So what do we call the vampire/werewolf/witchcraft/zombies/strangeness genre that is dominating teen novels these days? It may have started with the wonderful Harry Potter series, but it has become darker and weirder and in some cases, just bad. I thought I would highlight the best and worst of the genre that I have personally read.
Okay, I'll admit it. I got sucked into the Twilight craze just like all the thirteen year olds out there. I ended up reading all four books in a mad rush over Christmas. They are highly addictive. They're the kind of novels that are great in the moment, but when you think about them once the Twilight-induced haze has passed, you realize they're really not very good. They're not very well written, the characters can be so annoying (especially Bella) and two-dimensional (again, Bella) and the last couple novels are very anti-climactic. You can tell that Stephanie Meyer was really grasping at straws in the last book especially.
Another series that became very popular (though not as popular as Twilight) is The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. This series also has some vampires, and also witches and demons and other weird things. I was sad to hear that the first novel in this series, City of Bones just might be the 2010 YRCA winner. These are not very well written either, and yet they became ever so popular.
I recently read another novel, A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libby Bray. This novel was highly recommended to me by a teen at the library, and I was sorely disappointed. In this novel, a young girl (Gemma Doyle) discovers her magic powers at a boarding school in Victorian times. She and three of her schoolmates form a mysterious group called "The Order" and discover a magic world. Gemma must also discover the truth about her mother, who was mysteriously killed at the beginning of the novel. It was just strange and not memorable at all. Yet, this very popular book (first in a series) is reportedly being made into a movie.
Another vampire series is the highly popular Southern Vampire Series by Charlaine Harris. This series is intended for adults, and it chronicles the adventures of Sookie Stackhouse, a psychic barmaid who strikes up a romantic relationship with a vampire. Think of this series as a harlequin romance with vampires. I'll admit it- this series is also highly addictive, but it is certainly not amazing.
Now to discuss some good examples of the vampire/werewolf/witchcraft/zombie/strangeness genre. I recently read The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. In this novel a young girl grows up in a post-apocalyptic society. This society is closed off from the world because of the 'unconsecrated' (aka zombies) that live outside the fence. As Mary is trying to find out where she belongs in the community, the community's very existence is threatened when the fence is breached. I really really enjoyed this novel. I thought it was very well written and the plot kept me engaged and interested. I liked the ending- Ryan stayed away from the tried and true formulas. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel- The Dead-Tossed Waves.
Another post-apocalyptic novel (this one is free of vampires and other magical creatures) is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This is an absolutely wonderful novel, and one of the nominees for YRCA 2011. In this future society, the nation is divided into thirteen districts- the rich and powerful Capitol and twelve other poor districts. Every year, a boy and a girl from each district is chosen to fight in the Hunger Games- a competition to the death. Katniss takes the place of her younger sister to fight in the games. Can she survive to see her family again? This is a great novel, and the first in a trilogy. I highly recommend. it.
A Curse Dark as Gold, also one of the 2011 YRCA nominees, is a wonderful retelling of the Rumpelstiltzkin fairy tale. Elizabeth C. Bunce combines magic and fairy tale with the history of the industrial revolution, adding other elements to make the story her own. This story had a great twist at the end.
The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel is first in another great series. I mentioned this one in my YRCA 2010 post, so I'll just say that this novel is a great blend of history, mythology, magic and fantasy. Wonderful!
Scott Westerfeld has written a couple of good teen series, The Midnighters and The Uglies, the former being more dark and magical, while the latter is another post-apocalyptic series. Both are enjoyable.
Neil Gaiman, author of Coraline and Stardust has written another great fantasy novel called Neverwhere. In this novel, a young man falls into a secret world under the streets of London. This magical world is dark and vicious and it is uncertain whether he- or the young woman that accompanies him- will survive it.
Before you dismiss Stephanie Meyer altogether, she has written another novel, The Host, which I highly enjoyed. Aliens have come to earth and taken over human bodies. But one girl struggles for dominance of her own body against the creature occupying it to protect her loved ones. This novel puts Twilight to shame.
Finally, if you're dying for a good vampire novel, I do have one for you. It's called Sunshine by Robin McKinley. A young woman is kidnapped by a group of vampires and brought to an abandoned mansion. She is clothed in a red gown and chained to a wall. Chained to the opposite wall - just within reaching distance-is a very hungry and emaciated vampire. Will she survive the night?
So, there are some good examples of the vampire/werewolf/witchcraft/zombie/strangeness genre out there. Now we just need to come up with a shorter name! The Modern Gothic perhaps?
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