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Get Genrefied: YA in Translation

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We’ve dabbled in non-genre posts in our “Get Genrefied” series, covering different formats like graphic novels. For this addition to the series, we’re going to dig into a category within YA that doesn’t fit neatly into one genre, since it includes all genres, and one that doesn’t fit nicely into a format, since it can come in a variety of formats. We’re talking YA books in translation. 

Works in translation for YA make up a very small number of titles published each year, and those which are published through major publishers make up an even smaller portion of those titles. While good numbers of English-written books are sold for translation in other languages, the number of titles published in foreign language and translated into English is tiny. On this post about books in translation at The Girl Who Keeps Reading, she cites a study from Publishing Perspectives that notes 3% of the market for books is works in translation — that is inclusive, which suggests that the YA books in translation number is similar, if not smaller. 

There’s also surprisingly little being written about YA works in translation. 

YA works in translation contribute directly to the diversity within this category of literature. It opens up perspectives on story and voice. Even the most expertly translated works are expert for a reason: they allow the original author’s writing and storytelling to shine through. Though the themes or the appeal of the book may be universal, the magic of reading a title in translation is experiencing that universality. And, perhaps, what makes works in translation even more exciting for many readers is that those voices or ideas can be so divergent from the thoughts or ideas offered in what’s published in English. How many of the works in translation in YA dive into a philosophical notion that feels completely foreign or maybe even scary or strange? 

It’s through exposure to those odd-to-us worlds, though, we build bridges among and across cultures. 

In 2006, Roger Sutton posed the question of what makes a good translated book, and publisher Arthur A. Levine weighed in with this:

Wherever they start their lives, we want the books we publish simply to be terrific reads, written by interesting, powerful, affecting writers. And looking overseas (or across borders) is just a matter of making the broadest possible sweep when searching for those talented creators. For me, part of the appeal of looking for great authors to publish in translation is the tantalizing potential in that deep and — for English-language publishers — largely untapped pool of talent out there in the rest of the world. I ask myself, What refreshing new voice, what unique imagination would I find if I could read the very best writers in each country?


One of the interesting elements in this piece is that Levine notes the idea of a book being “too foreign” for an English readership isn’t something he takes into consideration. He notes:

I’ve never found such pronouncements that helpful. They remind me of discussions of what boys like. And what girls like. There’s probably some crumb of truth buried in such a discussion, but it’s not a very interesting truth to me, based as it is on stereotypes and least-common-denominator assumptions. What’s really interesting to me is the experience of the real, complex reader.


Another interesting piece from Horn Book, this time from 1999, looks at the task at hand for those who are translators. Cathy Hirano translated Kazumi Yumoto’s The Friends, which won the Boston Globe-Horn Book award in fiction, and she talked at length about the different elements that she had to keep in mind with not just Yumoto’s book, but what all translators think about when bringing a work into English. It’s far more challenging than a straightforward sentence-by-sentence, word-by-word translation:

I must strive to remain true not only to the essence, but also to the style and tone of the writer in the source language while at the same time render it in a way that is understandable to someone from a very different culture and way of thinking. It is a balancing act, requiring sensitivity and intuition, a combination of humility, vigilance, and arrogance. I say humility because as a translator I must be willing to accept that the author comes first, and that even if I don’t agree, or think that I can say it better, the author is always right. 


Laura Watkinson, a translator whose work has been recognized by the Batchelder Award, did a fascinating interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith, talking about the good and less-than-good parts of the translation process that hint at maybe why we don’t hear as much about YA in translation as we might otherwise:


Reading some reviews, you might think that a book gets magically translated into English at the press of a button in Google Translate.

I think that perhaps the funniest – you have to laugh – review of a translated book I ever saw included a great long list of facts at the beginning, including the name of the author (of course), publisher (yes), price (okay…), number of pages (hmm), font (maybe interesting from a design point of view), and type of paper used (huh?), but neglected entirely to mention the name of the translator, i.e. the person who had written every single word of the book that was being reviewed.

I laughed – and then I wrote a note to point out the critic’s omission. They were very apologetic, but said that it hadn’t actually occurred to them to mention the translator’s name. Sigh.

And then there are the occasions when the perceived weaknesses of a book are blamed on the translator. There’s honestly only so much you can tweak when you’re translating a book. You have various options at word and sentence level and you can spot consistency issues, but plot and character issues are generally out of the translator’s hands.

It’s so frustrating to see that tired old “lost in translation” line trotted out when you know how much work goes into the process of translation and how many tricky issues the translator has to solve.

The whole interview is excellent, and it’s a nice window into the world of translating children’s books for an English audience. 

As noted above, there is an annual recognition for the best work in translation for children, the Mildred A. Batchelder Award. The award honors the most outstanding children’s book originally published in a language other than English, from a country outside of the United States which is then translated into English for publication in the US. One the small print aspects of the Batchelder Award is that it’s limited to books published for an audience of those up to and including 14, meaning that older YA titles — those that would generally be published 14 or older — are not eligible for the award. The Batchelder is an award given from ALSC, the children’s division within ALA, so it makes sense. But it’s interesting there hasn’t been an equivalent award through YALSA or an award that covers the books that would fall under both ALSC and YALSA’s age divisions, as some others do. 

