Here's a list of some of my favorite YA books of 2011
Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt - As a fourteen-year-old who just moved to a new town, with no friends, an abusive father, and a louse for an older brother, Doug Swieteck has all the stats stacked against him until he finds an ally in Lil Spicer--a fiery young lady. Together, they find a safe haven in the local library, inspiration in learning about the plates of John James Audubon's birds, and a hilarious adventure on a Broadway stage. Follow-up to Schmidt's fabulous book Wednesday Wars which you don't necessarily have to have read to enjoy this beautifully written book. Recommended for all teens.
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick - Having lost his mother and his hearing in a short time, twelve-year-old Ben leaves his Minnesota home in 1977 to seek the father he never knew in New York City, and meets there Rose, who is also longing for something missing from her life. Ben's story is told in words; Rose's in pictures. Another great book by the author of The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Recommended for all teens.
Divergent by Veronica Roth - In a future Chicago, sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomoly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all. Recommended for older teens who are fans of Hunger Games. This book is going to be made into a movie!!
LIE by Caroline Bock - Told in several voices, a group of Long Island high school seniors conspire to protect eighteen-year-old Jimmy after he brutally assaults two Salvadoran immigrants, until they begin to see the moral implications of Jimmy's actions and the consequences of being loyal to a violent bully Powerful and unforgettable - Recommended for all teens.
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - Thirteen-year-old Conor awakens one night to find a monster outside his bedroom window, but not the one from the recurring nightmare that began when his mother became ill--an ancient, wild creature that wants him to face truth and loss.
One of the best books of the year! Recommended for all teens.
Future of Us by Jay Asher - It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet. Emma just got her first computer and Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on--and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future. Everybody wonders what their Destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out
Clever and lots of fun. Recommended for all teens.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor - Seventeen-year-old Karou, a lovely, enigmatic art student in a Prague boarding school, carries a sketchbook of hideous, frightening monsters--the chimaerae who form the only family she has ever known. This book has it all - adventure, romance, action, atmosphere and great characters. Recommended for older teens.
Where She Went by Gayle Forman - Adam, now a rising rock star, and Mia, a successful cellist, reunite in New York and reconnect after the horrific events that tore them apart when Mia almost died in a car accident three years earlier. Sequel to If I Stay. Both of these books are recommended for all teens.
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