Whew! Back to reality.
But...
According to popular reading lists and surveys by School Library Journal and other reviews sources, Zombacolypse and distopian futures are the "new black." Thankfully, brooding, moody, hulky vampires are "been-there, done-that."
I am an addict to new young adult literature. Over the last decade or so, young adult authors have moved from the staple classic formula for YA Lit (i.e. Hatchet, Walter Dean Myers, etc...) to an edgier, realistic, gritty world that speaks volumes to the tween and teen psyche.
YA literature, in particular, pushes the envelope of societal and educational norms. Just as technology is changing the way we operate on fundamental levels, YA lit is changing the way we communicate and how we view our contemporary world. It is ripping off the "rose-colored" innocence of authors like Paulsen, George, Peck and other Newbery-award winning authors and replacing them with what I can only call "ripping the bandaid-off" authors--tough, straightforward, and graphic.
Hot Topics:
Dystopian...a community or society that is undesirable, dyfunctional or frightening that often includes dehumanization, totalitarianism and an environmental disaster or cataclysm. What's not to love.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Shipbreaker by Paolo Baciogalupi
The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch
Zombies...the new supernatural creature of choice
Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks
Steampunk...retro-futuristic society that involve a combination of steam-powered technology, magic, and 19th Century social norms.
The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
Have fun checking these out...I certainly am!
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