Although works in translation contribute to the variety in YA fiction, it’s not always obvious when a book is a work in translation. Sometimes that gets noted in reviews, typically in the trades, but not always. And as Watkinson noted, rarely do we know about the intermediary who does the work of making the book come alive in English the same way it captured attention in its original language. Perhaps there’s a bias against translated works, as Levine notes in his piece, and perhaps it’s simply not being aware that these books are out there or that they are works in translation. If we don’t know, we can’t spread the word or talk about whether the translation is or isn’t successful. More than the perceived success of the translation, we can’t talk about the bigger, more interesting issues relating to translating, including why stories are or deserve to be translated, what stories we are exposed to through translation, and even the overarching question about what storytelling does for us as humans. 

Another angle of thinking about YA in translation, and maybe what would be most familiar and accessible to teens, is manga. The bulk of manga is translated, and readers who love it have little to no problem diving right in and “getting” it. 

Let’s dive into the world of YA in translation. I’ve not limited my list to recent titles, but have included a span of publication dates. All descriptions are from WorldCat, and I’ve tried to note relevant information about original language or the name of the translator, where I can find it. If you know of more YA novels in translation, I’d love to make this a bigger list, so please feel free to hop in in the comments.



Boy On The Edge by Fridrik Erlings: Henry has a clubfoot and he is the target of relentless bullying. One day, in a violent fit of anger, Henry lashes out at the only family he has– his mother. Sent to live with other troubled boys at the Home of Lesser Brethren, an isolated farm perched in the craggy lava fields along the unforgiving Icelandic coast, Henry finds a precarious contentment among the cows. But it is the people, including the manic preacher who runs the home, who fuel Henry’s frustration and sometimes rage as he yearns for a life and a home. Author Fridrik Erlings offers a young adult novel that explores cruelty and desperation, tenderness and remorse, but most importantly, kindness and friendship.
** This book isn’t technically in translation. Erlings wrote the book in English, based off the original he had written in Icelandic. But I’m including it because it’s too neat not to. 

The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis, German, translated by Miriam Debbage: Wealthy, seventeen-year-old Anna begins to fall in love with her classmate, Abel, a drug dealer from the wrong side of town, when she hears him tell a story to his six-year-old sister, but when his enemies begin turning up dead, Anna fears she has fallen for a murderer.

Why We Took The Car by Wolfgang Herrndorf, German, translated by Tim Mohr: Mike Klingenberg is a troubled fourteen-year-old from a disfunctional family in Berlin who thinks of himself as boring, so when a Russian juvenile delinquent called Tschick begins to pay attention to him and include Mike in his criminal activities, he is excited–until those activities lead to disaster on the autobahn.

172 Hours On The Moon by Johan Marstad, Norwegian, translated by Tara F. Chace: In 2019, teens Mia, Antoine, and Midori are selected by lottery to join experienced astronauts on a NASA mission to the once top-secret moon base, DARLAH 2, while in a Florida nursing home, a former astronaut struggles to warn someone of the terrible danger there.

are u 4 real? by Sara Kadefors, Swedish, translated by Tara F. Chace: After meeting “online” in an Internet chat room and helping each other deal with family problems, Kyla and Alex, two very different sixteen year olds, decide to meet in person.

Ruby Red series by Kerstin Gier, German, translated by Anthea Bell: Sixteen-year-old Gwyneth discovers that she, rather than her well-prepared cousin, carries a time-travel gene, and soon she is journeying with Gideon, who shares the gift, through historical London trying to discover whom they can trust.

Arcadia Awakens series by Kai Meyer, German, translated by Anthea Bell: When seventeen-year-old Rosa Alcantara travels from her native Brooklyn to her ancestral home in Sicily, she falls head over heels for Alessandro Carnevare, whose family is the sworn enemy of hers, and must confront both of their families’ criminal–and paranormal–pasts.

Nothing by Janne Teller, Danish, translated by Martin Aitken: When thirteen-year-old Pierre Anthon leaves school to sit in a plum tree and train for becoming part of nothing, his seventh grade classmates set out on a desperate quest for the meaning of life.

The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Spanish, translated by Lucia Graves: In 1943, in a seaside town where their family has gone to be safe from war, thirteen-year-old Max Carver and sister, fifteen-year-old Alicia, with new friend Roland, face off against an evil magician who is striving to complete a bargain made before he died.

God And I Broke Up by Katarina Mazetti, Swedish, translated by Maria Lundin: Linnea is sixteen and when she meets Pia, she feels like she has finally found a friend. But now Pia is dead and Linnea struggles to understand the loss.

Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit series by Nahoko Uehashi, Japanese, translated by Cathy Hirano: The wandering warrior Balsa is hired to protect Prince Chagum from both a mysterious monster and the prince’s father, the Mikado.

No and Me by Daphine de Vigan, French, translated by George Miller: A novel about two very different teenagers and the true nature of homelessness.

As Red As Blood series by Salla Simukka, Finnish, translated by Owen Witesman: In the midst of the freezing Arctic winter, seventeen-year-old Lumikki Andersson walks into her school’s darkroom and finds a stash of money splattered with someone’s blood. She is swept into a whirlpool of dangerous encounters with dirty cops and a notorious drug kingpin as she helps to trace the origin of the cash.

