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Get (sub)Genrefied: Alternate History

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Each month, we’re focusing on a particular genre or subgenre, discussing its definition, appeal factors, and a few recent and forthcoming titles that fall within it. All of our genre guides can be found at our genre fiction tag. This month, we tackle alternate history.

Definition & Overview

Alternate history is a subgenre of science fiction. But: a lot of readers think defining alternate history as science fiction is problematic, since alternate history doesn’t really have to involve science at all. A more accurate definition (or at least a definition that causes fewer arguments!) may be to call it a subgenre of speculative fiction, which is a large, umbrella term that encompasses all of science fiction, fantasy, and related categories. Speculative fiction really gets to the root of what alternate history is, in my mind: speculation about what if.

Alternate history in particular asks us to consider what our world would be like if something happened differently in the past. This different event is called the point of divergence. Some common points of divergence that writers come back to over and over again include: the Americans losing the Revolutionary War, the Germans winning World War II, the South winning the Civil War (or any differing outcome in a large military conflict, really), JFK or Lincoln not being assassinated, and so on. Usually the books focus on an event that most people are familiar with, but not always. Sometimes the plot revolves around something else entirely, and the point of divergence is merely backdrop.

Alternate history has been fairly popular among adult audiences for quite some time. Harry Turtledove, who wrote Guns of the South (among many, many others), is possibly the most well-known alternate history novelist for adults. Others the average reader may recognize are Cherie Priest’s Boneshaker series, Jo Walton’s Small Change series, and Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series.

There are fewer examples in YA, but they exist. Often they’re crossovers with other subgenres, usually steampunk, time travel, or stories about parallel universes. Often characters start out in our own world and travel back in time to change history or find a portal to a parallel universe where things are different. And of course, steampunk is a huge source for alternate history – it’s possible to make an argument that steampunk is by definition alternate history. Other crossovers are possible, too, such as a crossover with fantasy where the introduction of magic at a certain point in time alters history in some way.

Joan Aiken’s The Wolves of Willoughby Chase is a classic example of children’s alternate history, though I know when I first read it as a child, I had no idea it belonged in that subgenre. It’s set in 1830s England ruled by a Stuart King by the name of James III. This is a prime example of a book where knowing the history isn’t essential, but it certainly deepens the reader’s enjoyment.

My favorite book series of all time, His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, can also be called alternate history after a fashion. The first book is set in a parallel universe to ours, where the religion of England developed much differently than it did in our own world, making a big impact upon society. Parallel universes are a great way to incorporate alternate history, usually causing the reader to consider alternate events in direct contrast to how those events actually played out.

Alternate history appeals to history buffs, of course, but also to those readers who just love to ask “what if?” They’re a natural draw for SFF fans who love world-building and can generate a lot of intense fan discussion.

(Note: Alternate history is not historical fiction that simply introduces a fictional character. That’s not enough. In order for the story to be alternate history, it has to change an event, and that change has to have an effect on the course of events afterward.)

Resources

  • Uchronia is an impressively huge bibliography of alternate history titles, including novels, short stories, and essays. Unfortunately, while they include children’s and YA titles, they don’t have a way to search for those specifically (and a number of titles from my list below are not there at all). You can browse by author, language, series, and divergence. It’s a fun discovery tool for fans, but perhaps not terrific for someone looking for books just for younger readers – unless they already know a title or author.
  • On the Uchronia page, you’ll also find a link to the Sidewise Awards for Alternate History.
    These are usually presented at the World Science Fiction Convention each year. While children’s and YA titles are considered (you’ll find that Nation by Terry Pratchett was shortlisted in 2008), the vast majority of winners and honorees are adult titles.
  • Liz Burns’ Alternate History post from 2010 gives a good overview of the subgenre.
  • Chasing Ray has a roundup of blog posts and good reads from across the web about steampunk and alternate history. She hosted a celebration of the subgenre(s) in 2010 (Liz’s post is included), and there are tons of great resources here. 

Booklist

Because this subgenre is much smaller than others we’ve covered, the list below goes back about ten years. I’m hoping to discover more young adult books that fit this category – hit me with ’em if you’ve got ’em. Synopses are from Worldcat. In addition to the usual listing of sequels and links to reviews, I’ve also included some information about the particular divergence in history that the novel addresses.

White Cat by Holly Black
When Cassel Sharpe discovers that his older brothers have used him to
carry out their criminal schemes and then stolen his memories, he
figures out a way to turn their evil machinations against them.
Divergence: Magic exists and was banned in 1929, much like alcohol was banned in 1919, contributing to the rise of organized crime in the United States. | Sequels: Red Glove, Black Heart | Kimberly’s Reviews: White Cat, Red Glove, Black Heart

The Year of the Hangman by Gary Blackwood 
In 1777, having been kidnapped and taken forcibly from England to the
American colonies, fifteen-year-old Creighton becomes part of
developments in the political unrest there that may spell defeat for the
patriots and change the course of history.
Divergence: The British win the American Revolutionary War in 1776.

The Inventor’s Secret by Andrea Cremer

In an alternate nineteenth-century America that is still a colony of
Britain’s industrial empire, sixteen-year-old Charlotte and her fellow
refugees’ struggle to survive is interrupted by a newcomer with no
memory, bearing secrets about a terrible future.
Divergence: The American Revolutionary War never happened and Britain’s empire continued to expand. | Sequels: None yet, but it’s the beginning of a series, so expect them.

