It's a tricky question for sure, and has probably as much (or more?) to do with how a book can be marketed than with the content of the book itself. But in general, YA books have teen protagonist(s) and are primarily, in some way, about teenage concerns, and/or told from a teen perspective (as opposed to the perspective of an adult looking back on their adolescence, although I'm sure there are at least a few YA books that do that).
I'll be in my bunk.
Jayne ,'War Stories'
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."
Kate P. - Sep 24, 2014 5:58:07 pm PDT #22711 of 28343
That's the pain / That cuts a straight line down through the heart / We call it love
Atropa - Sep 24, 2014 6:04:19 pm PDT #22712 of 28343
The artist formerly associated with cupcakes.
What I love about this is that Jilli is saying it with zero sarcasm.
I EMBRACE MY RIDICULOUS BAT-WINGED CLICHES. I OWN 26 DIFFERENT EDITIONS OF DRACULA.
The problem is there are so many direly awful vampire books out there, even reading them for eye-rolling fun gets a little painful.
Toddson - Sep 25, 2014 5:56:17 am PDT #22713 of 28343
Friends don't let friends read "Atlas Shrugged"
I would recommend the direly awful books in a heartbeat (what? I'm still alive WITH heartbeat) but this wasn't even amusingly or entertainingly bad (I think I already sent you that one - The Cowboy and the Vampire?). It just ... came off as kind of blah. I didn't even finish it ... skimmed through some and there weren't even any "good parts".
Gris - Sep 25, 2014 6:56:25 am PDT #22714 of 28343
Hey. New board.
I cried in the car this morning listening to Code Name Verity. Darn it.
I am maybe half way through? I don't have a ton of listening time, so I'm going slow, but boy howdy is it compelling.
Polter-Cow - Sep 25, 2014 7:59:58 am PDT #22715 of 28343
What else besides ramen can you scoop? YOU CAN SCOOP THIS WORLD FROM DARKNESS!
I am somewhere in Part 5 and yeah, this is one of the most compelling narrative voices I've ever encountered, and the reader is amazing. God, when she sings, it's haunting.
I feel like I'm missing some of the details of the plot since my mind sometimes wanders while driving, but I am getting the general trajectory of things.
Strix - Sep 25, 2014 8:48:59 am PDT #22716 of 28343
A dress should be tight enough to show you're a woman but loose enough to flee from zombies. — Ginger
CNV is SO AMAZINGLY GOOD. It's one of those books you're jealous you didn't write.
sumi - Sep 25, 2014 11:05:18 am PDT #22717 of 28343
Art Crawl!!!
Consuela - Sep 25, 2014 11:06:35 am PDT #22718 of 28343
We are Buffistas. This isn't our first apocalypse. -- Pix
Indeed. It made me go read some of Wein's earlier work, but I didn't like it nearly as much.
I do want a yuletide crossover of CNV, Narnia, and Montmaray, starting all the awesome women fighting Nazis.
Polter-Cow - Sep 26, 2014 7:28:30 am PDT #22719 of 28343
What else besides ramen can you scoop? YOU CAN SCOOP THIS WORLD FROM DARKNESS!
OH MY GOD CODE NAME VERITY OH MY GOD.
I just went through so many fucking emotions on the drive to work today. First, she reveals her real name and FOR FUCK'S SAKE SHE WAS ANOTHER CHARACTER IN THE STORY ALL THIS TIME TOO. Second, the reader fucking brought me to tears with her ever-more-emotional repetition of "I have told the truth." Third, DRAT DOUBLE DRAT MADDIE'S FUCKING ALIVE MADDIE IS FUCKING ALIVE MADDIE MADDIE MADDIIIIIE GO FUCKING SAVE JULIE PLEASE.
Consuela - Sep 26, 2014 11:11:31 am PDT #22720 of 28343
We are Buffistas. This isn't our first apocalypse. -- Pix
Oh, P-C.
t offers tissues
Also, I can't believe you didn't know the narrator was Queenie. Seriously?