The Book Thief would be an amazing book for any book club. Oh, and The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett! Because everyone should read that book. Everyone! I also loved Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder. Not so much the rest of the series though.
My whole life just flashed before my eyes! I gotta get me a life!
Xander ,'Dirty Girls'
Literary Buffistas 3: Don't Parse the Blurb, Dear.
There's more to life than watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer! No. Really, there is! Honestly! Here's a place for Buffistas to come and discuss what it is they're reading, their favorite authors and poets. "Geez. Crack a book sometime."
Rayne - Nov 15, 2011 5:35:30 pm PST #16834 of 28287
"Oh no! Has falling sky liquid once again caused you the sadness?" -Starfire
Kat - Nov 15, 2011 5:46:12 pm PST #16835 of 28287
"I keep to a strict diet of ill-advised enthusiasm and heartfelt regret." Leigh Bardugo
It's being taught in 10th grade (and again at the local community college) at my school so I don't want to step on toes. I totally agree. I'm reading Zusak's new books Under Dogs to see if that is also workable.
I may also give every kid a copy of an Ayn Rand book (We the Living, I think) because I got them for free. But that seems more cruel.
Consuela - Nov 15, 2011 5:47:42 pm PST #16836 of 28287
We are Buffistas. This isn't our first apocalypse. -- Pix
Oh, yes, the Book Thief was really good. And so was The Messenger, although not as good.
How about John Marsden's Tomorrow When the War Began? It's not SF but it is a very exciting story about young people caught up in a war when Australia is invaded by an unknown enemy.
Amy - Nov 15, 2011 5:49:22 pm PST #16837 of 28287
Because books.
I only read the first chapter of The Future of Us, Kat, but it does look good, yeah. Very different than Thirteen Reasons Why, of course.
Ooh, for boys, Robison Wells's Variant (another Harper author, full disclosure) is really good -- fast-paced, a lot of action, boy protagonist, dystopian but not as far in the future as something like The Hunger Games. (It's for girls, too, obviously, but the protagonist might draw boys in more easily.)
Kat - Nov 15, 2011 5:55:57 pm PST #16838 of 28287
"I keep to a strict diet of ill-advised enthusiasm and heartfelt regret." Leigh Bardugo
I have seen Variant on the shelves, but don't know enough.
Have any of you seen The Hunger Games trailer? It looks good.
§ ita § - Nov 15, 2011 6:12:44 pm PST #16839 of 28287
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
There's been discussion of it in movies, Kat.
meara - Nov 15, 2011 6:12:59 pm PST #16840 of 28287
How about John Marsden's Tomorrow When the War Began? It's not SF but it is a very exciting story about young people caught up in a war when Australia is invaded by an unknown enemy.
Totally second this, it's an awesome book--and if they're into it, there's many sequels.
megan walker - Nov 15, 2011 6:31:37 pm PST #16841 of 28287
"What kind of magical sunshine and lollipop world do you live in? Because you need to be medicated."-SFist
How about John Marsden's Tomorrow When the War Began? It's not SF but it is a very exciting story about young people caught up in a war when Australia is invaded by an unknown enemy.
I read this on Consuela's rec and much enjoyed it. It's Red Dawn meets The Outsiders. It would definitely appeal to boys as well as girls.
Strix - Nov 15, 2011 6:39:23 pm PST #16842 of 28287
A dress should be tight enough to show you're a woman but loose enough to flee from zombies. — Ginger
It might be a touch too old for sophomores, but Mira Grant's Feed is really fantastic.
There's very subtle, between-the-lines, non-bio sibling love that is is-it-or-isn't-it-physical, though. That's the only thing that makes it a maybe-not. It's fab. Girls and guys can get with it.
Ginger - Nov 15, 2011 7:03:33 pm PST #16843 of 28287
"It didn't taste good. It tasted soooo horrible. It tasted like....a vodka martini." - Matilda
I also read the Tomorrow books on Consuela's rec and love them.
Are you just looking for recent books? In older books, there's Rosemary Sutcliff's Eagle of the Ninth,. which is pretty available because of the movie. It has young male protagonists.