The Explosionist by Jenny Davidson  (sequel: Invisible Things)

In Scotland in the 1930s, fifteen-year-old Sophie, her friend Mikael,
and her great-aunt Tabitha are caught up in a murder mystery involving
terrorists and suicide-bombers whose plans have world-shaping
consequences.
Divergence: Napoleon wins the Battle of Waterloo, creating a group of totalitarian European states that are at odds with a group of independent northern European countries. | Sequel: Invisible Things

Plus One by Elizabeth Fama
In an alternate United States where Day and Night populations are forced
to lead separate–but not equal–lives, a desperate Night girl falls
for a seemingly privileged Day boy and places them both in danger as she
gets caught up in the beginnings of a resistance movement.
Divergence: The Spanish Flu epidemic of the early 20th century causes the US population to be divided into two different groups who are only allowed out during the day or the night. | Kimberly’s Review: Plus One

The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge
In an alternate 1950s, mechanically gifted fifteen-year-old Aoife
Grayson, whose family has a history of going mad at sixteen, must leave
the totalitarian city of Lovecraft and venture into the world of magic
to solve the mystery of her brother’s disappearance and the mysteries
surrounding her father and the Land of Thorn.
Divergence: Instead of nuclear power, magic was discovered (invented?). It’s now seen as a threat by President McCarthy and his government. (I got this info from Tamora Pierce’s review of the title, as I gave up on the book partway through.) | Sequels: The Nightmare Garden, The Mirrored Shard

Neverwas by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed, and Larkin Reed
At her family’s Maryland home, in a world where colonists lost the 1776
Insurrection, Sarah Parsons and her friend Jackson share visions of a
different existence and, having remembered how things ought to be, plan a
daring mission to set them right.
Divergence: The British win the American Revolutionary War in 1776. | Sequel: Neverwas is actually a sequel to Amber House, but Amber House doesn’t focus much on alternate history (at least judging from the synopsis).

Nation by Terry Pratchett
After a devastating tsunami destroys all that they have ever known, Mau,
an island boy, and Daphne, an aristocratic English girl, together with a
small band of refugees, set about rebuilding their community and all
the things that are important in their lives.
Divergence: In the 1860s, a strain of Russian flu kills the English king and the next 138 heirs.

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

In an alternate New England of 1900, where the Brotherhood dominates
and controls society, sixteen-year-old Cate Cahill has struggled since
her mother’s death to keep secret that she and her younger sisters are
witches, but when a governess arrives from the Sisterhood, everything
changes.
Divergence: There isn’t a particular point of divergence that I can find. Steph Su’s review indicates that the novel doesn’t give one. | Sequels: Star Cursed, Sisters’ Fate

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
In an alternate 1914 Europe, fifteen-year-old Austrian Prince Alek, on
the run from the Clanker Powers who are attempting to take over the
globe using mechanical machinery, forms an uneasy alliance with Deryn
who, disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service, is learning to
fly genetically engineered beasts.
Divergence: World War I is fought by countries with special weapons never seen before: the Austro-Hungarians and Germans have automated machines called Clankers and the English have developed genetically engineered animals. | Sequels: Behemoth, Goliath

Flora Segunda by Ysabeau Wilce
Fourteen-year-old Flora Fyrdraaca, whose mother is the Warlord’s
Commanding General and whose father is mad, kindly helps her house’s
magical–and long-banished–butler, unaware that he draws strength from
the Fyrdraaca will.
Divergence: Wilce herself has said that Califa is not based on any one place, but readers say it reads like a version of California that has been conquered by an Aztec-like culture. | Sequels: Flora’s Dare, Flora’s Fury

The Only Thing to Fear by Caroline Tung Richmond
It’s been nearly 80
years since the Allies lost WWII in a crushing defeat against Hitler’s
genetically engineered super soldiers. America has been carved up by the
victors, and 16-year-old Zara lives a life of oppression in the Eastern
America Territories. A revolution is
growing, and a rogue rebel group is plotting a deadly coup. Zara might
hold the key to taking down the Führer for good, but it also might be
the very thing that destroys her. (Goodreads synopsis; title forthcoming in September 2014)
Divergence: Hitler/Germany wins World War II.

Get Genrefied: Historical Fantasy

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I love talking about genre fiction, and I’m really loving exploring all of the many subgenres of fantasy and science fiction in our genre guides each month (though we don’t always stick to SFF). This month, we tackle historical fantasy.

I thought I had a pretty good grasp on the definition of historical fantasy, but in doing a bit of searching, I learned that my definition is different from many others’ definitions. Hugo winner Jo Walton gives a good overview at tor.com: What is Historical Fantasy? She (and others) use the term to describe any sort of fantasy that takes place in the past or seems like it might take place in the past – whether that past actually existed or not. I take a much narrower view. For me, historical fantasy is strictly fantasy that takes place in a past that actually existed, not just in a world that seems kind of historical-ish.

So there’s some disagreement. I prefer the narrower definition mainly because I find the more expanded definition nearly useless. So much of fantasy is pseudo-medieval, meaning we’d call almost all fantasy “historical fantasy” in that case. Moreover, these stories are quite clearly and deliberately not set in our own world. There’s no history to be gleaned from stories like that. Part of the appeal of historical fantasy is seeing the ways the author manipulates actual historical events with fantastical elements. I try to be careful in what I call historical fantasy for this reason, and my definition is the definition I’ll be using for this guide. (Read a few of the comments in the Jo Walton piece and you’ll see I’m not alone!)

Some well-known examples of historical fantasy that fit my definition well are Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke, The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, and Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. On the YA end, Libba Bray’s A Great and Terrible Beauty and Robin LaFevers Grave Mercy are good examples.

We’ve covered awards and resources for fantasy and historical fiction before in our genre guides, so I won’t rehash them here. I did find a few interesting reads, though. The first is this piece by Dan Wohl at The Mary Sue: Is “Historical Accuracy” a Good Defense of Patriarchal Societies in Fantasy Fiction? Make sure you read the first comment as well, which points out a serious flaw in his argument, though the point he’s getting at is valid. If you’re a fan of Game of Thrones (tv series or book series), you’ve likely read defenses of its treatment of women, one of which probably was “But that’s the way women were treated back then!” And here’s another reason I prefer my definition of historical fantasy: Game of Thrones is not historical fantasy. The entire world is invented. Martin and the screenwriters made a choice to create cultures like this, and “historical accuracy” is not a legitimate reason.

Even for books that are clearly historical fantasy (or based on history, as GoT ostensibly is), if an author makes a choice to write about dragons and fairies in 17th century England, what’s stopping that author from making the society gender-equal? We can suspend our disbelief for dragons, but we can’t do the same for gender parity, or even female privilege? Falling back on the myth of historical accuracy demonstrates a supreme lack of creativity. The whole point of historical fantasy is to give the readers a historical time period that is accurate to a point – and then goes off the rails. If it weren’t historically inaccurate in some way, it wouldn’t be historical fantasy. My point is that the author chose to write the story in that way for a reason, and accuracy ain’t it. (I read the Ruins of Ambrai by Melanie Rawn as a teenager, which features a society where women hold all power. It’s really great high fantasy; not historical, but could easily be made so. Let’s see more of this, yes?)

