YA fiction for Halloween and beyond

I have to admit to having been somewhat dismissive of YA fiction. I felt that, since I read mostly adult fiction from a fairly young age, why can’t everyone else? YA fiction was just starting out when I was a teenager and there were a few titles appearing from a publisher (I can’t remember their name, sorry) who had a blue stripe on the spine (anyone know who I’m talking about?). I recall a book that I got out from the library about a boy who was coming out and his negative experiences. It was a great book and I read it a few times and I think there was some talk about whether it should be allowed in the school library (hideous Clause 28 came in while I was at school). But other than that I didn’t really have much experience of YA fiction. I did read a lot of Buffy and Angel TV tie-ins, which could probably be described as YA fiction. Some were brilliant; some were pretty awful. But I think I always felt it was wrong to try to directly target teenagers or young people with a specific kind of literature, because they should just be open to all literature.

Whoops. Looks like I’ve been missing out on some great books because of this attitude. So, perhaps, in some ways it is wrong to target a certain age group because you could be missing out on a lot of readers that way? Though, looking around at reviews, it seems that there are plenty of adults reading YA fiction, so it might just be me who’s been missing out!

I got sent three YA books for Halloween Week, one stand-alone book and the first two of a (I believe) trilogy. And I devoured them all. They were fast-paced, well-plotted, well-written and interesting. Wow.

Burn Mark by Laura Powell

The first one I read was Burn Mark by Laura Powell. Burn Mark is an alternative history novel, where witches are real and The Inquisition is an established institution.

Glory is destined to become a witch. When she does, she’s going to make sure her East End coven is one to respect and fear again.

But a dangerous mix of conspiracy and betrayal raises the stakes. And then Lucas Stearne – rich, privileged and a potential witchfinder – enters her life.

Now Glory and Lucas must put aside their differences to form an uneasy alliance.

And fight for their lives.

A lot of witches are underground criminals, while others work with the establishment and others still are bridled with iron to prevent them from performing magic. WICA is a witch-run organisation that fights witch crime. And witches are still burned, in public (though in a theoretically more humane manner than they used to be).

I love alternative history stories. I find it fascinating to imagine how things could be if something slightly different had happened. And this was an interesting way of looking at one way that witch-craft could co-exist with non-magic in the modern world. The characters are both well-painted and sympathetic. The somewhat clichéd poor girl and rich boy set up worked well (as it often does, hence the cliché). The story moved quickly and there were enough twists to keep you going throughout.

I thoroughly recommend this for anyone, not just those who fit into the YA target market. As you may know, I’m wary of gender stereotyping, so will never pigeon-hole a book into ‘for girls’ or ‘for boys’, but I think this one should appeal equally to both, regardless.

Dark Inside and Rage Within by Jeyn Roberts

And then I read Dark Inside followed by Rage Within by Jeyn Roberts. I’m assuming there’s going to be another one after this one and that these are part of a trilogy, but I can’t actually find that information anywhere, so I might be wrong.

These are post-apocalyptic novels, dealing with darkness and evil. A cast of characters – all brilliantly depicted – travel through a United States and Canada that has completely changed after a series of (worldwide) earthquakes and some strange rage controlled by an unknown evil causes people to go around killing each other. The characters are all teenagers and come from a variety of backgrounds – single parents, country farms, ordinary homes – and they are all trying to find their way in a new, very crazy, world.

Earthquakes have rocked the world and a murderous rage has been unleashed.

Now friends turn on friends, girlfriends on boyfriends, brothers on sisters – nobody can be trusted. Michael, Aries, Mason and Clementine must battle to stay alive in a world determined to kill them.

All they have is one another… but can they even be sure of that? [Dark Inside]

After the earthquakes came the infectious rage, turning friends into deadly enemies.

For survivors Michael, Aries, Mason and Clementine the battle to stay alive is about to get even tougher. The new world is organizing itself, with camps that promise protection for the uninfected. But the reality of the sites is far more sinister. Besides, nobody is safe from the rage within their own soul… [Rage Within]

These books are brilliant and I really hope there’s a new one coming very soon! They remind me a lot of Stephen King’s The Stand, in their scope and Jeyn’s ability to really get inside the heads of the characters.

I would highly recommend these books, too and, again, they should unquestionably appeal to boys and girls – and to men and women, I think, too.

Come back on Friday for a fascinating interview with Jeyn Roberts, including some brilliant tips on writing suspense.

Please tell me about any YA books you’ve enjoyed recently. I think I should definitely be reading some more.