City of the Beasts series by Isabel Allende, Spanish, translated by Margaret Sayers Peden: When fifteen-year-old Alexander Cold accompanies his individualistic grandmother on an expedition to find a humanoid Beast in the Amazon, he experiences ancient wonders and a supernatural world as he tries to avert disaster for the Indians.

Me On The Floor Bleeding by Jenny Jagerfeld, Swedish, translated by Susan Beard: Highschool-outsider Maja would never hurt herself on purpose as her dad, teachers, and classmates seem to believe. Can’t a person saw off the tip of her thumb without everyone starting to worry? That is, everyone except Maja’s mum, who worringly seems to have disappeared from the face of earth. Crashing a neighbour’s party, Maja meets twenty-year-old Justin Case, a super-verbal car mechanic with pink pants, who makes her forget everything about absent mothers and sawn-off thumbs, at least temporarily. But then Maja hacks into her father’s email account and reads an email that hurts more than all the electric saws in the world.

 

Dream A Little Dream series by Kerstin Gier, coming January 2015, German, translated by Anthea Bell: Liv Silver, fifteen, has lived in six countries in eight years and she and her sister yearn for a real home and normalcy, but soon after moving in with her mother’s boyfriend in London, Liv’s dreams turn bizarre, filled with talking stone statues, mysterious corridors, and strange rituals conducted by four boys who happen to be her new classmates.

Playing A Part by Daria Wilke, Russian, translated by Marian Schwartz, coming March 31, 2015: In June 2013, the Russian government passed laws prohibiting “gay propaganda,” threatening jail time and fines to offenders. That same month, in spite of these harsh laws, a Russian publisher released Playing a Part, a young adult novel with openly gay characters. It was a brave, bold act, and now this groundbreaking story has been translated for American readers. Grisha adores everything about the Moscow puppet theater where his parents work, and spends as much time there as he can. But life outside the theater is not so wonderful. The boys in Grisha’s class bully him mercilessly, and his own grandfather says hateful things about how he’s not “masculine” enough. Life goes from bad to worse when Grisha learns that Sam, his favorite actor and mentor, is moving: He’s leaving the country to escape the extreme homophobia he faces in Russia. (Description via Goodreads). 

Get Genrefied: Gothic Fiction

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For October’s genre guide, we wanted to tackle something horror-related, and we settled on gothic fiction. This is one of those genres that I think everyone recognizes when they read it, but it’s difficult to say just what it is that makes it gothic. It’s tricky to define.

Goodreads says that gothic fiction “combines elements of both the uncanny and romance” and is a “parent genre” for horror and mystery. While I think the former is true (and it encompasses books that are gothic in feel but aren’t necessarily horror), I don’t quite agree with the latter. I doubt many readers would say that all horror novels are gothic, but the opposite is mostly true – most gothic novels are horror.

The good ol’ dictionary (Random House 2014) gives us a better working definition, I think. Entry seven says that the word gothic means “noting or pertaining to a style of literature characterized by a gloomy setting, grotesque, mysterious, or violent events, and an atmosphere of degeneration and decay.” Entry nine is similar but a bit more specific (and kind of amusing): “being of a genre of contemporary fiction typically relating the experiences of an often ingenuous heroine imperiled, as at an old mansion, where she typically becomes involved with a stern or mysterious but attractive man.” The first definition is used more frequently with the 19th century classic novels, whereas the second one is reserved for more modern novels, but they certainly evoke the same feel.

And this is where I think the true definition lies – it’s the feeling of the novel that makes it gothic. The word brings to mind old castles and churches (built in the Gothic style from which the term for this fiction derives), ghosts, atmospherically foggy nights, monsters (or humans appearing as monsters), tortured heroes and heroines, dangerous secrets, romance, strong emotion. The setting is paramount and is practically a character unto itself. All of these things are hallmarks of modern gothic fiction.

Classic examples of the genre include Frankenstein, Dracula, and of course my favorite, Jane Eyre. The three books are quite different from each other, the former two falling squarely in the horror genre and the latter being spooky at times but not really terrifying like we think horror should be. (Furthermore, Jane Eyre is strictly realistic while Frankenstein and Dracula are science fiction and fantasy, respectively). Gothic fiction of today runs the gamut from terrifying to almost benign, too, though the moody feel of the stories is something they all have in common.

Below are a few worthwhile resources to enhance your knowledge.

  • YA Books Central has a massive list of 102 gothic books, though they use the term “gothic” pretty loosely for some of the selections.
  • Lancaster University in the UK hosted a Young Adult Gothic Fiction Symposium in September of 2013 (Marcus Sedgwick was one of the authors who spoke), and they have a lot of great resources at their website. The blog is of particular interest; check out the entry on what teen readers think of gothic fiction for a good discussion of appeal factors.
  • Southern gothic is a popular subsection of this genre/subgenre (we’ve included a few Southern gothic titles in our booklist below). This thread at Absolute Write talks more about it and offers some reading suggestions.

Below are several recent (within the last five years or so) books published that could be called gothic fiction. Descriptions are from Worldcat. Did we leave off any of your favorites?

Dark Companion by Marta Acosta
Brought back to life and orphaned at the age of six, Jane Williams grows
up in a series of foster homes and wins a scholarship to the exclusive
Birch Grove Academy, where dark secrets abound.