Anyway.

On the YA front, there are a couple of places that review historical fantasy pretty regularly. TeenReads.com has a page devoted to it, as does Charlotte’s Library. Some of the titles mentioned don’t adhere to my strict definition, but that’s inevitable.

Below are a few recently published historical fantasy titles plus some forthcoming ones. I’ve restricted the list to books that fit my narrow definition of historical fantasy, otherwise it would be much, much longer. I omitted steampunk since we’ve covered that already. Descriptions are from Worldcat. What ones have I missed? Let me know in the comments.

The Diviners by Libba Bray
Seventeen-year-old Evie O’Neill is thrilled when she is exiled from
small-town Ohio to New York City in 1926, even when a rash of
occult-based murders thrusts Evie and her uncle, curator of The Museum
of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult, into the thick of
the investigation.

A Great and Terrible Beauty (and sequels) by Libba Bray
After the suspicious death of her mother in 1895, sixteen-year-old Gemma
returns to England, after many years in India, to attend a finishing
school where she becomes aware of her magical powers and ability to see
into the spirit world.

Bewitching Season (and sequels) by Marissa Doyle

In 1837, as seventeen-year-old twins, Persephone and Penelope, are
starting their first London Season they find that their beloved
governess, who has taught them everything they know about magic, has
disappeared.

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama
Tells, in alternating chapters, the story of the mermaid Syrenka’s love
for Ezra in 1872 that leads to a series of horrific murders, and
present-day Hester’s encounter with a ghost that reveals her connection
to the murders and to Syrenka. (Kimberly’s review)

Deception’s Princess by Esther M. Friesner

In Iron Age Ireland, Maeve, the fierce, willful youngest daughter of
King Eochu of Connacht, is caught in a web of lies after rebelling to
avoid fosterage with another highborn family and an arranged marriage.

The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner

In the late eighteenth-century, Sido, the twelve-year-old daughter of
a self-indulgent marquis, and Yann, a fourteen-year-old Gypsy orphan
raised to perform in a magic show, face a common enemy at the start of
the French Revolution.

Chantress (and sequel) by Amy Butler Greenfield
Fifteen-year-old Lucy discovers that she is a chantress who can perform
magic by singing, and the only one who can save England from the control
of the dangerous Lord Protector

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her
family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station
in central London. They survive by picking pockets. One December night,
Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to
all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it
binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood–Tiki’s blood.

Grave Mercy (and sequels) by Robin LaFevers

In the fifteenth-century kingdom of Brittany, seventeen-year-old
Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the
sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where she learns that the god
of Death has blessed her with dangerous gifts–and a violent destiny. (Kimberly’s review)

Witchfall by Victoria Lamb

In order for magic-wielding Meg to keep the outcast Princess
Elizabeth and her secret betrothed, the Spanish priest Alejandro de
Castillo, safe in the court of Queen Mary, she needs to make the
ultimate sacrifice.

The Falconer by Elizabeth May

In 1844 Edinburgh, eighteen-year-old Lady Aileana Kameron is neither
an ordinary debutante, nor a murderess–she is a Falconer, a female
warrior born with the gift for hunting and killing the faeries who prey
on mankind and who killed her mother. (Kimberly’s review)

The Vespertine (and sequels) by Saundra Mitchell

In 1889, when Amelia van den Broek leaves her brother’s strict home
for the freedom of a social season with cousins in Baltimore, she is
surprised by her strong attraction to an unsuitable man, but more so by
the dark visions she has each evening which have some believing that she
is the cause, not merely the seer, of harm. (Kelly’s review)

Dark Mirror (and sequels) by M. J. Putney
When it is discovered that Lady Victoria has magic powers, she is sent
away to school at Lackland Abbey, where she joins a group of young mages
using their powers to protect England, and travels through time from
the early 1800s to the 1940s. (Kelly’s review)

The Burning Sky (and sequel) by Sherry Thomas
A young elemental mage named Iaolanthe Seabourne discovers her shocking
power and destiny when she is thrown together with a deposed prince to
lead a rebellion against a tyrant. (Kimberly’s review)

The Fetch by Laura Whitcomb
After 350 years as a Fetch, or death escort, Calder breaks his vows and
enters the body of Rasputin, whose spirit causes rebellion in the Land
of Lost Souls while Calder struggles to convey Ana and Alexis, orphaned
in the Russian Revolution, to Heaven.

In the Shadows by Kiersten White and Jim Di Bartolo
Minnie and Cora, sisters living in a sleepy Maine town in the nineteenth
century, are intrigued by Arthur, a mysterious boy with no past who has
come to live in their mother’s boarding house–but something sinister
is stirring and the teens must uncover the truth, and unlock the key to
immortality. (Kimberly’s review)

In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

In San Diego in 1918, as deadly influenza and World War I take their
toll, sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches desperate mourners
flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort and, despite her
scientific leanings, must consider if ghosts are real when her first
love, killed in battle, returns. (Kimberly’s review)

Dust Girl (and sequels) by Sarah Zettel
On the day in 1935 when her mother vanishes during the worst dust storm
ever recorded in Kansas, Callie learns that she is not actually a human
being.

Get Genrefied: Fairy Tale Re-tellings

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Fairy tale re-tellings never go out of style. They were huge when I was a teen and they continue to be in demand now, though it seems the trend has shifted some from outright fantasy to a more science fiction-inspired flavor. Authors are also trying their hand at re-telling fairy tales in a completely realistic way, eschewing any sort of magic or futuristic technology. (Jane Nickerson’s historical re-tellings of Bluebeard and Tam Lin are good examples.) So while fairy tale re-tellings are most often a subgenre of fantasy, that’s not always the case. Like many of the other genres we’ve written about, fairy tale re-tellings can and do cross genres.

It’s no surprise that fairy tale re-tellings have tremendous staying power, given how versatile they can be. As readers, I think we like the combination of the familiar and the strange; we are naturally curious to see how an author can transform something so old and well-known into something new and unusual. There’s also something timeless about the original, bare-bones stories themselves. In many ways, fairy tales are the most basic of our stories, and even the most intricately-plotted of our modern tales usually draw from some sort of trope first found in a fairy tale or folk tale.

