I have the privilege of being part of the I love Dark YA Blogfest, and I couldn't be more excited! I know the topic has been in the media a lot recently, and it's a subject I love talking about. This week I'll be blogging about my favorite dark YA book(s).
First off, what is considered "dark"? Can it be categorized? Or is it personal preference? Some of my favorite YA books are what some people have labeled as their version of "dark."
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
Shine by Lauren Myracle
Stolen by Lucy Christopher
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Curse Worker series by Holly Black
I could go on and on! Some of these books may be fantasy, but there's still real issues there. The Hunger Games is about selflessness, love, caring, and survival. Twenty Boy Summer is about a girl trying to cope with loss after love and then figure out who she is. There's a positive message of hope in most YA novels. I can't think of one where there isn't.
What are some of your favorite "dark" YA books?
I love all the books you've listed (or at least the ones I've read). More than anything, Wintergirls was about hope to me. THG was fierce and raw and STRONG. It was an incredibly inspiring book. Stolen ... I do think that one was dark, but it was also astonishingly beautiful. It made me think. The Curse Worker series was just plain fun. And so on.
ReplyDeleteI like dark books. I can relate to them. If all the books were only about sunshine and roses, I would feel very alone in the world. They certainly wouldn't be true to my experience.
More books for me to add to my TBR list. Thanks! I recently read A Whisper to A Scream by Lauren Hammond. That was dark and completely awesome.
ReplyDeleteFabulous! Heading over there now to take a look. :)
ReplyDeleteI'll have to check some of these out. One of my faves this year was reading Franny Billingsley's Chime.
ReplyDeleteLoved Wintergirls, The Sky in Everywhere, and of course the Hunger Games.
ReplyDeleteI also loved If I Stay and Chime. They both have darkness and hope in them.
You can't have light without dark, so it would be pretty hard to tell a story about hope without talking about the tough stuff.
Ooo, checking that one out, Kelly.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Heather :)
Catherine, these are really good reads. I love the hope in all of them.
I loved IF I STAY, Stephanie. It was a great read. I also agree with you. There's so much hope in YA, and hope and darkness kind of go hand in hand.
Great list. I'm familiar with many of them.
ReplyDeleteI blogged about Speak, Skinny, and Go Ask Alice in my dark YA post.