by msk | Nov 2, 2023 | Uncategorized
While the path of the anti-hero may be well-trodden in adult fiction, it’s a road less traveled in the YA genre. Think about it. We often encounter the Chosen Ones, the star-crossed lovers, the fighters rising against dystopian regimes—but the anti-hero? That’s a rare...
by msk | Oct 23, 2023 | Uncategorized
In the realm of Young Adult fiction, the whisper of magic winds intertwine with the raw essence of burgeoning self-awareness, creating a tempest that often mirrors the tumultuous journey of adolescence. One such storm is birthed in the heart of adversarial alliances,...
by msk | Oct 15, 2023 | Uncategorized
Shapeshifters are those metamorphic maestros in fantasy literature that defy biology and gravity to morph from scrawny mortals into fire-breathing dragons or lithe elves. I’m talking shapeshifters, baby! Whether it’s the wolves in Shiver or the numerous...
by msk | Oct 13, 2023 | Uncategorized
Let’s face it, we live in an era where technology is so pervasive that even our grandparents are fluent in emoji-speak. Yet, drumroll…here we are, still romanticizing the handwritten, the printed, and the archaic in our young adult fiction. From Hermione...
by msk | Oct 10, 2023 | Uncategorized
Ah, The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger’s magnum opus. A pilgrimage of teenage angst, alienation, and a profound dislike for “phonies.” Now, take that existential dread and give Holden Caulfield a wooden stake and some garlic. What do you get? A...
by msk | Sep 27, 2023 | Uncategorized
Today, we’re diving into an interesting topic that’s been debated in cozy reading nooks and heated online forums alike: Have the words “wizards” and “witches” become clichéd in modern literature? Oh boy, let’s talk! So,...
by msk | Sep 24, 2023 | Uncategorized
From vampires to gothic horror, Bram Stoker’s 19th century novel Dracula still has its fangs sunk deep into YA fiction today. It’s hard to find a supernatural YA story that doesn’t owe some debt to Stoker for popularizing legends of bloodsuckers and other...
by msk | Sep 21, 2023 | Uncategorized
When designing fantastical beasts for YA fantasy novels, one technique authors use is basing their made-up creatures on attributes of real animals. Gifting your imagination with the extraordinary blueprints of our natural world can help you dream up monsters,...
by msk | Sep 18, 2023 | Uncategorized
Love ’em or hate ’em, YA tropes are here to stay. As a hardcore YA fiction fan, I have a complicated relationship with these common themes and devices that show up again and again in young adult books. On one hand, there’s a comfort in the...
by msk | Sep 12, 2023 | Uncategorized
I recently dived into Karen M. McManus’s One of Us Is Lying, and let me just say—wow, what a ride. I’ve heard some buzz about McManus’s talent for juggling a crew of protagonists, and yep, she totally delivered. More than Just One Voice You know...
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