In my experience, teens are drawn to fairy tale re-tellings for the romance and adventure. The protagonists usually also go from a place of no power to a place of tremendous power, whether through the use of magic or simple resourcefulness. This is incredibly appealing to teens who may feel that they have zero power over their own lives.

While this guide will focus primarily on fairy tale re-tellings, teens who read them may also enjoy re-tellings of other classic stories, such as mythology, Robin Hood, King Arthur, Shakespeare, Bronte, and others. Epic Reads has created a truly Epic Chart of 162 Young Adult Retellings that covers a lot of this territory. It’s well worth a look.

A few authors who are known for writing fairy tale re-tellings include Donna Jo Napoli, Robin McKinley, Cameron Dokey, Alex Flinn, and Jackson Pearce. Some of their books were published when I was a teen (or before!), but fairy tale re-tellings tend to stand the test of time a bit better than other sorts of stories. Their source material is timeless, after all. Provided they’re not modernized re-tellings or saddled with dated covers, even 10 or 20 year old books should suit teen lovers of the genre just fine.

Simon Pulse published about 20 fairy tale re-tellings for teens between 2002 and 2010 written by various authors including Suzanne Weyn, Cameron Dokey, Debbie Viguie, Tracy Lynn, and Nancy Holder. A full list of those titles can be found at Simon and Schuster’s Once Upon a Time website.

Below are a few YA fairy tale re-tellings published within the past five years (roughly), grouped by original story. Descriptions are from Worldcat or Goodreads. Are there any glaring omissions?

Beauty and the Beast

 
Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay
When nineteen-year-old Gem of the Desert People, called Monstrous by the
Smooth Skins, becomes the prisoner of the seventeen-year-old Smooth
Skin queen, Isra, age-old prejudices begins to fall aside as the two
begin to understand each other.

Beastly by Alex Flinn
A modern retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” from the point of view of
the Beast, a vain Manhattan private school student who is turned into a
monster and must find true love before he can return to his human form.  

 
Belle by Cameron Dokey

In this retelling of the traditional tale, Belle, a skilled
woodcarver, must carve the the legendary Heartwood to repay her father’s
debt to a fearsome beast that gave him shelter during a terrible storm.

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom —
all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth,
she has been in training to kill him. With no choice but to fulfill her
duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates
herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth
birthday, Nyx abandons everything she’s ever known to marry the
all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his
enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on
her people. Kimberly’s review

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
Sybella’s duty as Death’s assassin in 15th-century France forces her
return home to the personal hell that she had finally escaped. Love and
romance, history and magic, vengeance and salvation converge in this
sequel to Grave Mercy. Kimberly’s review

Bluebeard

Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson
After the death of her father in 1855, seventeen-year-old Sophia goes to
live with her wealthy and mysterious godfather at his gothic mansion,
Wyndriven Abbey, in Mississippi, where many secrets lie hidden. Kimberly’s review

Cinderella

 
Ash by Malinda Lo

In this variation on the Cinderella story, Ash grows up believing in
the fairy realm that the king and his philosophers have sought to
suppress, until one day she must choose between a handsome fairy cursed
to love her and the King’s Huntress whom she loves.



Before Midnight by Cameron Dokey
In this retelling of the Perrault fairy tale, Cendrillon’s father, grief
stricken over the death of his wife, leaves his baby daughter to be
brought up by servants together with an unidentified infant boy until
the day, sixteen-years-later, when a new stepmother with two daughters
arrives and changes their lives forever.

Bewitching by Alex Flinn
Tells the story of Kendra, a witch, and the first three-hundred years of
her life, including takes on a classic fairy tale, the 1666 plague in
Britain, the Titanic disaster, and the story of a modern-day, plain
stepsister.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
As plague ravages the overcrowded Earth, observed by a ruthless lunar
people, Cinder, a gifted mechanic and cyborg, becomes involved with
handsome Prince Kai and must uncover secrets about her past in order to
protect the world in this futuristic take on the Cinderella story. Kimberly’s review

Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott
Trained in the magical art of shadow-weaving, sixteen-year-old Suzume,
who is able to re-create herself in any form, is destined to use her
skills to steal the heart of a prince in a revenge pot. Kimberly’s review

Wayfarer by Lili St. Crow

In this retelling of Cinderella, Ellen Sinder’s violent stepmother
terrifies her, her plan for surviving and getting through high school
quietly begins to unravel, and Auntie, an odd old woman who takes her
in, may not be as kindly as she appears.

East of the Sun, West of the Moon

East by Edith Pattou
A young woman journeys to a distant castle on the back of a great white bear who is the victim of a cruel enchantment.
Ice by Sarah Beth Durst
A modern-day retelling of “East o’ the Sun, West o’ the Moon” in which
eighteen-year-old Cassie learns that her grandmother’s fairy tale is
true when a Polar Bear King comes to claim her for his bride and she
must decide whether to go with him and save her long-lost mother, or
continue helping her father with his research.
 
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
A girl travels east of the sun and west of the moon to free her beloved prince from a magic spell.

The Frog Prince

 
Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
When Sunday Woodcutter, the youngest of seven sisters named for the days
of the week, kisses an enchanted frog, the frog transforms back into
Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland–a man Sunday’s family despises.  

Water Song by Suzanne Weyn
Stranded in war-torn Belgium, Emma Pennington finds a wounded American
soldier carrying vital information for the Allies and protects him from
the Germans occupying her family estate.

The Goose Girl

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
On her way to marry a prince she’s never met, Princess Anidori is
betrayed by her guards and her lady-in-waiting and must become a goose
girl to survive until she can reveal her true identity and reclaim the
crown that is rightfully hers.

Hansel and Gretel

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
When the owner of a candy shop molds magical treats that instill
confidence, bravery, and passion, eighteen-year-old Gretchen’s haunted
childhood memories of her twin sister’s abduction by a witch-like
monster begin to fade until girls start vanishing at the annual
chocolate festival. 

Jack and the Beanstalk

 
The World Above by Cameron Dokey
When her twin brother, Jack, disappears after scaling a magical
beanstalk in an effort to reclaim their destitute family’s riches, Gen
enters the mysterious “Land Above” and confronts a dangerous giant, in a
reimagining of the classic tale, “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

The Little Mermaid

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce
Celia, who shares mental powers with her triplet sisters, finds
competition for a handsome boy with Lo, a sea monster who must persuade a
mortal to love her and steal his soul to earn back her humanity.

