Is it me or have there been more YA books recently that are co-authored? I’m not talking about short story collections, but rather, novels that are written by two authors. This isn’t necessarily a new thing, but it’s an interesting trend. I like reading these books because I like thinking about how two heads can come together for a single story, and I like thinking about whether or not I can tease out the individual voices of the authors or whether they’re so seamless it’s impossible to do so.
Below are examples of YA writing teams and their books. I’ve included older titles, as well as books that are going to be out in the next few months. All descriptions come from WorldCat or Goodreads. Of course, if you can think of others, please chime in — I’d love to build a nice list of coauthored novels and I know I’m going to miss some. My only request is that they be books that are traditionally published and available as print books (so not digital-only titles). I’m open to all genres!
Eve & Adam by Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant: While recuperating after a car accident in Spiker Biotech’s lush San Francisco facilities, sixteen-year-old Evening Spiker meets Solo Plissken, a very attractive, if off-putting boy her age who spent his life at Spiker Biotech. Like Evening, he’s never questioned anything … until now. Solo drops hints to Evening that something isn’t right, and Evening’s mother may be behind it. Evening puts this out of her mind and begins her summer internship project: to simulate the creation of the perfect boy. With the help of Solo, Evening uncovers secrets so big they could change the world completely.
Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian (first in series): Three teenaged girls living on Jar Island band together to enact revenge on the people that have hurt them.
Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young (August 2013): Caroline is at a crossroads. Her grandmother is sick, maybe dying. Like the rest of her family, Caroline’s been at Gram’s bedside since her stroke. With the pressure building, all Caroline wants to do is escape–both her family and the reality of Gram’s failing health. So when Caroline’s best friend offers to take her to a party one fateful Friday night, she must choose: stay by Gram’s side, or go to the party and live her life. The consequence of this one decision will split Caroline’s fate into two separate paths–and she’s about to live them both. Friendships are tested and family drama hits an all-new high as Caroline attempts to rebuild old relationships, and even make a few new ones. If she stays, her longtime crush, Joel, might finally notice her, but if she goes, Chris, the charming college boy, might prove to be everything she’s ever wanted. Though there are two distinct ways for her fate to unfold, there is only one happy ending
Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan: Although they have been friends and neighbors all their lives, straight Naomi and gay Ely find their relationship severely strained during their freshman year at New York University.
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohen and David Levithan: High school student Nick O’Leary, member of a rock band, meets college-bound Norah Silverberg and asks her to be his girlfriend for five minutes in order to avoid his ex-sweetheart.
Will Grayson, will grayson by John Green and David Levithan: When two teens, one gay and one straight, meet accidentally and discover that they share the same name, their lives become intertwined as one begins dating the other’s best friend, who produces a musical revealing his relationship with them both.
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margie Stohl (first in series): 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.
Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan: To break his curse of invisibility, a boy is helped by a girl, who is the only one who can see him.
The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler: It’s 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet. Emma just got her first computer and Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on–and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future. Everybody wonders what their Destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.
Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando (December 2013): While living very different lives on opposite coasts, seventeen-year-old Elizabeth and eighteen-year-old Lauren become acquainted by email the summer before they begin rooming together as freshmen at UC-Berkeley.
Second Impact by David Klass and Perri Klass (August 2013): When Jerry Downing, star quarterback in a small football town, gets a second chance after his drunk driving had serious consequences, Carla Jensen, ace reporter for the school newspaper, invites him to join her in writing a blog, mainly about sports.
Spoiled by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (with a companion titled Messy): When her mother dies, sixteen-year-old Molly moves from Indiana to California, to live with her newly discovered father, a Hollywood megastar, and his pampered teenaged daughter.
Colin Fischer by Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz: A boy with autism teams up with the high school bully to get to the bottom of a cafeteria crime.
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (December 2013): Two star-crossed lovers must fight for survival when they crash land on a seemingly uninhabited planet.
