Ready to move from fairies, magical beasts and wizards to other imagined worlds? There are numerous novels in the teen collection that present a darker side of fantasy bordering on science fiction.
Panem, for example, is at the centre of one of these imagined worlds - a world where children from the 12 surrounding districts are entered in a lottery. "Winning" the lottery means that you are taken from your home and placed in an arena of life and death. There can only be one survivor - until Katniss Everdeen plays the game. Read the extremely popular The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins for the full story. The first book is soon to be a major motion picture starring Jennifer Lawrence.
Another intriguing "other world" series is the Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix. The adventure begins when 18-year-old Sabriel moves into the shadowy and dangerous Old Kingdom in search of her necromancer father, who is trapped in death. Not for the faint-hearted, this complex and frightening story is alive with strong characters working for good or evil in a battle to keep death in its place.
Although you might imagine that a series with a skeleton as one of the main characters would be deadly boring, you would be wrong. The Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landry introduces us to the duo of Stephanie Edgley, an unusual and talented 12-year old, and her protector, Skulduggery Pleasant. Together, they perform amazing deeds in the five thrilling and humourous books released so far in the series. Be sure to watch out for number six, Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer, due out this October.
Gone by Michael Grant kicks off a series set in a small coastal town in California where everyone over 14 years of age has disappeared along with any means of communication with the outside world. Those who remain in town find themselves in a battle with the students of the local private school. The world is changing, teens are developing dangerous powers and a war is inevitable. This bestselling series is continued in three subsequent books, including the recently released Plague.
Sixteen-year-old Thomas wakes up with no memory except for his first name. He sees the Glade, which is inhabited by other boys and enclosed by stone walls. The other boys don't have any memories of their past, either. All they know is the Glade and that every 30 days a new boy is brought there. But the day after Thomas comes, a girl arrives. Is she the key to getting out of the Glade? Is Thomas? The Maze Runner by James Dashner begins Thomas's tale, which is continued in The Scorch Trails and will perhaps finish in The Death Cure, which will be published this fall.
To find all these and other stories set in imagined worlds, check out your library's catalogue or talk to your local librarian - we are always happy to help.
A Good Read is a column by Tri-City librarians that is published every Wednesday. Andrée Duval is deputy director of Port Moody Public Library.
