Young Adult Fiction

[Katie Z]

One of my friends believes that there is no merit in Young Adult Fiction. I have a problem with this, however we made a deal I am allowed to have him read one young adult fiction book.
So, I ask you John, Hank, and nerdfighters
If there was ONE Young Adult Fiction book, which do you think would do best to spark interest in High School Junior and prove YA's merit?
Please respond!!!!

[AM Claussen]

Other than The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins? (Really a Great book! Boys like it too...)

I'm in the process of reading The Maze Runner by James Dashner, and I'm not disapointed yet.

After that I'm reading Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. The reviews for this one look mind blowing and I know that a few guy friends have picked it up.

Hope that helps!

[Katie Z]

Thanks! I was thinking Hunger Games as well, it's such a good book!
I think I might choose that one, but I want other people's opnions

[Katie Z]

He's read Harry Potter. He doesn;t like Harry Potter, He says that Jo ripped off of a bunch of people for her own fortune and she didn't create a world of her own. He says that it is unimaginative and that Harry Potter has no worthwhile message.
Oubviously he;s wrong.
For some reason I get the feeling that he (a buddhist, socialist, ginger who dislikes everything that is popular) wouldn't like the Uglies series. Even though I myself loves it.

[Chip, A Former Ningmaster]

The Book Thief was pretty damn good.

[Team Unicorn]

I'd recommend Carrie or The Shining. Both are by Stephen King. Fight Club might catch his interest. Or Haunted.

[chalkthesun]

I'd say for fantasy D.J. MacHale's Pendragon Series... or at least the first one, Merchant of Death.
Or if he's into medieval stuff or magical realism anything by Gerald Morris who kicks awesomeness into high gear. Try the first one, A Squire's Tale
Or oh oh Feed by crap no idea. Futuristic dystopia and all that good stuff.
My HS junior brother likes Nancy Farmer's books (ex. Sea of Trolls--vikings, mythology, suspense, etc) and The Ranger's Apprentice series (not sure who writes those.

I read mainly in fiction/fantasy so I'm not sure the front-runners in the other genres. But thankfully I have a textbook to refer to. That's right, YA is STUDIED in COLLEGE and they write TEXTBOOKS on it. Really expensive 500 page textbooks. If that's not merit I've got no clue what is. Anyways, this book recommends, for your purposes:

Slam by Nick Hornby (realistic)
Wasteland by Francesca Lia Block (says for "people who think YA lit is easy to read and easy to understand" i.e. will blow your mind)
Fighting Ruben Wolfe by Markus Zusak (rave review by the ALA)
The Wish List by Eoin Colfer (smart, smart man. also writes Artemis Fowl series)

And oh, duh. Anything by John Green. Don't know if you all have heard of him but he's pretty cool, I guess. :P

I'd say take him to a librarian at your school or public library, whichever one employs more awesome. They have masters and doctorates in this stuff. ALL of them do. I'm sure they can find him something that will open his stubborn little eyes.

Good luck! Post back if you need more help! I can do this all day!

Sarah

P.S. wait there's more. He might also like Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series. And maybe Ursula K. Le Guin but this is CLASSIC YA so it isn't what we're used to these days. Try Left Hand of Darkness?

[Katie Z]

thanks, i think i'm going to have him read hunger game, the sad thing is that i have to pay him for this to happen :P
I wanted to choose one of John Green;s books, but I don't know which, probly between Paper Towns and Looking for Alaska.
And the text book thing is interesting, but I already know exactly what he would say when i bring that point up in our next argument
"SO!? They have text books on a lot of things! Just because it has a text book doesn't mean that it has any merit! It just means that some guy had a lot of time on his hands and had no life!"
He would then go into some historical example. He is very well read and very smart, he just doesn't read fiction and doesn't see the merit of Young Adult Fiction.
So now that I have decided that I will probably choose Hunger Games (although i want to know which book John would choose!)
What are more points to prove that Young Adult Fiction has merit
By the way, I hate arguing with him, its just a horrible experience