Midnight Pearls by Debbie Viguie
A retelling of “The Little Mermaid” in which Pearl, a teenaged girl who
was discovered in the sea as a small child by a fisherman and treated
with scorn by the villagers ever since, falls in love with James, a
prince, and faces powerful forces–human and magical–determined to tear
them apart.

Little Red Riding Hood

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet Benoit and Wolf, a street fighter who may have information
about her missing grandmother, join forces with Cinder as they try to
stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana in this story
inspired by Little Red Riding Hood. Kimberly’s review
 
Scarlet Moon by Debbie Viguie
Ruth’s grandmother lives in the forest, banished there for the “evil”
that the townsfolk believed she practiced. Amidst these dark days, a new man enters Ruth’s life. William
is a noble with a hot temper and a bad name, and he makes her shiver.
But the young man is prey to his heritage, a curse placed on his family
ages ago, and each male of the family has strange blood running in his
veins. Now Ruth must come face-to-face with his destiny at Grandma’s
house.

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
After a Fenris, or werewolf, killed their grandmother and almost killed
them, sisters Scarlett and Rosie March devote themselves to hunting and
killing the beasts that prey on teenaged girls, learning how to lure
them with red cloaks and occasionally using the help of their old
friend, Silas, the woodsman’s son. Kimberly’s review

Maid Maleen

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
Fifteen-year-old Dashti, sworn to obey her sixteen-year-old mistress,
the Lady Saren, shares Saren’s years of punishment locked in a tower,
then brings her safely to the lands of her true love, where both must
hide who they are as they work as kitchen maids.

Rapunzel

Cress by Marissa Meyer
Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and
Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and
prevent her army from invading Earth. Their best hope lies with Cress, a
girl trapped on a satellite since childhood who’s only ever had her
netscreens as company.

Golden by Cameron Dokey
Rapunsel has only two nights and one day in which to free a girl from a curse.

Towering by Alex Flinn
A contemporary retelling of Rapunzel told from the alternating
perspectives of three teens whose fates unknowingly bind them together
to destroy a greater evil.

Rumpelstiltskin

The Crimson Thread by Suzanne Weyn
It is 1880. Bertie has recently emigrated to New York from Ireland.
Struggling to make ends meet and care for her younger siblings, Bertie
finds work as a seamstress for textile tycoon, J.P. Wellington. When the
Wellington family fortune is threatened, Bertie’s father boasts that
she can save the business. She can “practically spin straw into gold”
Amazingly, overnight Bertie creates exquisite evening gowns, but only
with the help of a mysterious man who uses an old spinning wheel. With
dazzling crimson thread, he makes the dresses look like they are laced
with real gold. Bertie would do anything to pay this man back for his
help. When he asks for her firstborn child, Bertie agrees, never
dreaming that he is serious.

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Upon the death of her father, seventeen-year-old Charlotte struggles to
keep the family’s woolen mill running in the face of an overwhelming
mortgage and what the local villagers believe is a curse, but when a man
capable of spinning straw into gold appears on the scene she must
decide if his help is worth the price.

Sleeping Beauty

Beauty Sleep by Cameron Dokey
Princess Aurore learns that the curse that was placed on her at birth
may hurt others, so she goes on a quest to end the evil magic.
 
A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn
Sixteen-year-old Princess Talia persuades seventeen-year-old Jack, the
modern-day American who kissed her awake after a 300-year sleep, to take
her to his Miami home, where she hopes to win his love before the witch
who cursed her can spirit her away.
 
 
A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan
Sixteen-year-old Rosalinda Fitzroy, heir to the multiplanetary
corporation UniCorp, is awakened after sixty years in stasis to find
that everyone she knew has died and as she tries to make a new life for
herself, learns she is the target of a robot assassin. Kelly’s review

The Snow Queen

Cold Spell by Jackson Pearce
When her boyfriend disappears with a mysterious girl, seventeen-year-old
Ginny leaves her hometown of Atlanta and fights wolves, escapes
thieves, and braves the cold to rescue him.

Winter’s Child by Cameron Dokey
A retelling of the Andersen tale in which childhood best friends, Kai
and Grace, grow apart as teenagers after Grace spurns Kai’s declaration
of love, and a dejected Kai is lured away by the mysterious Snow Queen,
leaving Grace to realize her loss and determined to find him and bring
him back.

Snow White

Nameless by Lili St. Crow

In this retelling of Snow White, sixteen-year-old Cami, a mortal raised
by one of the powerful Families that rule magic-ridden New Haven, begins
to uncover the secrets of her birth and why her past is threatening her
now.

Snow by Tracy Lynn
A retelling tale of a princess who takes refuge from her wicked
stepmother by fleeing to London. Story inspired by brothers Grimm.

Twelve Dancing Princesses

Entwined by Heather Dixon
Confined to their dreary castle while mourning their mother’s death,
Princess Azalea and her eleven sisters join The Keeper, who is trapped
in a magic passageway, in a nightly dance that soon becomes nightmarish. Kimberly’s review

The Night Dance by Suzanne Weyn 
A knight falls in love with the youngest of twelve sisters, but they can
only marry if he can discover where the sisters secretly go to dance.
Inspired by the fairy tale of the twelve dancing princesses.

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
A retelling of the tale of twelve princesses who wear out their shoes
dancing every night, and of Galen, a former soldier now working in the
king’s gardens, who follows them in hopes of breaking the curse.

Short Stories/Anthologies

The original stories were short stories, so it’s natural that anthologies of fairy tale re-tellings abound as well.
 

Faery Tales & Nightmares by Melissa Marr
A collection of short stories featuring tales of characters from the
Wicked Lovely novels that mix with accounts of new characters.
 
Grim edited by Christine Johnson
Inspired by classic
fairy tales, but with a dark and sinister twist, Grim contains short
stories from some of the best voices in young adult literature today.
 

Rags and Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales edited by Melissa Marr and Tim Pratt
In this collection, award-winning and bestselling authors reimagine
their favorite classic stories, the ones that have inspired, awed, and
enraged them, the ones that have become ingrained in modern culture, and
the ones that have been too long overlooked.
 
The Rose and the Beast by Francesca Lia Block
Nine classic fairy tales set in modern, magical landscapes and retold with a twist. 
 

