Explaining My Love-Hate Relationship With YA – And a List of YA Fantasy that I’d love to read!

I have a love-hate relationship with YA books. I don’t know how it started but I do know John Green is to blame. Sorry folks, I just didn’t like The Fault in Our Stars. I’m entitled to my opinion and so are you! I remember buying the entire four-book box set of Green’s books during my trip to Dubai in preparation for the summer of 2012 ahead. I hated TFIOS because I felt it was just not done correctly, especially because not all people with cancer end up finding true love in a support group. After a gap of a few years I decided to read Looking for Alaska in November 2015. I read a few chapters trying not to get annoyed by the typical teens in the book and that night my beloved cat passed away. It just wasn’t good timing, folks and now I feel Green’s books are JINXED for me forever.

Last year I read Jennifer Niven’s All the Bright Places and I fell in love with it. It was beautiful, realistic and I could tell it was written with passion. Sure enough, when I finished reading the book I saw that Niven based the book off her personal experience. Here was a YA that reminded me that this particular genre of fiction can really make a difference in the lives of a lot of teens and that it can raise serious issues. The main thing I learned from ATBP is how important a parent’s role is in their child’s life.

I haven’t read too many YA books, but in the past few weeks my lovely friends on Bookstagram have convinced me that I need to give YA a try! Especially YA fantasy.

So here are some series that I’d love to read in the coming year or two –

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

I grew up reading fairytales like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood just like the rest of the world. So when my friend Warda told me this series is worth reading I added it to my list. I feel if I’m going to slowly get sucked into the world of YA i’d start here!

The Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness 

A series about a place where there are only men who can hear each other’s thoughts and there are no secrets. Chaos begins when there’s one person whose head the protagonist can’t get into. Sounds great and weird which is what I like! Recently the Daily Mail wrote an article about how unhealthy this series is. Tell me, did anyone get happy after reading Orwell’s 1984?

The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson

A world where ash falls from the sky and there’s some metal magic going on. I’ve seen a lot of raving reviews about this trilogy and a lot of my trusted bookworms have said it’s amazing! So I’ll definitely be reading this soon.

Thanks B – for clarifying this series isn’t actually YA Fantasy!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Girl with natural blue hair, mysterious hand prints and crazy things happening is all I know about this one. My friend from uni Hadeel highly recommended this one after I told her I’d lost faith in YA. I’m also promised some beautiful writing in Daughter of Smoke and Bone, so I’d love to read it!

Not my photo!

Picture Source: http://www.readingaftermidnight.com/ramblings

Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Mass

I’m supposed to expect lots of killing in this one and interesting Royalty. I don’t know much about this series except that people keep asking me to read it!

An Ember In the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

 

This book is supposed to be the Game of Thrones of the YA world. Besides, the cover is just too gorgeous. Also, I’d love to see how Tahir wrote this one.

 

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo 

I’d love to read this one purely because the synopsis does not focus on two people falling in love in the middle of an apocalypse. It does sound interesting and I haven’t read anything like the movie Italian Job.

PS: I really love the hardcover with the black edges.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

I really LOVE Schehrezade so I want to see how Ahdieh has portrayed her in the retelling. Seriously, that’s the only reason I want to read this. And the hardcover, of course. It’s beautiful.

 

A Darker Shade of Magic by V E Schwab

Parallel universe Londons and a person who smuggles between the two – something like that. Of course I want to read this! I’ve also heard great things from trusted bookworms.

So, what are some YA Fantasy books that you want to read?! Any recommendations for me?

PS: There are a few others I wanna read but I didn’t want to throw all of them in one list! Gotta start somewhere so these are the ones I’d like to start with.