Not all Young Adult Lit is created equal...

"Harry Potter is all about confronting fears, finding inner strength, and doing what is right in the face of adversity. Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend."
                                                                                                             -Stephen King

Since completing a class in my English Education program entitled "Young Adult Literature," I've taken a greater interest in the genre. Prior, I hadn't even know such a niche existed. I'm not sure if it's because my first year of teaching is approaching, or it just happened coincidentally, but I've really buried myself in easy-to-read, hormone-infested books that deal with coming-of-age, high school life, and life-changing decisions.

The unfortunate, most recent of these books, and the one which ultimately inspired this diatribe, was the fourth and final installment of the Twilight series, entitled Breaking Dawn. Simply put, it sucked. 754 pages of basically nothing happening, whatsoever.  **SPOILER ALERT:** here is my brief plot synopsis.

Bella, the humanoid fiancee of Edward, you know, Robert Pattinson, the gorgeous, perfectly chiseled vampire (I only mention that because it's mentioned eight million times throughout all four books), finally ties the knot with said vampire. The two honeymoon, and reluctantly bust humps, despite Edward's reservations about his strength being too much for Bella to handle. Bella gets knocked up, (because all it takes is once, kiddies, even when you know it's impossible) despite their prior belief that it wasn't possible since, apparently, becoming a vampire prohibits baby vampires from swimming down the ol' Egg River. As Bella is giving birth to the half baby/half vampire, she inevitably faces complications. To save her, Edward turns her into a vampire.  That would cover the first 500 pages or so.

I was hoping that the final 254 pages would present some sort of climax, and while it hinted at one, I'd say any sort of action in the book was sorely lacking. The Volturi, or vampire Gestapo if you will, catches wind of this monster baby, terribly named "Renesmee" (a combination of Bella's mother's name, Renee, and Edward's mother, Esme. UGH.), and have to decide whether to kill terribly-named monster baby or let her live in happiness and harmony with her perfectly beautiful mother and father. (Again, there is no shortage throughout on emphasizing how important perfect looks are.) I sensed and hoped for some sort of fight, but alas, they solved the problem diplomatically, and all involved parties live happily, and beautifully, ever after.

Another aspect of the book that made my eyes roll back in their sockets so badly that they nearly fell out was the "love" that now-married Bella showed for her "best friend," werewolf, and husband's mortal ex-enemy Jacob. Another 200 pages or so were devoted to Bella jerking Jacob around, telling him she loved him, touching him, embracing...I didn't know otherwise impregnable vampiresses were such teases to werewolves. And congratulations, Stephanie Meyer, for finding out how to extend 200 pages of material (tops!) into 754 long, agonizing pages of useless description, streams of consciousness, and emotional self-analyses.

Oh but wait, I know why. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was 759 pages, and they made two movies out of it. (Albeit much, much better story telling, character development, and plot twists occur throughout the entire Potter series as opposed to the scat that Meyer wrote for Twilight.) Not to be outdone, it's only fitting that Hollywood drag this out for as long as possible, as Breaking Dawn will also be released theatrically in two parts. I can only imagine the first installment will mostly focus on Bella and Edward romantically nuzzling and embracing for a good 90 minutes.

Not all is lost, though. I'd highly recommend any of the following Young Adult books, even for the most seasoned of readers. They're light, an easy read, and at times, can take you back to your lost and frequently forgotten younger years.

The Hunger Games Trilogy (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay) by Suzanne Collins

Pros: Surprisingly, it provided a pretty good escape and painted a vivid picture of a futuristic world lost in the madness of entertaining itself by putting their children in a field to fight to the death. The books were never dragged out or too long. I was surprised by the frank manner in which Collins presented death throughout the series -- apparently kids aged 13-18 have a gloomier view on reality than my somewhat sheltered generation did. We'll see the first installment of this trilogy hitting theaters sometime in 2012, with an interesting cast featuring side characters played by Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, and Lenny Kravitz.

Cons: Another wishy-washy "should I choose him, or him?" relationship quandary exists throughout this series, but not as aggravating as the one presented in Twilight. Of course, with nearly all Y.A. lit, this trilogy, at times, became rather predictable.

My rating:  Good, very entertaining, but not great.


Divergent by Veronica Roth

Pros: This thick book, just released in May of 2011, didn't really meander or drag on in an unnecessary fashion. The main character, Beatrice, was fairly interesting to keep tabs on, and the romance within the book never got to a level that made me gag. The action, plot, and the general way the story unfolded made me want to continue reading. The action and death presented, similarly to The Hunger Games, are rather blunt and straightforward. I also thought it neat that Roth included Chicago landmarks and buildings within the plot, as this takes place in a futuristic rendition of The Second City. I'm excited for the next installment of the trilogy to come out, rumored to happen in May of 2012, and apparently the book rights were just purchased by Hollywood execs, so expect a movie by 2013, I'd guess.

Cons: You never really find out why their weird, futuristic society (which is divided into five "factions") ended up in their current state. I'm guessing, and hoping, that this is detailed in the next book. Otherwise, I'd say it's a rather huge oversight.

My rating: I'd put this near the top of the list in entertaining Y.A. books I've read, although the lack of explanation about their society keeps it from attaining "great" status. For now.


The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Pros: I was naturally inclined to like this book since it's been banned or challenged by many schools. And undoubtedly, its inclusion of sex, drugs, alcohol, and homosexuality would trigger those crazy, suburban, right-winged mothers to think they're bigger than the 1st Amendment. Although controversial topics abound, they're presented in a very realistic manner that any student going through high school did or is bound to encounter. It's tough not to sympathize with the protagonist, Charlie, throughout this book, and clocking in at just under 200 pages, it's a remarkably quick, easy, and enjoyable read.  Wallflower is also due out in theaters in 2012, with Emma Watson (more popularly known as Hermione from the Harry Potter movies) playing Sam, the unattainable love of Charlie's life.

Cons: I've got no literary qualms with this book. It gets a little sad from time to time, but hey, life is tough and Chbosky does a spot-on job of telling it like it is.

My rating: Read it. Then read it again.

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Judging by the number of books you'll find now in the "Young Adult" section of Barnes and Noble, it's no secret that the genre is taking off with all sorts of new series that are not your mom-and-pop's version of children's books. And no, not all of them are about vampires. The genre will only get bigger, especially with all of these books finding their ways to the silver screen in the next year. Don't hate...in fact, I'm proud to admit that I don't even call them "guilty pleasures" anymore.