A Wolf at the Door edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
What ever happened to the seven dwarfs after Snow White ditched them?
What was life like for the giant above the beanstalk? Readers need
wonder no more. This collection of 13 fantasy short stories takes
favorite folk tales on a wild spin through the imagination. The roster
of authors includes Michael Cadnum, Jane Yolen, Garth Nix, Tanith Lee,
and Gregory Maguire. (Datlow and Windling edited at least two more anthologies of retold fairy tales for younger readers.)
 
Datlow and Windling also edited a number of anthologies of fairy tales retold for adults, beginning with Snow White, Blood Red. I’ve read a few of the collections, and if my memory serves me right, they’re don’t skimp on sex and gore, so hand them only to your most mature readers. 
 

Forthcoming



The Mirk and Midnight Hour by Jane Nickerson (March)

Seventeen-year-old Violet Dancey is spending the Civil War with a new
stepmother and stepsister and her young cousin when she comes upon a
wounded Yankee soldier, Thomas, who is being kept alive by mysterious
voodoo practitioners. [Tam Lin]
 
Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay (December)
Though she looks like a
mere mortal, Princess Aurora is a fairy blessed with enhanced strength,
bravery, and mercy yet cursed to destroy the free will of any male who
kisses her. Disguised as a boy, she enlists the help of the handsome but
also cursed Prince Niklaas to fight legions of evil and free her
brother from the ogre queen who stole Aurora’s throne ten years ago.
 
Winter by Marissa Meyer (2015) 
This concluding volume re-tells Snow White.  

Fantasy Without Magic

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I spend a lot of my time thinking about the way we classify things (which may be one reason I became a librarian). This is probably most apparent in my Twitter feed, where I can often be found ruminating on the different kinds of genre fiction and their endless subgenres and overlaps and combinations. A listserv discussion about how to classify Marie Rutkoski’s excellent The Winner’s Curse (more on this title later) has me thinking a lot about fantasy novels without any magic, and about what is really required for a book to be fantasy.

I think a lot of readers are under the impression that fantasy requires magic as a matter of course. If it doesn’t have magic, then it must at least have beings that don’t exist in our own world, like dragons. This is an easy, though incorrect, assumption to make. Most fantasy novels do have magic. But not all.

Fantasy is, in my opinion, the genre with the most creative potential. Writers can quite literally do anything in a fantasy novel. It doesn’t matter if it could never happen in our own world – that’s the whole point. That’s what makes it exciting. You should be reading about things that could never possibly exist or happen. And you don’t need magic to achieve that.

Most of these magic-free books are what is usually called high fantasy, which is defined by a setting in an entirely imaginary world. It makes sense that not every imaginary world dreamt of by writers would involve magic or dragons. Nevertheless, if the world isn’t our own, it’s fantasy.

So why does this matter? From a librarian’s standpoint, it’s vital for readers’ advisory. It would be foolish to recommend a magic-heavy book to someone looking for readalikes to the Winner’s Curse, which has no magic at all. Most likely, people looking for more of the same want thoughtful worldbuilding, intense romance, and a minimal amount of strange words and concepts. So, why not just give them a bunch of historical fiction? Yes, these things could be achieved with historical fiction, but historical fiction doesn’t also provide a reading experience that sparks the imagination in quite the same way. Historical fiction is still limited by history. (It also has a harder time not spoiling the ending.)

Magic-free fantasy is a good entry point for readers who are just beginning to dip their toes into the genre. But beyond that, it’s important to recognize that yes, these stories are fantasy, because fantasy is awesome, in all meanings of the word. It’s hugely variable, has immense depth, and tells readers that you can literally find anything you can possibly imagine within the pages of a book. Including a completely new world without magic. (Denying that certain things are fantasy is also often done – however unintentionally – as a way to denigrate the genre as a whole. Think of someone saying, “Oh, I don’t read fantasy,” followed by the reply, “Well, it’s not really fantasy since there’s no magic.” The implications are there.)

Below are a few middle grade and YA fantasy titles without magic. They take place in imaginary worlds, fully-formed with complex cultures that you won’t find on Earth. Descriptions are from Worldcat. My own comments are in bracketed italics. Please comment with other titles you know of – even adult titles. I’m curious to see what others are out there.

The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski
An aristocratic girl who is a member of a warmongering and enslaving
empire purchases a slave, an act that sets in motion a rebellion that
might overthrow her world as well as her heart. [I read somewhere this is going to be a trilogy, but now I can’t remember where I found that piece of information.]

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

In the country of Carthya, a devious nobleman engages four orphans in
a brutal competition to be selected to impersonate the king’s
long-missing son in an effort to avoid a civil war. [Book two: The Runaway King; Book three: The Shadow Throne.]

Jackaroo by Cynthia Voigt
When hard times among the People revive the old stories of the hero
Jackaroo, an innkeeper’s daughter follows her own quest to unlock the
secret reality behind the legend. [Voigt wrote three other books set in the same world, loosely connected to one another but set many years apart. Together, they’re called the Kingdom series. They include, in order, Jackaroo, On Fortune’s Wheel, The Wings of a Falcon, and Elske. I highly recommend them all, though my favorite is On Fortune’s Wheel.]

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Gen flaunts his ingenuity as a thief and relishes the adventure which
takes him to a remote temple of the gods where he will attempt to steal a
precious stone. [This is the first in the Queen’s Thief series, which includes The Queen of Attolia, The King of Attolia, and A Conspiracy of Kings. It’s been many years since I’ve read these, but to the best of my memory, they contain no magic.]

Westmark by Lloyd Alexander
A boy fleeing from criminal charges falls in with a charlatan, his dwarf
attendant, and an urchin girl, travels with them about the kingdom of
Westmark, and ultimately arrives at the palace where the king is
grieving over the loss of his daughter. [These books are even more of a distant memory, but the Internet agrees with my recollection that they’re magic-free.]

Get Genrefied: YA Urban Fiction

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Every month, we’ve been putting together a guide to a YA genre or format. Last month, we tackled short stories, and if you check that post out, you can get the link to all of our prior guides, which have covered everything from graphic novels to steampunk, contemporary/realistic to thriller and horror. It’s a series that has been just as educational to us as we hope it’s been to everyone who has found it useful.

This month is no exception.

