Friday, 6 August 2010

Top 100 YA Novels (#15-11)

The last of the teens before we get into the home stretch...

#15 City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (2005)
[332 points - 7 #1s, 9 #2s, 7 #3s, 6 #4s, 6 #5s, 3 #6s, 3 #7s, 2 #8s, 4 #9s, 6 #10s]

"... it's the characters and world that is created. It's one that you can lose yourself in for the duration of the novel." Kate, YA Reads

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know.... Goodreads

  • To visit the author’s website click here.
  • Cassandra Clare's Twitter




#14 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (1868)
[341 points - 6 #1s, 6 #2s, 11 #3s, 3 #4s, 5 #5s, 8 #6s, 5 #7s, 5 #8s, 4 #9s, 5 #10s]

" For twenty years, Little Women has practically been my bible. Just thinking about the March girls makes me feel fresher and more wholesome." Leslie, teacher.
Little Women is the heartwarming story of the March family that has thrilled generations of readers. It is the story of four sisters--Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth-- and of the courage, humor and ingenuity they display to survive poverty and the absence of their father during the Civil War. Goodreads


#13 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling (2007)
[379 points - 12 #1s, 6 #2s, 9 #3s, 7 #4s, 4 #5s, 4 #6s, 3 #7s, 5 #8s, 3 #9s, 7 #10s]

... it concludes the character arcs through the series, but also portrays the struggle in Harry as he reconciles the limitations of magic and of his personhood to the needs and fears of reality. Moving, engrossing, imaginative work." Laura, clinical writer.

The heart of Book 7 is a hero's mission--not just in Harry's quest for the Horcruxes, but in his journey from boy to man--and Harry faces more danger than that found in all six books combined, from the direct threat of the Death Eaters and you-know-who, to the subtle perils of losing faith in himself. Attentive readers would do well to remember Dumbledore's warning about making the choice between "what is right and what is easy," and know that Rowling applies the same difficult principle to the conclusion of her series. While fans will find the answers to hotly speculated questions about Dumbledore, Snape, and you-know-who, it is a testament to Rowling's skill as a storyteller that even the most astute and careful reader will be taken by surprise. Goodreads

  • To visit the author’s website click here.


#12 Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (2006)
[403 points - 9 #1s, 4 #2s, 13 #3s, 5 #4s, 6 #5s, 6 #6s, 9 #7s, 7 #8s, 5 #9s, 5 #10s]

"Just Listen deals with some heavier topics than the others, yet manages to do them with the same amount of ease. The story still has quirky, lovable characters, a relatable heroine and a charming pace and style whilst dealing with some major topics such as bullying and rape. Beautifully written." Sarah James, reader.

Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything"—at least that's the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf's Department Store.This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong. Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling. With Owen's help,maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends. SarahDessen.com

  • To visit the author’s website click here.
  • Sarah Dessen’s Twitter


#11 Looking for Alaska by John Green (2005)
[428 points - 10 #1s, 9 #2S, 5 #3s, 8 #4s, 9 #5s, 8 #6s, 7 #7s, 5 #8s, 6 #9s, 2 #10s]

"This is, in my opinion, the best YA title ever written. Funny, wise, and thought-provoking.” Jacob, reader.

Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words-and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the “Great Perhaps.” Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps. JohnGreenBooks.com

  • To visit the author’s website click here.
  • John Green's Twitter

From tomorrow we count down the top ten YA novels of over seven hundred voter's choosing. Voters from every walk of life - student, publishing professional, teacher, librarian and an assortment of others - all had their say.

Who do you think will make an appearance as of tomorrow?

7 comments:

mo pie said...

I thought for sure "Looking for Alaska" would make it in the top 10! And personally I can't imagine anything rating higher than "I Capture the Castle"--I can only assume not enough people have read it.

I'm going to be really sad if the top three are all Twilight books. Harry Potter better beat Twilight!

Marg said...

Can't wait to see what makes it into the top 10. Of these I have only read and enjoyed the Cassandra Clare books.

Anonymous said...

一個人的價值,應該看他貢獻了什麼,而不是他取得了什麼....................................................

Unknown said...

Out of curiosity, how many people under the age of 20 were polled? There is an interesting number of Sarah Dessen titles and was wondering how many teenagers were involved.

Anonymous said...

Poverty tries friends...................................................................

Adele said...

I didn't poll ages but from the information gathered from the voting, I know that there was fair representation of both teens and adults. Voters entered their professions so I have a good basic knowledge of voters backgrounds.

I do know that bc of the gofugyourself.com link, I received 350 (of the 760) votes and they were pretty much all working professionals.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the reply - that's facinating! More importantly, thanks so much for this list! I am a book seller in Washington State and my coworkers and I have been having so much fun checking the new posts everyday. We've started our own lists, of course, and it's been the topic of much debate and discussion. Gotta love YA!