





Years of covering the antics of End Times cults for The Banner, a religious news magazine, have left Christine Temetri not only jaded but seriously questioning her career choice. That is, until she meets Mercury, an anti-establishment angel who's frittering his time away whipping up batches of Rice Krispy Treats and perfecting his ping-pong backhand instead of doing his job: helping to orchestrate Armageddon. With the end near and angels and demons debating the finer political points of the Apocalypse, Christine and Mercury accidentally foil an attempt to assassinate one Karl Grissom, a thirty-seven-year-old film school dropout about to make his big break as the Antichrist. Now, to save the world, she must negotiate the byzantine bureaucracies of Heaven and Hell and convince the apathetic Mercury to take a stand, all the while putting up with the obnoxious mouth-breathing Antichrist.

The Painted Boy Charles De Lint



Jay Li should be in Chicago, finishing high school and working at his family's restaurant. Instead, as a born member of the Yellow Dragon Clan—part human, part dragon, like his grandmother—he is on a quest even he does not understand. His journey takes him to Santo del Vado Viejo in the Arizona desert, a town overrun by gangs, haunted by members of other animal clans, perfumed by delicious food, and set to the beat of Malo Malo, a barrio rock band whose female lead guitarist captures Jay's heart. He must face a series of dangerous, otherworldly—and very human—challenges to become the man, and dragon, he is meant to be. This is Charles de Lint at his best!





Trance by Linda Gerber





Ashlyn Greenfield has always known when bad things are going to happen. Each time that familiar tingling at the back of her neck begins, she knows what's to come a trance. She's pulled in, blindsided, an unwilling witness to a horrible upcoming event. But she's never been able to stop it not even when the vision was of her mother's fatal car accident. When soulful Jake enters Ashlyn's life, she begins having trances about another car accident. And as her trances escalate, one thing becomes clear: it's up to her to save Jake from near-certain death.

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff



Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world.



Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.



Edward Scissorhands meets The Catcher in the Rye in this wildly imaginative and frighteningly beautiful horror novel about an unusual boy and his search for a place to belong.