House of Night series by PC Cast and Kristin Cast: The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird’s world, vampires have always existed. In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire–that is, if she makes it through the Change. Not all of those who are chosen do. It’s tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampire Goddess, Nyx. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school’s most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny–with a little help from her new vampire friends.
A Really Awesome Mess by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin (July 2013): An angry girl and a depressed boy, both sixteen, are sent to a therapeutic boarding school.
Notes From the Blender by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin: Two teenagers–a heavy-metal-music-loving boy who is still mourning the death of his mother years earlier, and a beautiful, popular girl whose parents divorced because her father is gay–try to negotiate the complications of family and peer relationships as they get to know each other after learning that their father and mother are marrying each other.
Love, Inc by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout (who have written a number of books together): When three fifteen-year-old Austin, Texas, girls who met in group therapy discover that they are all dating the same boy, they first get revenge and then start a wildly successful relationship consulting business.
Another Faust (and Another Pan) by Daniel and Dina Nayeri: On a single night, five children suddenly vanish from their homes in Paris, Glasgow, Rome, and London. Years later, five enigmatic teenagers make an impressive entrance at an exclusive New York holiday party with their strange but beautiful governess, Madam Vileroy. Rumor and intrigue follow the Faust children to the elite Manhattan Marlowe School, where their very presence brings unexplainable misfortune.
Can you think of any others to add to the list?
admin says
Adele Walsh adds "Joel and Cat Set the Story Straight" by Nick Earls and Rebecca Straight & notes that Fiona Wood, Cath Crowley, and Simmone Howell are working on one together right now.
CLM says
Sorcery & Cecelia (Wrede/Stevermer) was not marketed to teens when it was first published but the reprint and following books certainly were, as I recall discussing with their sales rep at the B&N corporate headquarters.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64207.Sorcery_Cecelia
admin says
From Twitter: How to Be Bad- Lauren Myracle, E Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski
slayground says
My favorite collaborative team is Christopher Golden and Thomas E. Sniegoski. Fantastic writers, fantastic stories. Magic Zero, their series for kids, has just been republished; The Menagerie, a dark fantasy series for adults, is not to be missed.
Not YA, but all about collaborations: Dark Duets, an anthology due out in January, with the authors of each story collaborating for the very first time.
http://www.christophergolden.com/duets.html
Following the success of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, a lot of authors teamed up to write books with two (or more) narrators. Here's my Multiple Narrators booklist, some authored by one person, some by two or three.
http://slayground.livejournal.com/326773.html
Meagan says
The Liar Society series! Lisa and Laura Roecker, sisters.
Liviania says
Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz and her husband
Also, the Capital Girls series is credited to "Ella Monroe," which is a pseudonym for two people.
Jennie says
You have Nick and Norah, but Cohn/Levithan also did Dash and Lily's Book of Dares. Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin did the Half-Life of Planets and Jenna and Jonah's Faux-mance. Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler have Dream Factory.
admin says
Maureen pointed out Team Human by Larbalestier and Brennan.
John Barnes says
Deb Doyle and Jim McDonald. Tons and tons and tons of good stuff across 20 some years, and the kids who like it tend to adore it.
Lalitha says
This is W.A.R by the Roecker sisters – it's a forthcoming standalone from Soho.
Matthew MacNish says
Even more interesting is that Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant are husband and wife. Looks like there might be a few more like that on this list as well.
Jaylia Haggerty says
There are the Twisted Lit books Exposure and Tempestuous based on Shakespeare's MacBeth and The Tempest written by author duo Kim Askew and Amy Helmes
Tahleen says
There's also the Beautiful Creatures series, by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.
Tahleen says
And I see I missed it the first time through. Oops!
Crystal Brunelle says
I caught this blog post about the same topic http://www.loveisnotatriangle.com/2013/06/bea-chatter-authors-talk-about-co.html
It does seem to be a trend.
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