By Keith Orland
Witches, vampires and werewolves, oh my. These are just a few of the inhabitants of the world of young adult fantasy novels. This genre has really taken off in the past decade for young readers looking for thrills, chills and, surprisingly, romance. These books make reading a pleasure for teens and the best of them are true literature that inspires and provokes the mind.
The top selling books of the field are undoubtedly the "Harry Potter" series by J. K. Rowling. These books have a wonderful young wizard who is good fighting against the Dark Lord. The books are rich and satisfying, and they celebrate the best qualities for children to aspire to that of loyalty, courage, and friendship.
While "Harry Potter" is all about good versus bad, Stephanie Meyer's "Twilight" series celebrates eternal romantic love. This series, which has gained enormous popularity among fantasy readers, concerns Bella, an average everyday schoolgirl who wins the immortal heart of the perfect Edward, a vampire destined to live forever, who loves Bella enough to want to deny her wish to join him as an eternal being so she can enjoy a normal life. The series gets more complicated by the addition of a literally "hot" werewolf named Jacob.
While these books represent the best selling works of the genre, there are other notable tales as well for teen readers. Among the most noteworthy of these is Lois Lowry's "The Giver". A boy named Jonas lives in what should be the perfect society where pain and suffering do not exist. The realization that this world is not all that seems becomes apparent to Jonas when he is assigned the role of receiving all the world's memories from the society's "giver".
Another enthralling and thrilling book of this genre is "House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer. The story is that of a clone named Matteo who discovers he has been created to provide genetically identical organs for an aging drug lord. This novel invites the reader to consider the concept of human cloning, its potential and its consequences.
Readers of young adult fantasy have a wide base of books to choose from. These teenagers should look for the best among these books in order to experience the thrilling adventures that also provoke serious consideration. New generations of readers will revel in these novels as they will last for the ages.
The top selling books of the field are undoubtedly the "Harry Potter" series by J. K. Rowling. These books have a wonderful young wizard who is good fighting against the Dark Lord. The books are rich and satisfying, and they celebrate the best qualities for children to aspire to that of loyalty, courage, and friendship.
While "Harry Potter" is all about good versus bad, Stephanie Meyer's "Twilight" series celebrates eternal romantic love. This series, which has gained enormous popularity among fantasy readers, concerns Bella, an average everyday schoolgirl who wins the immortal heart of the perfect Edward, a vampire destined to live forever, who loves Bella enough to want to deny her wish to join him as an eternal being so she can enjoy a normal life. The series gets more complicated by the addition of a literally "hot" werewolf named Jacob.
While these books represent the best selling works of the genre, there are other notable tales as well for teen readers. Among the most noteworthy of these is Lois Lowry's "The Giver". A boy named Jonas lives in what should be the perfect society where pain and suffering do not exist. The realization that this world is not all that seems becomes apparent to Jonas when he is assigned the role of receiving all the world's memories from the society's "giver".
Another enthralling and thrilling book of this genre is "House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer. The story is that of a clone named Matteo who discovers he has been created to provide genetically identical organs for an aging drug lord. This novel invites the reader to consider the concept of human cloning, its potential and its consequences.
Readers of young adult fantasy have a wide base of books to choose from. These teenagers should look for the best among these books in order to experience the thrilling adventures that also provoke serious consideration. New generations of readers will revel in these novels as they will last for the ages.
About the Author:
If you're in the market for a new young adult fantasy novel book, then you should check out Victoria Foyt's soon-to-be-released novel, "Revealing Eden", the opening book of her "Save the Pearls" trilogy. In a familiar but alternate reality in which one's caste is directly tied to more melanin in the skin, pale-complected individuals must adhere to stringent mating rules.