I’m really excited to share a guest post today from none other than Amanda Lovelace. You may know her as the author of the Goodreads award winning poetry collection the princess saves herself in this one. Her next book of poetry, the witch doesn’t burn in this one, hits shelves tomorrow (March 6). Amanda loves YA lit and I’m thrilled she’s here to share some of her favorite YA verse novels — and as much as it’s a format I read a lot of, Amanda’s offered up a selection of books I needed to add to my TBR myself.
Without further ado, welcome Amanda!
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In the wake of Rupi Kaur’s two massively successful poetry collections, milk and honey and the sun and her flowers, the world has decided it’s ravenous for more poetry. One of the many reasons why Kaur’s collections resonate with so many is because they both tell a tale, from beginning to end, in what some might consider a series of poem vignettes. Unfortunately, these types of poetry collections don’t seem to be too common (yet!), but you’re in luck, because novels told in the verse style get the same job done, and there’s plenty of them out there for you to devour while you wait for your next poetry fix!
Here are 5 of my favorites (all descriptions from Goodreads), in no particular order:
1) Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough (March 6th) (YA) – “Her mother died when she was twelve, and suddenly Artemisia Gentileschi had a stark choice: a life as a nun in a convent or a life grinding pigment for her father’s paint.
She chose paint.
By the time she was seventeen, Artemisia did more than grind pigment. She was one of Rome’s most talented painters, even if no one knew her name. But Rome in 1610 was a city where men took what they wanted from women, and in the aftermath of rape Artemisia faced another terrible choice: a life of silence or a life of truth, no matter the cost.”
2) The Lightning Dreamer by Margarita Engle (YA) – “Opposing slavery in Cuba in the nineteenth century was dangerous. The most daring abolitionists were poets who veiled their work in metaphor. Of these, the boldest was Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, nicknamed Tula. In passionate, accessible verses of her own, Engle evokes the voice of this book-loving feminist and abolitionist who bravely resisted an arranged marriage at the age of fourteen, and was ultimately courageous enough to fight against injustice. Historical notes, excerpts, and source notes round out this exceptional tribute.”
3) A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman (YA) – “Veda, a classical dance prodigy in India, lives and breathes dance—so when an accident leaves her a below-knee amputee, her dreams are shattered. For a girl who’s grown used to receiving applause for her dance prowess and flexibility, adjusting to a prosthetic leg is painful and humbling. But Veda refuses to let her disability rob her of her dreams, and she starts all over again, taking beginner classes with the youngest dancers. Then Veda meets Govinda, a young man who approaches dance as a spiritual pursuit. As their relationship deepens, Veda reconnects with the world around her, and begins to discover who she is and what dance truly means to her.”
4) Paper Hearts by Meg Wiviott (YA) – “A novel in verse, Paper Hearts is the story of survival, defiance, and friendship. Based on historical events about a group of girls who were slave laborers at the munitions factory in Auschwitz.”
5) Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (MG) – “Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.”
growing up a word-devourer & avid fairy tale lover, it was only natural that amanda lovelace began writing books of her own, & so she did. when she isn’t reading or writing, she can be found waiting for pumpkin spice coffee to come back into season & binge-watching gilmore girls. (before you ask: team jess all the way.) the lifelong poetess & storyteller currently lives in new jersey with her husband, their bunnycat, & a combined book collection so large it will soon need its own home. she has her B.A. in english literature with a minor in sociology. her first collection, the princess saves herself in this one, won the goodreads choice award for best poetry of 2016.