The topic for this genre guide is urban fiction, a topic that we’re far less familiar with than I think we wish we were. It was always a topic on our list of potential choices, but when a reader asked me about it specifically, I knew it was time to roll up my sleeves and give it a shot. Kimberly and I are going to give this our best shot by defining, elaborating upon, and offering resources to YA urban fiction, along with a reading list, but this month in particular, we hope people who know more about this genre weigh in in the comments and offer us even more places to turn.

In many ways, urban fiction is a tough genre to define exactly because we all know what it is, but if we try to pin down an exact definition, we’re bringing up a host of our own biases to that definition. Urban fiction spans formats, too: there are graphic novels easily classified as urban fiction as much as there are short stories falling into the urban fiction category. You may be familiar with urban fiction under other names, too, including street lit, hip hop fiction, or ghetto lit. All of those terms, save for street lit, make me a bit uncomfortable to use because I think they reduce the genre to something much more specific than it is, and I think it also makes assumptions about the books and their readers. I think hip hop fiction and ghetto lit might instead be part of — rather than the defining feature of — urban fiction.

Though I think it’s clear, urban fiction is not the same thing as urban fantasy. 

Much of the information I found defining urban fiction for teens comes from what Autumn Winters wrote in her Novelist genre guide, which you can download here. Urban fiction is a subset of realistic fiction set in today’s urban communities. Often, it could be described as gritty, as many of the story lines in urban fiction revolve around teens being in tough situations that can accompany life in a rougher community. This isn’t always the case, but one of the biggest appeal factors for readers of urban fiction is that it often pits teen characters into very adult situations. The stories are often filled with drama or melodrama, and characters can struggle with drugs, gangs, violence, drinking, sexual situations, and more. Winters notes in her guide that “glamor, crime, and shocking behavior are often present in large doses,” and while that may be the case for many urban fiction novels, I think because urban fiction is itself a fairly expansive category with many overlapping elements with other genres, this might be more of an appeal factor, rather than a defining feature.

Urban fiction is typically fast paced, and sometimes — though not always — it has a real appeal to more reluctant readers because it dives immediately into stories and characters who are easy to understand and, in some cases, reflect the perceived (or objective) reality the reader himself/herself lives.

An important note about urban fiction: while it often can appeal to African American readers and often features African American characters, urban fiction is not African American fiction. Urban fiction is written by and stars characters of all shapes and colors, even though most of the work is written by and features black characters. What really defines this genre is its marrying of an urban setting with realistic situations. Never make assumptions about the books nor about their readers. Urban fiction may hold tremendous appeal to teen readers who have never seen the likes of a city as much as it may be too much for readers who live those reality to seek out. Every collection should include some urban fiction though, as it’s not only a means of having a balanced collection but because it could open the eyes of readers to a whole new category of books they never thought they could love.

Winters notes in her guide that urban fiction can crossover with the broader category of African American lit, with literary fiction, as well as with urban Christian fiction. Last week, I blogged about Jason Reynolds’s When I Was the Greatest, set in Bed Stuy, in Brooklyn, which meets all of the criteria of urban fiction and has a literary bent to it. Much can be said about Coe Booth’s more literary “Bronxwood” series also fitting the definition of urban fiction, despite the fact the drama levels and pacing might not be quite the same as other books more commonly seen as urban fiction. So perhaps it’s best to think of urban fiction as quite a large category of realistic YA novels set in an urban landscape, and within that, there are places for novels that have a Christian angle, for those which are more literary (however you choose to define that), for graphic novels, and so forth.  Maybe in thinking that way, terms like “street lit” and “ghetto fiction” are less synonyms for urban fiction and more types of urban fiction. I’m not sure how different those two may be from one another, but my larger point is that urban fiction is an umbrella term, and it can encompass a broader range of titles beneath it.

Like most other genres, YA readers can be well-served with adult urban fiction, too. Though the situations and scenarios will be even rougher, grittier, and more blunt than those presented in the YA fiction (or in some cases, they may be tamer or more literary or more message-driven in content), readers who seek out this kind of work may appreciate being shown all of their options. Some authors cross over and write urban fiction for both teens and adults.

So what resources are out there for learning more about urban fiction, as well as discovering the authors and books which could be considered urban fiction? Surprisingly, there’s very little. This is a category that, for a long time, was written and talked about widely, but in recent years, it seems to have become less of a popular genre to write or think about. That doesn’t mean it has in any way lessened in popularity with readers. Some of the resources below will be a little dated, but the information is still worth taking in and thinking about.

  • Vanessa Irvin Morris might be the authority on street lit, as she literally wrote the book on this topic. She keeps a tremendous site over at Street Lit, which you should have on your radar. This isn’t all focused on YA, but there are many resources and posts about YA at her site. Don’t miss the street lit book awards, either. 
  • Want some reviews of urban fiction? Then check out Urban Reviews, which isn’t singularly focused on YA, as it also includes plenty of adult titles. 
  • Urban Fiction Resources: The Prison Librarianship blog has a tremendous resource of links for more information and reading lists for urban fiction. It doesn’t look like it has been updated in the last couple of months, but it has done a great job noting which resources they’ve included haven’t updated. Mining these should offer way more than we can offer here. 
  • Jennifer Fountain wrote about the top ten urban fiction books at the Nerdy Book Club blog last year, and it’s a great go-to for authors and series titles. 
  • Over at Writing Teen Novels, Paul Volponi talks about being honest in depicting reality in realistic fiction. What makes this worth reading is that Volponi writes urban fiction but may not be one of the first authors many readers would consider an urban fiction writer — except he does just that. 
  • This is less of a resource proper but more of a necessary read to get a grip on why urban fiction matters and how urban fiction is an expansive genre, rather than a reductive one: Urban Fiction is Reality for Us. 

Recent Urban Fiction

With more of a handle on the genre itself, let’s talk about some of the books that have come out over the last few years that could be considered urban fiction. Some of these are more literary, some are more straight-on street lit. They all contain the hallmarks of urban fiction though: realistic stories set in urban areas that reflect some of the harsh, gritty, and sometimes (melo)dramatic aspects of that environment. All descriptions are from WorldCat, and additional titles that could be added to this list are more than welcome.