The Twin’s Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
In Victorian London, thirteen-year-old Lucy’s comfortable world with her
loving parents begins slowly to unravel the day that a bedraggled woman
who looks exactly like her mother appears at their door. | Kelly’s review

Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough
When Cora and her younger sister, Mimi, are sent to stay with their
great Auntie Ida in an isolated village in 1958, they discover that they
are in danger from a centuries-old evil and, along with village boys
Roger and Peter, strive to uncover the horrifying truth before it is too
late. | Kelly’s review

Servants of the Storm by Delilah S. Dawson
After her best friend dies in a hurricane, high schooler Dovey discovers
something even more devastating–demons in her hometown of Savannah.

Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine
After a Noor humiliates her and a ghost grants an impulsive wish of hers
— brutally — sixteen-year-old Wen befriends the Noor, including the
outspoken leader, a young man named Melik, leading Wen to appease the
ghost, who is determined to protect her against any threat–real or
imagined.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
In a small South Carolina town, where it seems little has changed since
the Civil War, sixteen-year-old Ethan is powerfully drawn to Lena, a new
classmate with whom he shares a psychic connection and whose family
hides a dark secret that may be revealed on her sixteenth birthday. | Sequels: Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos, Beautiful Redemption

Blythewood by Carol Goodman
After a summer locked away in a mental institution, seventeen-year-old
orphan Ava Hall is sent to Blythewood, a finishing school for young
ladies that is anything but ordinary. | Sequel: Ravencliffe (December 2014)

Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge
When Triss wakes up
after an accident, she knows that something is very wrong. She is
insatiably hungry; her sister seems scared of her and her parents
whisper behind closed doors. She looks through her diary to try to
remember, but the pages have been ripped out. Soon Triss
discovers that what happened to her is more strange and terrible than
she could ever have imagined, and that she is quite literally not
herself. In a quest find the truth she must travel into the terrifying
Underbelly of the city to meet a twisted architect who has dark designs
on her family – before it’s too late.

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

In post-apocalyptic New Orleans, now a sanctuary for supernatural
beings, a hardened teenager on the run searches for the truth about her
monstrous heritage and discovers a curse that could ignite the ancient
war between gods and monsters. | Sequels: A Beautiful Evil, The Wicked Within

The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan
Residing in a desolate abbey protected by gargoyles, two beautiful
teenaged sisters in turn-of-the-twentieth-century Paris discover deadly
and otherworldly truths as they search for their missing brother. | Sequels: The Lovely and the Lost, The Wondrous and the Wicked

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

Gothic! Ten Original Dark Tales edited by Deborah Noyes
Drawing on dark fantasy and the fairy tale as well as horror and wild
humor, ten acclaimed authors pay homage to the gothic tale in
wide-ranging stories of the supernatural and surreal.

This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel
When his twin brother falls ill in the family’s chateau in the
independent republic of Geneva in the eighteenth century,
sixteen-year-old Victor Frankenstein embarks on a dangerous and
uncertain quest to create the forbidden Elixir of Life described in an
ancient text in the family’s secret Biblioteka Obscura. | Sequel: Such Wicked Intent

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
After a family tragedy, Jacob feels compelled to explore an abandoned
orphanage on an island off the coast of Wales, discovering disturbing
facts about the children who were kept there. | Sequel: Hollow City

Asylum by Madeleine Roux
Three teens at a summer program for gifted students uncover shocking
secets in the sanatorium-turned-dorm where they’re staying–secrets that
link them all to the asylum’s dark past

White Crow by Marcus Sedgwick
Sixteen-year-old Rebecca moves with her father from London to a small,
seaside village, where she befriends another motherless girl and they
spend the summer together exploring the village’s sinister history.

The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd
Dr. Moreau’s daughter, Juliet, travels to her estranged father’s island,
only to encounter murder, medical horrors, and a love triangle.

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

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

In 1888, twelve-year-old Will Henry chronicles his apprenticeship
with Dr. Warthrop, a New Escientist who hunts and studies real-life
monsters, as they discover and attempt to destroy a pod of
Anthropophagi. | Sequels: The Curse of the Wendigo, The Isle of Blood, The Final Descent

Get Genrefied: Mythology

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For this month’s genre guide, we’re tackling mythology, which actually crosses genres. Though it’s most often associated with fantasy (the myths themselves are full of what modern readers would call magic), there are also some intriguing mythology-inspired stories that are strictly realistic, plus some historical fiction and science fiction too. Part of the appeal of mythology, much like with fairy tale re-tellings, is its ability to recall familiar stories while simultaneously making them new again.

In this guide, we use the word “mythology” to mean a collection of traditional or legendary stories, often involving gods and goddesses. Usually, myths are created to explain phenomena that can’t be explained using natural or scientific means (how the earth and humanity came to be, for example). We focus mainly on ancient mythology here: the religious and spiritual beliefs of peoples long-dead that are generally considered untrue – therefore mythical – by modern humans. That said, it’s certainly possible to call more modern religious or spiritual beliefs “mythical” – and some people do. I took a class in college where the professor stated the only difference between mythology and modern religion is that no one believes in the myths anymore. (Not all of you may agree with this, but it’s interesting to think about.)

This is important to consider when choosing the right term for a particular book inspired by a traditional story – is the story a myth or a religious parable? The word “myth” is heavily loaded and implies untruth. This might be more of a challenge for Western librarians who come across non-Western stories featuring gods and goddesses about which they know very little. (All the more reason to become acquainted with the beliefs of all peoples across the world and know which beliefs are mythical and which remain a part of the living religion.)

