Top Ten YA Books That Use Genre to Tell True Stories
My favorite genres are the ones that use non-real-world
elements, such as sci-fi, dystopian, fantasy, and historical fiction. When done
right, it’s exactly those larger-than-life elements that tell the truest parts
of the story. I wanted to examine how good people get to the point where they
can commit atrocities in the name of their goals. Using a gender-swapped,
notorious historical figure made an odd sort of sense. I could explore
everything I wanted to, but on a grand, lavish scale. And even though And I Darken is set in the 1400s, the
parallels to today’s political and cultural climate are inescapable. I hope it
feels visceral and familiar, in spite of the centuries between us.
In that vein, I selected ten books I feel use their genre to
tell the truest, most timely stories they can.
1–2. Alexandra Duncan’s SALVAGE and SOUND
Both of these books are sci-fi, set in the future where
space travel and even colonization are a reality. SALVAGE explores a culture in
which women are literally trapped and made weaker than men, and gracefully but
honestly looks at one girl’s difficult path away from her polygamist
space-cult. (It really is more nuanced than “polygamist space-cult” makes it
sound, I promise.) SOUND, a companion novel about her adopted younger sister,
looks at issues of slavery and corporate greed while flying around outer space
and having adventures on one of Jupiter’s moons.
3–5. Melina Marchetta’s LUMATERE CHRONICLES
This series has PTSD, war crimes, sexual violence, refugees,
politics, relationships, and responsibility to country over self, all with a
smattering of magic subtle enough to make this read feel almost historical
rather than fantastic. These are intense but beautiful books that don’t shy
away from what decades of violence breed in entire generations of people.
6. Kristin Cashore’s BITTERBLUE
Bitterblue is also
about a whole kingdom suffering from PTSD after the rule of a deranged,
depraved, magically evil king. This book is entirely about how to heal and move
on by openly engaging with your past rather than trying to hide from it.
Another book in which heightened abilities and magic are by far the least
important elements.
7. Susann Cokal’s THE KINGDOM OF LITTLE WOUNDS
The author refers to this as a “syphilis fairy tale,” which
I find perversely delightful. Though the royal court she focuses on never
existed, it feels like historical
fiction. Politics of power, the absurdity of monarchies, vulnerable women, and
those same women coming together to subvert the systems of oppression around
them makes for a fantastic read.
8. Michael Ende’s THE NEVERENDING STORY
(Okay, okay, let’s all take a moment to sing the horribly
cheesy theme song from the old movie adaptation of this book. And then I’ll remind
you that the author was so embarrassed by the movie adaptation that he didn’t
let them attach his name to it.) This book is gorgeous and brilliant on so many
levels. The first half deals with the danger of losing your imagination. But
the second half looks at how we can lose ourselves so deeply in fantasy that we
actually lose ourselves.
9. David Levithan’s EVERY DAY
Levithan writes with such beautiful, gentle compassion. In this
book, the main character, A, wakes up every day in a new body. Levithan uses
that high-concept hook to allow his readers to experience multiple lives in a
stunning exercise in grace and empathy.
10. Franny Billingsley’s CHIME
Apparently I like books that use magical elements to explore
the nature of guilt and PTSD! Magical elements allow the stories to be framed in
ways that keep dark, heavy themes in a way that is dislocated from reality, and
therefore more palatable. Chime is set
in a pseudo-English countryside where supernatural and fairy-tale creatures are
a fact of life, Billingsley smartly confronts guilt, repressed memories, and
the ways we fail to save those we love the most.
So: What are your favorite books that use magic, sci-fi, or
history to tell stories that feel true?
About AND I DARKEN:
NO ONE EXPECTS A PRINCESS TO BE BRUTAL.
And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.
Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, who’s expected to rule a nation, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion.
But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.
About KIERSTEN WHITE:
KIERSTEN WHITE is the New York Times bestselling author of the Paranormalcy trilogy; the dark thrillers Mind Games and Perfect Lies; The Chaos of Stars; and Illusions of Fate. She also coauthored In the Shadows with Jim Di Bartolo. She lives with her family near the ocean in San Diego, which, in spite of its perfection, spurs her to dream of faraway places and even further away times. Visit Kiersten online at kierstenwhite.com and follow @kierstenwhite on Twitter.
AND I DARKEN Blog Tour Schedule
Monday, May 30th through Friday, July 8th (Mondays through Fridays)
Tuesday, May 31st: Bookiemoji, Guest Post (Character Profiles)
Thursday, July 7th: Mundie Moms, Author Mystery Guest Post