Before individual titles, it’s worth pointing out there are publishers, such as Saddleback and Kimani Tru that devote entire series and lines to urban fiction. Some of their titles will be called out below, but those are two to have as resources for further title suggestions.

A few authors and series to know as go-to urban fiction include NiNi Simone, Nikki Carter, Earl Sewell, Darrien Lee, Babygirl Daniels, as well as the Bluford High series and Perfect Chemistry series. Walter Dean Myers, Sharon Draper, Jacqueline Woods, and Angela Johnson are other authors who are worth knowing, but readers who are seeking more traditional urban fiction heavier on fast pacing, on drugs/drinking/sex/violence and so forth, should not be given those authors as go-to urban fiction writers. The color of an author or main character’s skin is not what defines urban fiction; it’s the content of the book itself. It is a spectrum, and readers will tell you what it is they’re really seeking in urban fiction. If they don’t, ask.

The Girl of His Dreams by Amir Abrams: The rules are simple: Play or get played. And never, ever, catch feelings. That’s the motto 17-year-old heartthrob Antonio Lopez lives by. Since his mother walked out, Antonio’s father has taught him everything he needs to know about women: they can’t be trusted, and a real man has more than one. So once Antonio gets what he wants from a girl, he moves on. But McPherson High’s hot new beauty is turning out to be Antonio’s first real challenge. Miesha Wilson has a motto of her own: The thrill of the chase is not getting caught. Game knows game, and Miesha is so not interested. She’s dumped her share of playboys and she’s determined to stay clear of the likes of Antonio Lopez–until his crazy jealous ex aggravates her. But when she decides to play some games of her own, Miesha and Antonio find themselves wondering if love is real after all.

Rumor Central by Reshonda Tate Billingsley (series): After appearing on the reality show “Miami Divas,” Maya Morgan is offered her own television show, but stepping up to the fame means spilling secrets about her friends, and someone will do anything to shut her up. (My teens LOVE this series). 

When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds: Ali lives in Bed-Stuy, a Brooklyn neighborhood known for guns and drugs, but he and his sister, Jazz, and their neighbors, Needles and Noodles, stay out of trouble until they go to the wrong party, where one gets badly hurt and another leaves with a target on his back.

Fighting for Dontae by Mike Castan: When Mexican American seventh-grader Javier is assigned to work with a special education class and connects with Dontae, who has both physical and mental disabilities, his reputation among gang members and drug abusers no longer seems very important.

Something Like Hope by Shawn Goodman: Shavonne, a fierce, desperate seventeen year-old in juvenile lockup, wants to turn her life around before her eighteenth birthday, but corrupt guards, out-of-control girls, and shadows from her past make her task seem impossible.

Takedown by Allison van Diepen: After years in “juvie,” Darren cooperates with the police to infiltrate a drug ring to settle a vendetta, but sweet, innocent Jessica is now in his life so when a deadly turf war erupts, Darren must protect not only his own life, but Jessica’s as well.

Bad Boy by Dream Jordan: Devastated to find herself back in a group home after a peaceful year of living with loving foster parents, a Brooklyn teenager striving to become strong and independent soon falls prey to the dangerous affections of a good looking but shady young man.

Boyfriend Season by Kelli London: Three girls in Atlanta fall in and out of love. Now each has an invitation to the hottest teen society party of the year. Can they handle the pressure of getting everything they think they want?

Blind Trust by Shay Jackson: Sherise thinks Carlos is fine. Everyone else, including her sister, Kiki, says he’s a thug. But Carlos swears that he’s out of the game. 

DJ Rising by Love Maia: Sixteen-year-old Marley Diego-Dylan’s career as “DJ Ice” is skyrocketing, but his mother’s heroin addiction keeps dragging him back to earth.

The Knife and the Butterfly by Ashley Hope Perez: After a brawl with a rival gang, sixteen-year-old Azael, a member of Houston’s MS-13 gang and the son of illegal Salvadoran immigrants, wakes up in an unusual juvenile detention center where he is forced to observe another inmate through a one-way mirror.

Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri and Randy DuBurke: A graphic novel based on the true story of Robert “Yummy” Sandifer, an eleven-year old African American gang member from Chicago who shot a young girl and was then shot by his own gang members.

Jumped by Rita Williams-Garcia: The lives of Leticia, Dominique, and Trina are irrevocably intertwined through the course of one day in an urban high school after Leticia overhears Dominique’s plans to beat up Trina and must decide whether or not to get involved.

My Own Worst Frenemy by Kimberly Reid (series): Chanti Evans moves from the streets of Detroit to the exclusive Langdon prepatory school, where her upbringing immediately makes her a suspect in the string of thefts occurring on campus, and she must find the culprit and clear her name. (Though it’s set in a prep school, this has all of the hallmarks and appeal factors of urban fiction.)

The Final Four by Paul Volponi: Four players at the Final Four of the NCAA basketball tournament struggle with the pressures of tournament play and the expectations of society at large. 

All That & Always Upbeat by Stephanie Perry-Moore and Derrick Moore: Two novels recount from different perspectives the challenges Charli Black and Blake Strong face in their relationship, personal lives, and at school.

Trouble & Triumph by T. I.: Leaving behind Power, the boy she’s come to love, Tanya “Beauty” Long makes a name for herself in New York City’s fashion industry, while Power becomes trapped in a world of drugs, women, and money where he makes a shocking discovery that brings Tanya back to him. (This one is adult, but it should have appeal for teen readers, with T. I.’s name recognition especially). 

Young-Minded Hustler by Tysha: Shy’s son, Prince, grows up trying to follow in his dead father’s footsteps and be king of the streets, but when Shy’s boys are attacked and the wrong brother is shot, she is determined to take revenge.

Facing It by Anne Schraff: While helping out two rocker friends by fronting for their band, high school senior Oliver Randall finds his new-found fame intoxicating.

Ride Wit’ Me by Deja King: Sometimes in love, things are not meant to be. Parents can sometimes seem to be your enemy and the streets will always have their way of trying to destroy anything good. Will Mercedes and Dalvin fall victim to the obstacles standing in their way, or will they fight against the odds and ride it out.

Tricks by Ellen Hopkins: Five troubled teenagers fall into prostitution as they search for freedom, safety, community, family, and love.

Please add titles to this list. I tried to stay within a 2011 and forward publication date, so I would love to know even more titles falling within that span which make for good urban fiction.