Honestly, all the most recent, highly acclaimed novels I have read have not been that good.  It seems like a lot of this genre is written with very basic plots and teenage crush characters.  A lot of the action is written in a way that makes me believe the authors have not even played kick ball.

Writing to the audience?

A lot of YA authors are writing towards and older crowed. The teen market is very bleak if you set out to write just solely for them. They would rather be playing video games. The young generation are not becoming readers like past generations were.

Take the Twilight books. They were written really well and had a great storyline to them that helped hook the readers into it. I think the audience to start with for that series were in the age range to 20s-30s and once word spread people began reading them. I think it was just a book that hit at the right time. I read them and thought everything flowed really well.

I read the Hunger Games, first book and working on the second one now. I really liked the first one. I thought it had the right mix of both action and character building back story. The second one so far is a bit slow.

I read Maze Runner and it took me a while to really get into that book. I think it was written using the actual cuss words. I think it was then changed over to get into the young adult market. The words used were "What the clunk" and "Stop being such clunk" it was words like that that made it hard to read at first. Once I got into it the storyline was good and it made me look forward to the next book in the series.

The one that I was the most shocked about was Divergent. I thought it was going to be a slow read but I found I got sucked into the storyline rather fast and couldn't put it down. I watched the movie after reading it and thought the book was a little better. The movie stuck close to the storyline but a few things were missing.

These authors for the most part are doing what they should be doing. They are hitting a market at the right time with the right kind of story. Do I think these books will be around in twenties years with people still talking about them. No, I don't think they will be.

The Host is one I have not read but I watched the movie. I thought the movie was terrible. I have the book but cannot bring myself to read it after watching the movie. The lady who wrote this book is also the author the Twilight series. Stephen King said she wouldn't be one to stand the test of time. She is not a J.K. Rowling.

I think Harry Potter (I have not read yet. I just bought them) set the bar for today's authors in this market.

Being an author myself I like to read a little of everything. I like to read what is hot and what is not. My taste range all over the place. I try to study how the author writes.

I think OlympicArmsFan is pretty spot on. I read (past tense) and read (present tense) some in the YA world along the same lines you seem to. I think the books that are decent are pretty obvious and done by real authors - The Twlights, Harry Potters... those books didn't just make a splash, they changed the (YA) culture.

Some people just like to write and target their own audience - young writers or people stuck longing for days gone by. Those can be OK to read if not completely enjoyable. I don't think they're complete money grabbers, just hoping their idea will get picked up by the CW for a YA television show -- The 100, Roswell...  but definitely not as polished as full on fiction writers can be, and definitely not as experienced in the ways of the world either which shows when they try to write realistic action sequences or people to people interaction.

Some of the earlier stuff like from the 70's that was written to the YA audience before it was ever officially identified as "Young Adult" was really good - The Myth series is my constant example for this.

Its not rare, but it is special when there are actual story lines, proper grammar, plot twists, character development and rapport, humor and intrigue... all in a YA novel that really holds up. I don't know if its marketing or what since the Twilight books were originally self published, but for whatever reason, a few gain traction and sticking power and a few of them are even decent, most not as much imo.

I know authors are told not to jump genres but seeing as how I'm my own editor, producer and publisher, I'm jumping into YA with a good story as soon as the third book in my original Post-Apocalyptic series is completed. You want to talk about a genre with some good books that you have to wade through a ton of crap to get to, Post-Apoc is way up there on that list.

I agree 100% with you. I have not read The100 yet. I have it on the way. I like the show and I hear the book is a little different. I think it might be an okay series to get into. The Post Apocalyptic stuff you really have to wade through it. My zombie book was written not longer after I had a stroke. I re-wrote it three times sent it out for editing and was told to use what was marked as a training tool and not to publish it. I did both and so far my zombie book has done well but it still shows needing work. My second book really showed a giant leap of growth. I learned a lot with an editor and talking with other authors.

I'm also one that jumps around from one genera to another. Stephen King has also done this. They say to stick with one but when you have an idea of a story hit you do not hold back, write it, and see what happens and were it leads.

The Twilight hit a market of romance, paranormal, vampire and teens. I think it took off with the adults more so then with the audience it was going for. King hated that the author made the vampires lovable and sexy. He said they are meant to be scary. So far I think Twilight is the only series of that author that has had any success.

Anyone read Jim Butcher? He once said that the book series Dresden Files was only going to be one or two books. He didn't feel it was one that would lead to anything and it was the area he really wanted to write in. He did feel that storyline had a lot to tell and we are now on what, 12 books in that series. He had an idea that hit at the right time. I think its all about hitting the market with something fresh and new at the right time or writing something that has been done but writing it with something new. Bringing something fresh to an old idea can reward you.

Whatever you do stick with it and keep writing never give up. Just enjoy what you do. I write because it is my drug of choice. I get a high when I write like no other.

There are a slew of bad writers who have invaded the young adult arena. Their novels are primarily first person rip-offs of The Catcher in the Rye mixed with To Kill a Mockingbird. John Green is a textbook example.





He and his group of friends are quite adept at social media and marketing. They are selling products, not books. After college they saw their parents gravy train drying up and needed to do something for money. Why not try to cash in on the Harry Potter market?

 

I think this is where I state I am not an author...but a reader/consumer.  Always on audio.

The books in this genre I have enjoyed are the Harry Potter series--which surprised the heck out of me.  In fact, I'm a fan of this series and think it is classic.

I thought the Hunger Games was good up until book three.  I really had to stick with it to complete book three.

"Eve" and "Divergent" I thought were very poor.  I really wanted to like Divergent, as it was an author from my church.  "Pure" had some very original ideas, but I didn't like it enough to want to continue the series.  These would be YA/Post Apocalyptic.

My favorite author, Brandon Sanderson, did "The Rithmatist".  But although starting with some very neat concepts, it just didn't catch my attention enough to want to read anymore YA from him.

I really liked Divergent. I thought it was a very interesting of a concept and one that was pulled off nicely as well. Also very cool that you go to church with the author. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I just saw that there is a book in the series, not sure if it is a break from the series, title Four. Might be interesting once I'm done with the other two books to get "Fours" point of view and his back story as well.

I have not read Eve or Pure. I think I have heard of the titles but not sure. They sound familiar.

The Hunger Games. I'm on book two and I find it a hard book to keep reading. I'm starting to get into the meat of the storyline now and I'm over a hundred pages. I just feel the book is really slow compared to the first one. I'm wondering if the first one was wrote to be a stand alone novel and the second book was kind of an after thought or pushed to be done by the publisher.

Have you read the Left Behind series? I know it is not YA but good series in my book.

Agree with book 2 and 3 of the Hunger Games being ... less... than the first one.