The Alex Awards are given to adult books that have special appeal to teens. Recent winners include Lev Grossman’s The Magicians and Meg Rosoff’s The Bride’s Farewell.
But the truth is, just as many books for teens can be said to have special appeal to adults. While I think that a good book is a good book no matter what age group it’s marketed for, there are those YA books that seem to go further toward convincing adults that YA books aren’t just for teens.
We’ve seen how adults have caught on to books like Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games (which was even recommended by Steven King). The wild success of these books among teens gets the attention of adult readers. What about YA books that aren’t runaway bestsellers? Which YA books would you give to an adult friend to convince him or her to pay more attention to the genre? In short, which would you award a Reverse Alex?
Parker Peevyhouse
Parker Peevyhouse
lindajoysingleton
Joni Sensel
Chris Eboch
Nick
Greg R. Fishbone
I actually have done this with a friend of mine who exclusively read “adult” fiction. I gave him “Uglies” by Westerfeld and he loved it, and he devoured the rest of the series in just a few weeks. Then I gave him “Paper Towns” by John Green and he loved it. He’s reading Anderson’s “Feed” now, and raving about it constantly.
FEED seems to be my answer for everything. But it’s my answer here, too.
I gave my sister-in-law the first book in Pullman’s HIS DARK MATERIALS and she couldn’t put it down. I also leant it to a friend who told me she and her husband loved it and were going to buy the trilogy. I would also, without hesitation, give friends and family Alison Croggon’s THE GIFT and THE RIDDLE and Julie Bertagna’s EXODUS.
Maybe The Lightning Thief?
I wish Diana Peterfreund’s Rampant would get more popular–I can’t believe it doesn’t have more cross over appeal. And Carrie Ryan’s The Forest of Hands and Teeth–that should be a really popular one, too.
What a great question! As far as recent books…
Hunger Games, of course
the Chaos Walking trilogy, by Patrick Ness
Jellicoe Road, by Melina Marchetta
Marcelo in the Real World, by Francisco X. Stork
Graceling and Fire, by Kristin Cashore
…just to start. (It’s possible I shove YA at my adult-lit-focused friends all the time.
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Some of my favorite recs have already been mentioned, so I’ll add Megan Whalen Turner’s THE THIEF, THE QUEEN OF ATTOLIA and THE KING OF ATTOLIA. Also Catherine Fisher’s INCARCERON, and Elizabeth E. Wein’s THE LION HUNTERS and THE EMPTY KINGDOM.
Most of the books you all have mentioned are the same ones I pass on to my friends. I also try to press Meg Rosoff on people, especially How I Live Now.
House of the Scorpion seems to be another one quite a few adults read, as well as Libba Bray’s fantasy trilogy.
The Thief and Queen of Attolia, definitely. Marcelo in the Real World. For romance lovers, I love to recommend Pullman’s Ruby in the Smoke trilogy. They are always in awe!
Melina Marchetta’s Jellicoe Road, for sure.