Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy discussion

It seems that YA books are really popular right now. I have only read a few. The ones I have read I hated. Maybe YA just isn't for me. Anyway I am just wondering if there are any well written YA books. I am so sick of the Twilight ripoffs. Bad writing, stupid annoying characters etc.

I loved Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, it was one of the few YA books that I really enjoyed.

The Mortal Instruments series - hands down the best out there IMO. I am a grandmother and my brother (who obviously is not a kid) loves them enough to have re-read them after the prequel came out (Clockwork Angel), both of my sons love them and of course my teen grandkids. My brother reads non fiction, a lot of technical books, biographies, history, as well as fiction and his opinion is that this is one of the best written and fun fiction books he has ever read.The Mortal Instruments Boxed Set: City of Bones; City of Ashes; City of Glass

Terry (Ter05 TwiMoms/ MundieMoms) wrote: "The Mortal Instruments series - hands down the best out there IMO. I am a grandmother and my brother (who obviously is not a kid) loves them enough to have re-read them after the prequel came out ..."

Oh I forgot them,I agree they are a great.

I agree with Mortal Instruments and VA, they are both fabulous. I also really like Blue Bloods by Melissa De la Cruz and Morganville Vampire Series by Rachel Caine.

Vampire Academy is great and if you like the author, she also has 2 adult series.

I have to say honestly though, I've read a lot of books, teen books, adult books, vamp books, romance books, sci fi books. . . And even though there are many takes on vamipres and forbidden romance, I haven't run across one Twilight Rip-off (that wasn't meant to be a parody or something). But if all you think about when you look for books, is how they are anything like Twilight, that's all your going to see.

I love the Iron Fey series... Have you tried it?

I also really liked the Iron Fey series starting with The Iron King, Juliet Marillier's only YA books (and LOVE ALL of her books) Wildwood Dancingand Cybele's Secret None of these in any way resemble Twilight. I love Shiverand Linger & anxiously awaiting the last in the trilogy - also nothing like Twilight. I love the supernatural YA books but not so into the vampire/mortal love thing although I am a TwilightMom!

I am really enjoying Maggie Stiefvater's series, Shiver, Linger and Forever.

Re: the alleged Twilight copy cats. I also have not read anything I would consider a Twilight copy cat (I would not call any books a rip off of something else because every story known to man has been used somewhere and every phrase and sentence is printed somewhere - nothing is original except the way they are put together and the context that they are used in - and the individual writer's talent). I have smiled when exact wording from Twilight is used in a book under the same context noting that it is pretty darn close. However, the funniest thing is the people who get all in a tiff and say L.J. Smith copied Stephenie Meyer when she wrote The Vampire Diaries. It is kind of amusing to point out to them that TVD were written in the mid nineties and yes, there are some REALLY similar situations and even phrases in both.

A couple recent YA series that I have enjoyed and, really, could have been written for adults: Inside Out by Maria V Snyder. Only two books total but really enjoyable and smart.
As well, The Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon. I think part of the maturity is simply due to the fact that this series could be considered part of her adult series, the Dark-Hunters. Except the main character is 14 and there is no sex.

Alberta, is Inside Out really a good read? I LOVED her Poison Study and Magic Study and then was totally disappointed in Fire Study. I just yesterday finished Storm Glass and was really disappointed. I know some really like it but I thought it was really boring.

HUNGER GAMES!!!!!!

I enjoyed hunger games series and I like the Strange angels series and and recently I read Iron Thorn, and thought it was wonderful. I am now reading Enclave and enjoying it too.

Id start with those. But I have read others that were ok, and others that are popular that I found to young for me (Fallen for example).

Terry (Ter05 TwiMoms/ MundieMoms) wrote: "Alberta, is Inside Out really a good read? I LOVED her Poison Study and Magic Study and then was totally disappointed in Fire Study. I just yesterday finished Storm Glass and was really disappoin..."

