There are tons of good young adult books to be found. True, not many achieve the superstar success of Harry Potter or Twilight, but the young adult genre is competitive and ever-growing, and there are plenty of bestselling novels you may not have heard of. The authors and books suggested in this article are just a few of many. Each one is unique, original, entertaining, and well written, and has a large (and growing) fan base.
Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl series is genre-defying, yet smart, funny and skilled. A child genius and criminal prodigy, young Artemis Fowl is the heir to the Fowl criminal empire. Artemis, an expert in devious plots and a connoisseur of electronics and cutting-edge technology, discovers the existence of fairies and hatches a plan to rescue one for the legendary pot of gold. Things turn sour when the victim turns out to be LEP Reconnaissance Agent Holly Short, a pixie who turns out to be an elite police officer.
Colfer has captivated the imaginations of millions with this terrific blend of clever action, gadgets that will make even Q green with envy, well-conceived and developed characters, classic fantasy elements, and clever and witty storytelling. The novels have been turned into graphic novels and a movie is in development.
Inkheart, Inkspell, and Inkdeath: The three books in Cornelia Funke’s Inkworld series are captivating. Maggie and her father Mo, a bookbinder, have always shared a love of reading, but their adventurous experience is limited to the page. When strange, and sometimes all-too-familiar characters begin to appear in Mo’s lives, Mo puts Maggie in her car and they drive out of town, and Maggie begins to suspect that her “average” father is all the same. contrary. She’s right: Mo is a Silvertongue, possessing the magical ability to read things from his stories and in the ‘real’ world. The problem is that he has no control over what goes out, and for everything that comes out, he has to have something from the real world come in.
Pursued by a motley crew of villains intent on destroying ‘Inkheart’ – the book they escaped from and the very book in which Mo’s wife disappeared years ago. Brendan Fraser stars as Mo in the recent hit movie adaptation of Inkheart.
Any list of good young adult reads (however brief) cannot omit the genius of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books or the dark artistry of Neil Gaiman. Read everything written by either master for a fantastic experience; if you haven’t made up your mind, go for the magnificent novel Good Omens, which they wrote together. Moviegoers will recognize Gaiman’s name from the films Coraline and Stardust, both of which are adapted from his novels. Terry Pratchett’s name should ring a bell too: the Discworld has inspired movies, TV shows, comics, and video games.
The task of writing a comprehensive list of ‘good young adult books’ is a Herculean one – there are just too many to choose from. However, the best way to find books is to read books: go to the library, your favorite bookstore or website, and start turning the pages: the perfect fantasy world is out there waiting for you to enter.