Young Adult Literature... You've Come a Long Way, Baby!

Okay, I'm just gonna come right out and say it. I was never much of a reader in high school. While I enjoyed reading as a child, somewhere along the way I lost interest in reading by the time I was in high school. Don't get me wrong, I read plenty for my classes... just not so much by choice. I remember being disenchanted with the book choices in my high school library And speaking of the library, it wasn't a place I frequented as a teenager. I remember it being a quiet, boring, uninviting place.
     Thankfully, my disenchantment with reading was short lived. I rediscovered the joy of reading while I was in college. Fast forward now to 2011. I just finished reading a popular YA title, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.This one took me a while to get my hands on since there was a waiting list a mile long at my public library. But it was worth the wait. I'd say it's kind of like survival skills reality show meets CSI in a disturbing futuristic kind of way. Collins draws the reader in quickly and doesn't let go till the last page. You can read a more complete review of The Hunger Games written by Bookmomma here. The Hunger Games series has captured the attention of young adults as well as those of us adults who are forever young at heart.
     With so many YA books like Suzanne Collin's The Hunger Games and Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series hitting the big screen, YA literature is growing in popularity among teens as well as adults. And thank goodness, gone are the days of mediocre, predictable YA books. I'm not saying all YA books are quality literature, but YA authors are becoming more crafty at grabbing and holding their readers' attention... and teens (as well as adults) are noticing.