Harry Potter. Twilight. The Hunger Games. What do all three have in common, other than blockbuster sales and film adaptations? Originally, they were all written for young adults, and wound up appealing to millions of adult fans world-wide as well. And, interestingly enough, all have elements of fantasy in them. They are certainly not alone, though. There are hundreds of titles published for young adults every year, and many of them have major appeal to adult readers as well. Here are my picks for teen titles you shouldn't miss.
The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green. No matter how many chapters there are, the end of Hazel's story has been written from the time of her diagnosis: terminal. But when gorgeous Augustus Waters arrives at the Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's tale gets a major rewrite. Beautiful, poignant, surprising, this is definitely one you need to pick up.
Stardust, by Neil Gaiman. My regular readers know that I have a deep and undying love for Neil Gaiman, author, screenwriter and supporter of libraries. This absolutely extends to Stardust, which was adapted for film in 2007. When young Tristran Thorn, a half-human and half-Faerie boy raised by his father and stepmother, foolishly promises his sweetheart that he will bring her a fallen star, he has no idea that his quest will lead him to answers about his heritage, as well as love outside his village, in the land of Faerie. Full of adventure, mystery and romance, Stardust is a novel I could read again and again.
Eragon, by Christopher Paolini. The first in the Inheritance Cycle series (currently there are four books), Eragon was originally self-published by the author's family, but when discovered by Carl Hiaasen, it was republished by Knopf. Young farm boy Eragon finds a strange stone in the mountains, which turns out to be an egg. A dragon hatches from the egg, whom Eragon names Saphira. The duo is forced to flee Eragon's village when an evil king finds out about the boy and his dragon, and so their adventures begin. Set in a world of magic, destiny, elves and dragons, this story is destined to become a classic.
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