Mythology is ripe for re-imaginings since it’s already full of action, war, love, and betrayal – the stuff of any good story. It’s a perennially popular topic for kids and teens and will often lead them to check out some nonfiction on their favorite gods, goddesses, or creatures. (Edith Hamilton’s Mythology is the classic work, and younger kids at my library have loved the Mythlopedia books from Scholastic.) Greek mythology reigns; this was true even before Percy Jackson conquered the shelves. Still, the success of Rick Riordan’s novels has given rise to mythology-inspired stories from many different pantheons, including Norse, Japanese, and Korean.

Before we get to the booklist, here are a few resources of interest:

  • The Mythopoeic Society gives out an annual award for books in the fields of myth and fantasy. They have an adult category as well as a children’s (including YA) category. You won’t find a lot of Greek or Egyptian mythology-inspired winners here. Instead, the society focuses on recognizing books that best exemplify the spirit of the Inklings (a group of Oxford academics and writers which included J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis). The mythology recognized in the Mythopoeic Award is usually that of the writers’ own making, meaning honored books will often have interesting, detailed world-building. They also honor nonfiction work in the field – in Inklings studies as well as myth & fantasy studies. Recent winners and finalists include Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst, The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner, and Graceling by Kristin Cashore.
  • The Encyclopedia Mythica is an online treasure trove of myths and folklore from all parts of the world. It currently has over 7,000 entries, plus a bestiary, image gallery, and genealogical tables.
  • Epic Reads’ chart of 162 YA Retellings is worth revisiting since they include mythology. They even break down Greco-Roman mythology by myth – Hades/Persephone, Cupid/Psyche, Helen of Troy, and everything else.
  • This post from Brittany at the Book Addicts’ Guide is about a project where participating bloggers wrote about various classics retold during September of 2013. Brittany was in charge of mythology, so her introductory post features a lot of great examples.

A lot of mythology-inspired stories being published today are more middle grade than YA, probably due to Percy Jackson’s influence (think of Loki’s Wolves or The Savage Fortress). Riordan’s stories have good crossover appeal to teens, though, and I wouldn’t be surprised if other middle grade mythology stories do as well. That said, there are plenty of solidly teen stories about mythology out there, and we’ve compiled a list for you below. They’re mainly broken down by pantheon, though those with only one or two books have been combined by region.

If you know of any others, particularly realistic or Asian or African-inspired, please let us know in the comments.

Greek & Roman

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
When shy sixteen-year-old Helen Hamilton starts having vivid dreams
about three ancient, hideous women and suddenly tries to kill a new
student at her Nantucket high school, she discovers that she is playing
out some version of an old tale involving Helen of Troy, the Three
Furies, and a mythic battle. Sequels: Dreamless, Goddess

Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Regretting her decision to forfeit her life on Earth to become an
immortal on Everneath, a world between Earth and Hell, teenaged Nikki is
given the chance to return to the Surface for six months, in this story
loosely based on the “Hades and Persephone” myth. Sequels: Everbound, Evertrue

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
Galen, prince of the Syrena, is sent to land to find a girl he’s heard
can communicate with fish. He finds Emma and after several encounters,
including a deadly one with a shark, Galen becomes convinced Emma holds
the key to his kingdom. Sequels: Of Triton, Of Neptune

Antigoddess by Kendare Blake
Athena and Hermes’ search for the cause of their unexpected,
life-threatening illnesses leads them to Cassandra, a former prophetess,
who may be key to a war started by Hera and other Olympians who have
become corrupt anti-gods determined to destroy their rivals. Sequels: Mortal Gods (October), Ungodly (2015)

Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block
After a devastating earthquake destroys the West Coast, causing
seventeen-year-old Penelope to lose her home, her parents, and her
ten-year-old brother, she navigates a dark world, holding hope and love
in her hands and refusing to be defeated. [Based on the Odyssey] Sequel: The Island of Excess Love

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
Eden, Michigan, high school student Kate Winters strikes a bargain with
Henry, Greek god of the underworld, if he’ll cure her dying mother of
cancer. The bargain she strikes with him is a grim one, but the full
enormity of what she has undertaken–“live forever or die trying”–Is
not revealed until it’s too late to recant. Sequels: Goddess Interrupted, The Goddess Inheritance

Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs
When her mother suddenly decides to marry a near-stranger, Phoebe, whose
passion is running, soon finds herself living on a remote Greek island,
completing her senior year at an ancient high school where the students
and teachers are all descended from gods or goddesses. Sequel: Goddess Boot Camp

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
Betrothed to the demon who rules her country and trained all her life
to kill him, seventeen-year-old Nyx Triskelion must now fulfill her
destiny and move to the castle to be his wife. [There are elements of a number of myths here, including Hades/Persephone and Pandora’s box.] Kimberly’s review

Solstice by P. J. Hoover
Eighteen-year-old Piper lives with her controlling mother amid a Global
Heating Crisis, but when she gets her first taste of freedom she
discovers a universe of gods and monsters where her true identity, kept
secret from her birth, could make all the difference in the world.

