Hard disagree. I’ve read ten of his books, and the only one I didn’t like was American Gods. Though I will say that I’m not generally a fan of the fantasy genre, so I could see how he would disappoint if you’re looking for writing that is more typical of the genre.
These are not exactly “Young Adult” genre but I read of the Gold Eagle mens’ adventure series when I was preteen/teen in the late 80s:
The Executioner/Able Team/Phoenix Force/Deathlands.
Interesting to note: Marvel’s comic Punisher character is basically a ripoff of Mack Bolan/The Executioner character. They have the same basic back story: a war veteran whose family is killed by the mobsters and they sweat to get revenge on the Mafia.
Perhaps he is, but there’s an interesting story about how he helped out a fan who ran away from home to see him:
Who puts out his books? Himself?
Is it really him? Or, just a bot that’s been trained on his collected works. Would anyone be able to tell?
Hey, that’s fair. Does anyone know? Is Piers still writing or is he “James Patttersoning” this thing by slapping his name in them?
I thought he was still making these books himself.
I looked him up a couple years ago out of morbid curiosity. He’s in his late eighties and apparently living and writing on a tree farm in Florida. He has a website that’s straight out of 1999 where he puts out a monthly newsletter that’s mostly him reacting to various news articles he’s read. Apparently his daughter passed away some time ago and his wife more recently.
Honestly, the whole thing just made me sad.
Lots of the books i loved as a young adult have already been listed. But I’ve recently dived into newer young adult fiction (mostly fantasy/sf) and I’ve found some really good stuff.
Someone mentioned Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson books. I think Tamora Pierce is on a similar level, although more assumed at girls. Her later books are better than the earlier ones, although it’s helpful to have the background from the earlier ones, as she’s built a large world with a lot of related characters.
But my really knockdown favorite that I’ve read recently is the awkwardly named SCHOLOMANCE TRILOGY. Such awesome books. I like the other stuff of hers that I’ve read, too.
One thing that surprised me when i started reading modern young adult literature is that the protagonists often have sex. I mean, real world 12-18 year olds often do, too. And even those who don’t often spend a lot of time thinking about it. But back when i was a kid, it made the news when Judy Blume dealt with teenage sexuality directly.
oh richard peck was another author that was big in HS in the 90s
Now if you wanted my bridges into trash soap opera novels (jackie collins danielle steel and such) that I read as a teen … that started with norma klein and the sweet valley high series
and a series about a group in college that I think started out with one writer but by the time it got to the senior year it was different writers for the book and there ended up being something like 50 or 06 of them the titles were based on the year of college they were in
I read an excerpt and placed a hold at my library.
Yes! He wrote at least a couple of good ghost tales.
I knew nothing about the Johnsons when I read the book…which I’ll admit I bought for the cover. It was a fascinating glimpse at a particular time period. And then I got to the end. Since I knew nothing, it was a big (and very sad) surprise.
Code Name: Verity is a YA book I read fairly recently and loved. You think something is happening a certain way, and then you get to the second half of the book, and nothing is as you thought. Heartbreaking. It was about young women who trained as pilots during WWII to do certain missions that were considered safer, so more men were freed for combat.
Did you figure it out? I did, so I got to lord it over my sister who didn’t figure it out until the very end. Heh. I makes me cry, too.
I didn’t think to mention books I actually read as a teen, but I devoured Madeline L’Engle’s books. I was too old for Judy Blume and S. E. Hinton, but I read Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret and The Outsiders as an adult. I think I was too old for the former, but I loved the latter.
No, and I only read it as an adult. I wasn’t deeply searching for the answer the whole time, but I definitely am not the type of person who can figure out mysteries very well.
Oh my gosh, that was powerful. I don’t think I’ve got the strength to get through it again.
She was nearly 105 (less than a month away) when she died in 2021.
Yeah. I’m getting the shivers just remembering it. I mentioned it in a book blog, and everyone who read it as an adult thought it was a great book period. She wrote a second book, and while it is good, it doesn’t have the same impact.
Ha! For sure. I have one of the blue covered ones (Sign of the Twisted Candles) that I inherited from an aunt. I still remember Nancy’s “snappy little roadster” and Bess’s love of cinnamon toast.
I haven’t read any of her YA stuff, but her horror stories are genuinely scary in a way most other horror stories are not for me. Love her.
She’s another of the terrific newer argues I’ve recently discovered.
Yeah, I’ve still got the original version of The Hidden Staircase and Secret of the Old Clock floating around somewhere. She was a sixteen year old girl, sometimes toting her Dad’s pistol (never used it though), hiding in moving trucks under the blankets, clambering through cobwebby long-forgotten tunnels in the dark. Standing toe to toe with corrupt police officers and bandits. Climbing trees to listen to conversations from open 2nd floor windows.
And yeah, George was cool 
So far, the only book of hers I’ve read is The Hollow Places, one of her horror stories. I loved it and thought it was genuinely scary, and I will be reading more of her work. (The Hollow Places is not YA, but I imagine teen readers would enjoy and appreciate it.)
That’s the first one of hers I read. Loved it and wanted more. I was so happy the moose helped her!