Ever walked through a bookstore past the children’s section to get to the adult ones at the other side? Why not stop and take a look at some of the books in the young adult section? Some are written by authors who already write for adults and want to branch out while others are written to appeal to kids but actually have a level of escapism that is acceptable for adults.
Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
The first of these books is Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman which I would describe as a paradox of our current society when it comes to racial discrimination. There is a significant role reversal but Callum and Sephy although they are friends try to make sure that the issues their parents have will not affect their friendship. This is the start of a series of books and it follows the love struck pair from adolescence to adulthood and the barriers that exist in their relationship. Callum a Nought is a second class citizen and Sephy, a Cross who doesn’t think these labels matter. While it may feel a bit like Romeo and Juliet there is much more to this story. While teenagers will relate to the story the adults will understand the underlying theme of the book and the prejudicial world in which we live.
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
The second set of stories that I think adults will relate to are the Artemis Fowl stories by Eoin Colfer with titles including Artemis Fowl, The Arctic Incident, Eternity Code and more. They follow the extraordinary life of a child criminal mastermind and his bodyguard Butler. He is determined to separate fairies from their pot of gold but he makes the decision to kidnap one and wait for the ransom to be delivered. However, after a while a small part of his conscience gets the better of him and by the end of the novel Artemis has found a new friend. It is a mix of the faerie, modern technology and a vivid imagination that will keep anyone of any age enthralled for hours.
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
The third book that I would recommend for an adult or a teenager is The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong. Its story is about Chloe Saunders, a girl who has ghosts coming to speak to her. When she has a break down at school she is admitted to a group home for troubled kids but she soon learns these are kids with a difference. They are all “different” in unique ways and they must work together if they want to find out who is behind the group keeping them at the home and more importantly what they want with a group of confused teenagers who don’t know how to control their powers. This is a coming of age story with a difference but has references to the adult books already written which is a good tie in for people already familiar with her work or a starting point for newcomers to Armstrong’s novels.
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