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

In post-apocalyptic New Orleans, now a sanctuary for supernatural
beings, a hardened teenager on the run searches for the truth about her
monstrous heritage and discovers a curse that could ignite the ancient
war between gods and monsters. Sequels: A Beautiful Evil, The Wicked Within

All Our Pretty Songs by Sarah McCarry

In the Pacific Northwest, the bond between two best friends is
challenged when a mysterious and gifted musician comes between them and
awakens an ancient evil. [Inspired by the Orpheus myth] Sequel: Dirty Wings, inspired by the Persephone/Hades myth

Over You by Amy Reed
A novel about two girls on the run from their problems, their pasts, and
themselves. Max and Sadie are escaping to Nebraska, but they’ll soon
learn they can’t escape the truth. [Inspired by a number of Greek myths presented as chapter introductions] Kelly’s review

Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman
Persephone runs off to the Underworld with Hades, with whom she has
fallen in love, but when her mother Demeter threatens to destroy the
earth to save her, Persephone finds a way to come back once a year,
bringing spring.

Egyptian

Sphinx’s Princess by Esther Friesner
Although she is a dutiful daughter, Nefertiti’s dancing abilities,
remarkable beauty, and intelligence garner attention near and far, so
much so that her family is summoned to the Egyptian royal court, where
Nefertiti becomes a pawn in the power play of her scheming aunt, Queen
Tiye. Sequel: Sphinx’s Queen

Cleopatra Confesses by Carolyn Meyer
Princess Cleopatra, the third (and favorite) daughter of King Ptolemy
XII, comes of age in ancient Egypt, accumulating power and discovering
love.

Cleopatra’s Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter
Cleopatra Selene, the only surviving daughter of Cleopatra and Marc
Antony, recalls her life of pomp and splendor in Egypt and, after her
parents’ deaths, captivity and treachery in Rome.

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White
Sixteen-year-old Isadora, the mortal daughter of Isis and Osiris, is
sick of being in the middle of family drama so she jumps at the chance
to leave Egypt and start a new life in San Diego with her brother.

Norse

Stork by Wendy Delsol
After her parents’ divorce, Katla and her mother move from Los Angeles
to Norse Falls, Minnesota, where Kat immediately alienates two boys at
her high school and, improbably, discovers a kinship with a mysterious
group of elderly women–the Icelandic Stork Society–who “deliver
souls.” Sequels: Frost, Flock

The Lost Sun by Tessa Gratton
In an alternate U.S.A. (the United States of Asgard), Soren Bearskin,
the son of an infamous beserker, and Astrid Glyn, daughter of a renowned
seer, embark on a road trip to find Baldur, the missing god whose
absence has caused panic throughout the country. Sequel: The Strange Maid

Starling by Lesley Livingston
Mason Starling, a champion fencer at Gosforth Academy, finds her school
overrun with terrifying creatures after a mysterious, ferocious storm
falls on Manhattan and the mysterious stranger who saves her life
becomes her only ally as they work together to discover his past and
learn of Mason’s family’s dark allegiance to ancient Norse gods. Sequels: Descendant, Transcendent

Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson
While visiting Norway, sixteen-year-old Ellie must step out of the
shadow of her popular older brother, join forces with his infuriating
best friend, and embrace her Valkyrie heritage to rescue teen boys
kidnapped to join the undead army of the ancient god, Odin.

Asian

Ink by Amanda Sun (Japanese)
Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka,
Japan, Katie feels lost. When Katie meets
aloof but gorgeous Tomohiro, the star of the school’s kendo team,
she is intrigued by him…and a little scared. His tough attitude seems
meant to keep her at a distance, and when they’re near each other,
strange things happen. And unless
Katie is seeing things, drawings come to life. Somehow Tomo is connected
to the kami, powerful ancient beings who once ruled Japan–and as
feelings develop between Katie and Tomo, things begin to spiral out of
control. The wrong people are starting to ask questions, and if they
discover the truth, no one will be safe. Sequel: Rain

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff (Japanese)
In this dystopian steampunk fantasy set against a backdrop of feudal
Japan, warrior Yukiko captures a supposedly extinct (but crippled)
griffin for the Shogun, then learns — after meeting secretive Kin and
the rebel Kage cabal — of the horrifying extent of the Shogun’s crimes,
both against her country and her family. Returning to the city, Yukiko
is determined to make the Shogun pay — but what can one girl and a flightless griffin do against the might of an empire? Sequels: Kinslayer, Endsinger (November)

Prophecy by Ellen Oh (Korean)
A demon slayer, the only female warrior in the King’s army, must battle
demon soldiers, an evil shaman, and the Demon Lord to find the lost ruby
of the Dragon King’s prophecy and save her kingdom. Sequels: Warrior, King (2015) | Kimberly’s review

Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon (Chinese)
With her father long overdue from his journey and a lecherous merchant
blackmailing her into marriage, seventeen-year-old Ai Ling becomes aware
of a strange power within her as she goes in search of her parent. Sequel: Fury of the Phoenix

Other

The Woken Gods by Gwenda Bond (multi-pantheon)
This morning, seventeen-year-old Kyra Locke was late for school. But
that’s not out of the ordinary in a transformed Washington, D.C.,
dominated by the embassies of divine pantheons and watched over by the
mysterious Society of the Sun that governs mankind’s relations with the
gods. What is unusual is Kyra’s encounter with two trickster gods on her
way home, one offering a threat, and the other a warning. 

Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey (Maori)
Eighteen-year-old New Zealand boarding school student Ellie Spencer must
use her rusty tae kwon do skills and new-found magic to try to stop a
fairy-like race of creatures from Maori myth and legend that is plotting
to kill millions of humans in order to regain their lost immortality.

Get Genrefied: Climate Fiction (Cli-Fi)

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Every month, we’ve been highlighting a genre or subgenre within YA and offering up a definition, a discussion, and a thick reading list featuring titles that fit. All of the guides can be found here under the tag genre fiction.

This month, rather than tackle a traditional genre or subgenre, I thought it would be worthwhile to tackle an emerging theme in YA fiction that could easily become a category, if not a full-blown genre within itself: climate fiction. Climate fiction, or cli-fi for short, has been making waves throughout the adult literary world. What is cli-fi? It’s exactly what it sounds like — fiction that features climate change at the core of the story. The events within the story are caused by or impacted profoundly by the changing climate on Earth. It’s meant to be both a key component of the story, as well as offer a bigger message about the impact we’re leaving on the planet now. Over the last few years, it’s hard to ignore the number of YA titles that could be classified as cli-fi.  

The term cli-fi was coined by a climate activist in 2007 named Dan Bloom. You can read a bit about how the term arose and the history behind it here. It’s noted there that Bloom believes, at least at this point, it’s best a subgenre of science fiction. But because it’s an evolving idea and one that could easily play out beyond science fiction, there’s still growth and change to happen with it. He notes, too, that it’s up to those outside the science fiction sphere to see whether it’s got a lasting power or not. 

What makes cli-fi different from other genres, and why it may not even be a traditional genre at all, is that titles which fit the category — or may fit the category in the future — fall across a range of genres and subgenres. Climate fiction could easily include appropriate contemporary realistic fiction, fantasy, and, as has been seen most frequently within YA, dystopia (which we know is a subgenre of science fiction but which seems to operate in YA as its own genre). I haven’t seen it, but I suspect there could be an argument that a historical novel could also be cli-fi, and perhaps there already is but it hasn’t popped up in my searching. No doubt horror is a ripe arena for cli-fi, too.

The discussion of cli-fi as a genre exploded in the last year and a half, but the bulk of writing about it so far has focused on adult fiction, rather than YA. Although Bloom noted in the article above he was disappointed that major outlets who talked about cli-fi didn’t credit him appropriately as the term’s creator, he thinks that the fact it’s out there and people are talking about what it is and what it could be really important. Here’s a look at some further reading on the topic: 

  • VOYA Magazine did a feature on cli-fi in February of this year, and though the magazine focuses on youth topics, the bulk of the piece featured adult titles with teen crossover appeal. You can access it as a .pdf here. 
Because this is such a new area of fiction — or at least the term we used to describe this kind of fiction is so new — there aren’t many dedicated sites to these books. But the one that does exist is constantly growing and expanding: Nature Fiction and Cli-Fi Books. Keep this one on your radar if this is a genre that interests you. I think that as we think more about how we label and discuss books, cli-fi is going to become a really worthwhile term and concept to have in mind. Less from the standpoint of organizing books but more from the standpoint of how to recommend and connect different books to one another. If cli-fi is a wider swath of books beyond science fiction — and I think it is — it’s a really valuable means of offering new books to readers hungry for books that explore the effect climate has on not just the globe, but the people living on it. 

Here’s a look at a pile of YA titles that could easily be categorized (or genrefied!) as cli-fi. The bulk have published in the last couple of years, though a few come before that. Any additional titles you can think of that would fit, I’d love to hear about, especially if it’s something outside of science fiction or dystopia. All descriptions are via WorldCat. 

Not A Drop To Drink by Mindy McGinnis: Sixteen-year-old Lynn will do anything to protect her valuable water source, but the arrival of new neighbors forces her to reconsider her attitudes.

H2O by Virginia Bergin (October 7): When a strange rain falls bearing a fatal, contagious disease, Ruby finds herself alone with the only drinkable water quickly running out. 

Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block: After a devastating earthquake destroys the West Coast, causing seventeen-year-old Penelope to lose her home, her parents, and her ten-year-old brother, she navigates a dark world, holding hope and love in her hands and refusing to be defeated.

Memory of Water by Emmi Itaranta: In the far north of the Scandinavian Union, now occupied by the power state of New Qian, seventeen-year-old Noria Kaitio studies to become a tea master like her father. It is a position that holds great responsibility and a dangerous secret. Tea masters alone know the location of hidden water sources, including the natural spring that once provided water for her whole village. When Noria’s father dies, the secret of the spring reaches the new military commander. and the power of the army is vast indeed. But the precious water reserve is not the only forbidden knowledge Noria possesses, and resistance is a fine line. Threatened with imprisonment, and with her life at stake, Noria must make an excruciating, dangerous choice between knowledge and freedom.

The Carbon Diaries 2015 (and its sequel, The Carbon Diaries 2017) by Saci Lloyd: In 2015, when England becomes the first nation to introduce carbon dioxide rationing in a drastic bid to combat climate change, sixteen-year-old Laura documents the first year of rationing as her family spirals out of control.

Exodus by Julie Bertagna: In the year 2100, as the island of Wing is about to be covered by water, fifteen-year-old Mara discovers the existence of New World sky cities that are safe from the storms and rising waters, and convinces her people to travel to one of these cities in order to save themselves.