I really enjoyed Inside Out and Outside In....

my favorite YA of 2010 was , my favorite so far this year is

Although they're just on my TBR list and I haven't read them, I've heard that Chaos Walking series, starting with The Knife of Never Letting Go is great.

What about the Hunger Games? I'm not sure if I like this thread very much. I've read YA that is excellently written, like Cassandra Clare's "Mortal Instraments" and "Infernal Devices" series'. And then there are YA novels that are easier to read, that do not incorporate huge words (words that make me so entirely grateful for my kindle and it's built in dictionary), but are still every bit as good. I feel the Hunger Games trilogy are some of the best books ever written. I wouldn't say authors are "dumbing down" their works in order to appeal to young adults. Not everyone (including writers) has a top-notch vocabulary.

I agree, Jeanine, I don't think authors are dumbing down YA books. Some YA books are dumb just like some books in any genre are dumb! LOL I agree that the writing in The Hunger Games is excellent - I pretty much hated the concept and only read the first one and half of the second, but it certainly was not because the author was not excellent. I just am not into distrophian novels which is another topic entirely.

Terry (Ter05 TwiMoms/ MundieMoms) wrote: "I agree, Jeanine, I don't think authors are dumbing down YA books. Some YA books are dumb just like some books in any genre are dumb! LOL I agree that the writing in The Hunger Games is excellen..."

Lol... Well said! "Some YA books are dumb just like some books in any genre are dumb!" You want to know what's dumb? I just learned what "distrophian" meant today! Even though I've read novels that are considered dystropian, I never knew what it meant... :)

Oh! And I just figured out what "steam punk" is too :)

Oh, I have no clue what that is and have been in many discussions of what "urban fantasy" is and every one seems different. I did go to Wikki on that one. I think I don't like them much either, but not sure as the definition is a little bit hazy.

I think... (and I am just guessing), that UF is a fantasy world that is set in our world. So, I think Mortal Instraments might be considered UF because the Shadow Hunters have a whole other world that humans aren't aware of and cannot see.
I think most Fey books are UF, too. Like the Wicked Lovely series.

Here is what Wiki says (they say a lot more of course)
"Urban fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy defined by place; the fantastic narrative has an urban setting. Many urban fantasies are set in contemporary times and contain supernatural elements. However, the stories can take place in historical, modern, or futuristic periods. The prerequisite is that they must be primarily set in a city.[1]"

Also says, "Urban fantasy describes a work that is set primarily in a city and contains aspects of fantasy. These matters may involve the arrivals of alien races, the discovery of earthbound mythological creatures, coexistence between humans and paranormal beings, conflicts between humans and malicious paranormals, and subsequent changes in city management.

Thus TMI fits due to New York. Twilight, The Iron Fey etc would not be as they are set in small towns. Maybe....

Haha... Very good! Wiki just became my favorite site :) I hate being the only girl in the discussion who doesn't know what people are referring too. I had to aske what HEA meant the other day... Happily Ever After! WT... lol
I have to restrain myself from asking people what their book abbreviations stand for. If I haven't read it, then I don't know what your talking about, and even sometimes when I have read it, I still cannot decipher the abbreviation.

Lyndsey wrote: "I love the Iron Fey series... Have you tried it?

"

Lyndsey wrote: "I love the Iron Fey series... Have you tried it?

I have them on my Nook but haven't read them yet.

I'll put in another vote for Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series.

Last night I finished Nightshade which I loved. It definitely felt more "mature" than some other YA novels, in that it doesn't shy away from serious issues. (Great characters and plot, too!)

I'm not a big fan of YA but I just read and it was excellent. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.

I would have to say that I am a BIG fan of the Morgan Rice series, Turned, Loved, Betrayed and Destined. I am patiently waiting for Book 5 to come out in August!!!

I thought was pretty good for a YA.

Deanne wrote: "I loved Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, it was one of the few YA books that I really enjoyed."

I second this! It is one of my favorite series...

was really good. It was a little different from the typical YA. Very Mulan-ish.

