This is a new weekly thing I'm going to do! I read so many books, and so there are some features in YA that have been standing out to me. Some of them are positive and some negative. Every week (on Thursdays) I'm going to tell one good and one bad thing that shows up in YA :)
Good: I like it when there are alternating POV's. Actually I think I'm obsessed with it! It seems to be a trend in YA to have alternating POV's, and usually I'm against trends... but this one I'm all for!! I love seeing both sides of the situation. Like in the books: Pushing the Limits By: Katie McGarry and From What I Remember... By: Stacey Kramer & Valerie Thomas and The Future of Us By: Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler... and SO many others :)
Bad: I personally don't like third person. It's harder for me to feel the character when it's all Jane went here, Jane thought this. It's not that I won't read a book in 3rd... but I'm less likely to fall in love with any one character. Like in the books: Wake By: Lisa McMann and The List By: Siobhan Vivian
I also enjoy books where each chapter is from a different character's perspective. A couple of my favorite authors, Jodi Picoult and Emily Giffin write in this style.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I do read a lot of books not written in this style. I'm open to various styles as long as there is a strong plot and well-developed characters. Language style and readability is very important to me.
I usually love Jodi Picoults books, Sing You Home is the newest one that I've read. I agree with you in that I'll read any style as long as it's written well... but if it's alternating POV I just find myself getting excited, LOL!
DeleteI own Sing You Home, House Rules and several others. I've read :
ReplyDelete. Nineteen Minutes -- first Picoult I read and I was hooked
. My Sister's Keeper -- have yet to see the movie
. The Pact -- have seen the TV movie adaptation
I have seen the TV movies of The 10th Circle and Plain Truth but haven't read the books(owned). The books I own are always low priority. I just keep picking up more books at thrift store shelves(a great source, btw),giveaways, and the library. I was just at the library yesterday with my daughter(7) and picked up 2 books and 2 magazines for me and 21 books for her. Both of us are big fans of Mo Willems.
FYI Ellen DeGeneres, another favorite, bought the movie rights of Sing You Home.
That's so wierd because all the books you've listed are the only Picoult books I've read :) I liked the movie for My Sister's Keeper (except Cameron Diaz came off a little harsh for me) and the 10th Circle one was ok... I want to see the TV movie for The Pact, I LOVED that book, it's one of my fav's!!! I hope Sing You Home gets made as a movie!! It would be a goodie! <LOVE that Ellen bought the rights, she's awesome! I was thinking about reading the YA book she released a little while ago, but haven't decided yet.
Delete(Me and my son love Mo Willems too, Elephant and Piggie are so funny!)
Yup -- The Pact was AWESOME!!! The movie version was pretty good too. I agree that The 10th Circle movie was meh. Marishka Hargitay(Law & Order : SVU) was in the Plain Truth movie. I love books/movies about the Amish.
ReplyDeleteYes -- Ellen is so funny/creative. I need to watch her show more often. What's the name of her YA book? I've only read MY POINT AND I DO HAVE ONE.
My daughter and I have read all the Elephant/Piggy books. I just picked up LET'S GO FOR A DRIVE yesterday and she read it once with hubby and once with me. The Pigeon ones are funny too. There's a DVD of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. We've read his others too. We also picked up GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE DINOSAURS(she loves dinosaurs).