My Five Favorite Young Adult Writers

The Young Adult Blog Party started today, and I couldn’t be more excited. For those who have no idea what I’m talking about, click this link here, and remember that there’s still time for you to participate! (Because I’m desperate, I’ll even accept late posts, which would be after the 17th.) To celebrate the first day of the party, here’s a list of my five favorite Young Adult writers.

But first here’s a list of some of the first few participants. The early birds, if you will:

• TheLegendaryMiko: Squirrel Fun I
• Maddvmilliner: Young Adult Blog Part Edition
• Catdiggedydog: Why You Should Read More Books
• Infected Mongoose: Young Adult Fiction
  

5) Markus Zusak: 

The only two books I’ve read by him were I am the Messenger and The Book Thief. The latter was my favorite book ever and the other book was great until the last thirty pages. I know it’s unfair to include him since he only wrote one great YA book, but since this is my favorite book of all time, I’ll give him a pass.

4) J.K. Rowling

Why is she here? Well for one thing, she manages to follow a group of kids as they grow up and do it in a mostly realistic way. Each character matures, learns a few life lessons, and all of it feels real and unforced. She also manages to completely avoid swearing and still keep fifteen year old Harry’s angsty outbursts realistic (something Rick Riordan needs help with). Plus, her books are magical!

This guy should write a Doctor Who episode.

3) Eoin Colfer

Has there ever been a main character in a YA novel as unique as Artemis Fowl? A super genius twelve year old who manages to outsmart every single person who gets in his way. While I didn’t like the seventh book, The Atlantis Complex, that much, I do think the first six books, particularly The Eternity Code and The Lost Colony, were amazing.

And let’s not forget Airman, which is one of the few standalone YA novels nowadays. I recommend this book to everyone.

2) Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay was depressing and a bit of a mess, but it was still a mostly realistic novel that showed the horrible effects of war. And Katniss suffered from some serious PTSD, if I might add.

Meanwhile, The Hunger Games managed to keep me up to one in the morning on a school night just to finish it, so it gets five out of five star just for that. I’ve come to the conclusion that Catching Fire was in fact, great. It was just a build-up to the third novel, but what a build-up that was.

But the thing that got Collins the #2 spot is The Underland Chronicles, which is up there with Harry Potter in my favorite children’s series. These books deserve so much more recognition than they get.

1) John Green

Not many writers can mess with your emotions as much as this man. Sure, Markus Zusak made me cry so much I had to build a bridge to get over the lake I just formed, but John Green managed to do that and make me laugh at the same time. I’d be all “Haha—aww….”

[Disclaimer: I didn’t actually cry during any of John Green’s books. Okay, maybe I teared up a bit in Looking for Alaska and during the entire last hundred pages of The Fault in our Stars, but besides that? Never!]

I don’t get the criticism for “emotional manipulation,” in any books, not just John Green’s. I get it when it comes to movies and TV shows, as in whenever they want you to feel sad they start blasting super depressing music in the background, but I don’t see how that’s a criticism when it comes to books. Books don’t have a soundtrack. The only way it could make you feel emotions is from the writing and that alone. If you could bring millions of people to tears just from your writing, then that is talent right there.

You also have to like how he defends teens. He doesn’t condescend to them at all, and gets mad at those who do. When asked if he ever plans to write a novel with an adult main character, he responded, “I mean, to be totally honest with you, I don’t really give a shit about adults.” While I don’t hate adults or anything, I still loved this line.

He also has the greatest personality ever. Just look at his YouTube channel.