Jennifer wrote: " was really good. It was a little different from the typical YA. Very Mulan-ish."

I'm a very big fan. I read the sequel

recently and it was even better than teh first.

I still haven't read the 2nd one. I need to run to B&N and grab a copy.

The only YA that I have read recently and enjoyed very much was by Kimberly Derting. It was intelligent and mature.

But isn't the idea of YA that the targeted readers are not all mature? Present company excluded of course but they are supposed to be written for and about teens, and teens are not mature.

I think for the most part they are simply written about teens with teen situations so that teens can relate to the stories. If there is sex, then it isn't explicit. They just seem to be lighter. I have read a couple teen books that just seemed way too young (I'm 30) but I honestly don't think they dumb them down.

The only difference I've noticed between books from authors that write in both adult & teen books is the age of the characters and situations are somthing you would find a teen in.

I think you are totally right that they are lighter. I find reading back and forth between YA and what I would consider adult novels that the storylines are just deeper in a lot of adult novels - and probably would be boring to some teens (obviously some teens read adult novels and vice versa). For instance I am reading The Game of Thrones right now and can't imagine a teen wading through all this detail, but I am enjoying it (although having trouble keeping up with all the names). I have a granddaughter who loves the Arthur legend as I do, but Mists of Avalon just was too deep and detailed for her to enjoy.

Some of my YA favs are the Hunger Games trilogy, the Blue Bloods series, the Mortal Instruments series and the Wicked Lovely series. There are a couple books I have read that are really good but I didn't care for the sequels. They are Hush, Hush and Fallen. I know there are more out there that I have read and loved, but that is all I can think of right now. Hope this helps. :0)

The Immortals Series
(Evermore, Blue Moon, Dark Flame, Shadow Land, and Night Star by Alyson Noel)

I can't wait for the final book, Everlasting to come out!

I've enjoyed most of the YA series I've read my fav's currently are...

~Iron fey series
~Mortal Instruments
~Vampire Academy
~Morganville Vampires
~Hunger Trilogy is good too.
~Wake series
~Hush Hush
~Fallen series is nice and dark
~Wolves of mercy falls is good too
~Wicked Lovely, is good for the most part though the outcome wasn't what I wanted but oh Well lol.
~I really enjoy the Blue Bloods Series
~Infernal Devices even though only one book is out so far is really good too
~the modern faerie tale is a good one too


and there is so much more I haven't read yet

Claudia Gray's Evernight series, which I am thoroughly enjoying.

Revenants series by Amy Plum (though there is only one out for the series so far)
Oh. My. Gods. series by Tera Lynn Childs
My Blood Approves series by Amanda Hocking
Tryell Series by Amanda Hocking
Darkness Rising series by Kelley Armstrong
Intertwined series by Gena Showalter
Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Though it is best to read this series if you have read her Dark Hunter series)
Shade Series by Jeri Smith-Ready

I read a trilogy ~City of Ashes, City of Bones and City of Glass~ I really enjoyed them.

Candace, have you read the fourth book as they are not a trilogy any more. There is a fourth book out and two more to come!

No I didn't know that. I will have to check it out! Thanks!!!

There is also a prequel and and a new one out in that series this fall. These books are the Shadowhunters in London 150 years earlier. The First one is GOOD!

Thank God for dumbed-down YA or else I might get lost in the pages, and not in a good way :) lmao

I just finished reading and it was really good. I also liked the this whole series is really good. The whole Vampire Academy is a great read as well. Shiver and Linger are really good as well as The Hunger games Trilogy and Graceling by Kristin Cashore. Enjoy!!

I love Shiver and Linger and just re-read them both since the third and final book came out today (which Amazon has not even shipped yet). To me they are perhaps more for adults than teens because the characters are really deep in some beautiful kind of way. I think the people who don't like the series are just not "getting it". If you are looking for lots of sex and action, they don't have it but is that adult? maybe and maybe not.