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi: In a futuristic world, teenaged Nailer scavenges copper wiring from grounded oil tankers for a living, but when he finds a beached clipper ship with a girl in the wreckage, he has to decide if he should strip the ship for its wealth or rescue the girl.

The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher: In a world where water has become a precious resource, Vera and her brother befriend a boy who seems to have unlimited access to water and who suspiciously disappears, prompting a dangerous search challenged by pirates, a paramilitary group, and corporations.

Aquifer by Jonathan Friesen: In 2250, water is scarce and controlled by tyrants, but when sixteen-year-old Luca descends to the domain of the Water Rats, he meets one who captures his heart and leads him to secrets about a vast conspiracy, and about himself.

The White Horse Trick by Kate Thompson: In the late twenty-first century, dramatic climate change has made life in Ireland almost impossible, and soon Tir na n’Og is faced with a refugee problem, partly because of a warlord who is a member of the Liddy family.

 

Ashfall by Mike Mullin (series): After the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano destroys his city and its surroundings, fifteen-year-old Alex must journey from Cedar Falls, Iowa, to Illinois to find his parents and sister, trying to survive in a transformed landscape and a new society in which all the old rules of living have vanished.

Survival Colony 9 by Joshua Bellin: In a future world of dust and ruin, fourteen-year-old Querry Genn struggles to recover the lost memory that might save the human race.Querry is a member of Survival Colony Nine, one of the small, roving groups of people who outlived the wars and environmental catastrophes that destroyed the old world. The commander of Survival Colony Nine is his father, Laman Genn, who runs the camp with an iron will. He has to–because heat, dust, and starvation aren’t the only threats in this ruined world. There are also the Skaldi. Monsters with the ability to infect and mimic human hosts, the Skaldi appeared on the planet shortly after the wars of destruction. No one knows where they came from or what they are. But if they’re not stopped, it might mean the end of humanity. Six months ago, Querry had an encounter with the Skaldi–and now he can’t remember anything that happened before then. If he can recall his past, he might be able to find the key to defeat the Skaldi. If he can’t, he’s their next victim. (Description via Goodreads) 

Orleans by Sherri L. Smith: Set in a futuristic, hostile Orleans landscape, Fen de la Guerre must deliver her tribe leader’s baby over the Wall into the Outer States before her blood becomes tainted with Delta Fever.

Some Fine Day by Kat Ross: Sixteen-year-old Jansin Nordqvist is on the verge of graduating from the black ops factory known as the Academy. She’s smart and deadly, and knows three things with absolute certainty: 1. When the world flooded and civilization retreated deep underground, there was no one left on the surface. 2. The only species to thrive there are the toads, a primate/amphibian hybrid with a serious mean streak. 3. There’s no place on Earth where you can hide from the hypercanes, continent-sized storms that have raged for decades. Jansin has been lied to. On all counts. (Description via Goodreads). 

After the Snow by S. D. Crockett: Fifteen-year-old Willo Blake, born after the 2059 snows that ushered in a new ice age, encounters outlaws, halfmen, and an abandoned girl as he journeys in search of his family, who mysteriously disappeared from the freezing mountain that was their home.

Wasteland by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan: In a post-apocalyptic world where everyone dies at age nineteen and rainwater contains a killer virus, loners Esther and Eli band together with a group of mutant, hermaphroditic outsiders to fight a corrupt ruler and save the town of Prin.

 

Birthmarked by Caragh M. O’Brien (series): In a future world baked dry by the sun and divided into those who live inside the wall and those who live outside it, sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone is forced into a difficult choice when her parents are arrested and taken into the city.

Breathe by Sarah Crossan (series)In a barren land, a shimmering glass dome houses the survivors of the Switch, the period when oxygen levels plunged and the green world withered. A state lottery meant a lucky few won safety, while the rest suffocated in the thin air. And now Alina, Quinn, and Bea–an unlikely trio, each with their own agendas, their own longings and fears–walk straight into the heart of danger. With two days’ worth of oxygen in their tanks, they leave the dome. What will happen on the third day?: 

Dark Life by Kat Falls: When fifteen-year-old Ty, who has always lived on the ocean floor, joins Topside girl Gemma in the frontier’s underworld to seek and stop outlaws who threaten his home, they learn that the government may pose an even greater threat.

Drowned by Nichola Reilly: Coe is one of the few remaining teenagers on the island of Tides. Deformed and weak, she is constantly reminded that in a world where dry land dwindles at every high tide, she is not welcome. The only bright spot in her harsh and difficult life is the strong, capable Tiam– but love has long ago been forgotten by her society. The only priority is survival. Until the day their King falls ill, leaving no male heir to take his place. Unrest grows, and for reasons Coe cannot comprehend, she is invited into the privileged circle of royal aides. She soon learns that the dying royal is keeping a secret that will change their world forever. Is there an escape from the horrific nightmare that their island home has become? Coe must race to find the answers and save the people she cares about, before their world and everything they know is lost to the waters.

The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson: In a Brazil of the distant future, June Costa falls in love with Enki, a fellow artist and rebel against the strict limits of the legendary pyramid city of Palmares Três’ matriarchal government, knowing that, like all Summer Kings before him, Enki is destined to die. 

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.