1) Divergent by Veronica Roth
Society is divided up into five factions which are Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), Erudite (the intelligent), Abnegation (the selfless), and Candor (the honest). We follow Tris Priory; a young woman who takes a test to see which faction she is suited to and the test comes back as Divergent, i.e. she has traits of more than one faction. This is bad. As we go through the trilogy we find out one faction is planning a takeover, and being Divergent, Tris finds herself in a dangerous position. Divergent is one of the best concepts I’ve read in YA literature and a great spin on structures in society. MORE: Book Versus Film: Divergent
2) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games is a new take on an old idea. The Running Man and Battle Royale came first and I love those two stories but I have to hand it to Suzanne Collins, she has taken the idea of youngsters killing each other in an arena to a new place and it blew me away!
I love the protagonist Katniss Everdeen. She relies on herself, she protects others and she is resourceful. The supporting characters an interesting and well developed. Collins conveys the complexities of war and an oppressive government in such a unique way that it resonated with teens and adults alike. MORE: Book Versus Film – The Hunger Games
3) Harry Potter by JK Rowling
Although the books initially start out in middle-grade territory, by book four they have progressed to young adult. Harry Potter is a firm classic. It’s something my whole family enjoys. I think that’s part of its charm and the reason for its huge success.
The books are set in a fun fantasy world with something new and fascinating around every corner. Riddled with morals and mysteries to solve; it really does have everything you could possibly want in a YA fantasy series. MORE: Adaptation Showdown: Which is better, the book or the film?
That’s my three. Happy reading everyone!
BIO: Emma Pullar is a writer and book reviewer. Her picture book, Curly from Shirley, went to number four on the bestseller list and was named best opening lines but NZ Post. As well as picture books, Emma writes horror, dystopian, sci-fi, fantasy and paranormal fiction. You can read her short horror story, London’s Crawling, in the Dark Minds charity collection. Follow Emma on Twitter, HERE.
