Mission: Read Hundreds of Young Adult Novels on the Amazon Kindle

In February of 2011, upon seeing a preview for the then upcoming movie ‘I Am Number Four,’ I couldn’t help wondering if it was based on a book. After hearing about so many young adult novels being adapted to the big screen, it wasn’t an odd assumption. So I reached for the Amazon Kindle I had received the previous Christmas and went to the Kindle Store to search for the movie title, and sure enough, there it was. I smirked at my accurate guess like a dork, and, after a few hesitant moments, purchased the book. At that moment, I decided I needed a new hobby, a goal to accomplish by a certain date. I planned on reading every novel with an upcoming movie adaptation, and once it hit theaters, I would compare both versions.

I’d never been the type of person to snobbishly reject a movie because it didn’t follow the book to a tee, or because it left out my favorite parts, partly because I rarely make it a point to read a book before seeing its movie. I assumed I’d be able to look at the book and the movie as two separate works of art and judge them individually. In a perfect world, my plan would’ve worked out wonderfully, but I hadn’t fully considered the amount of money it would cost to buy both a book and a movie ticket for every title I planned to review. However, I was able to successfully read two books and watch their adaptations (‘I Am Number Four’ and ‘Beastly’), both of which starred Alex Pettyfer, an up-and-coming young actor I had never heard of before.

To be honest, I wasn’t impressed by the book version of ‘I Am Number Four,’ but I refused to back out of my goal; I was going to see that movie.

I called my 15-year-old brother and asked if he wanted to watch it with me, and he eagerly agreed. My brother and I have very similar tastes in movies, TV shows, and books, so I assumed his thoughts would be similar to my own if I hadn’t previously read the book. It was a way of seeing if I could watch an adaptation without bias.

As we waited for the movie to begin, I mentally replayed scenes from the book to keep my memory fresh. Within the first few minutes, I knew it wasn’t going to be exactly the same. I found myself nodding at parts I remembered and frowning at things that were either changed or completely left out. Still, it wasn’t a bad interpretation. Then came the ending. The book had been brutally butchered by this ‘adaptation’; all I could think was, “It was not supposed to happen that way.” I left the theater agitated while my brother gave me a relaxed smile. “That was fun,” he said. I glared at him.

Despite my reaction, I still hadn’t convinced myself that I couldn’t separate a book from the movie it was based on…until I saw ‘Beastly.’ It didn’t matter that I wasn’t fond of either book; the fact that their movie versions were so different turned me into the very snobbish type of person I had previously denied being. Even if I could afford to see a new movie every few weeks, I’d have canceled my goal. No more book and movie comparisons for me. I came to the conclusion that movies simply cannot match their written counterpart. However, that won’t prevent me from seeing Suzanne Collins’s ‘The Hunger Games’ on the big screen (loved the books).

So, I came up with a new hobby: I’d stick with reading as many young adult novels as I could manage. I’m a little intrigued that books intended for children and teenagers can still capture the interest of someone in her 20s. Why are these novels so popular? Why are there so many Team Edward or Team Jacob fanatics? Why do we care? By reading both popular and widely undetected YA novels, I hope to discover the answers.

The Amazon Kindle

I keep mentioning the Kindle. I promise I’m not trying to brainwash anyone to buying one. Being the proud owner of one, I simply recommend it anyone who reads a lot.

Whenever I suggest to an avid reader that they should check out the Kindle or Nook or any type of e-reader, they vehemently shake their heads and tell me they prefer real books. Initially, I was wary of these devices, too. I am not a very tech-savvy person. My computer is from 2006 and I still use a three-year-old flip phone without an Internet connection. I don’t own a tablet or any device other than my laptop, which is all I need for surfing the Web, watching movies, and listening to music. I still write on actual sheets of paper and have a VCR tucked away somewhere. I’m simply an old-fashioned chick not completely caught up with modern technology. I just don’t need a trillion devices to stay connected to people.

As far as physical books go, I love them. I’m a huge bookworm. While my siblings fought over the remote control on a rainy day, I’d sneak into my room and crack open a new novel to get lost in. When it came time for me to move away from home for the first time, I could only pack three suitcases to bring on the plane, so I filled the biggest one entirely with books. My mother pointed at clothes and a favorite blanket, even my first stuffed animal, Fievel from ‘An American Tail,’ and asked why I didn’t pack them. I glanced at those things and then down at my books. It was a very brief struggle, but I knew I couldn’t fit them into my suitcases if I kept all my books, so I left those things behind. I didn’t regret my decision, but can you imagine how much I could’ve brought with me if I’d had an e-book reader? Hundreds, even thousands, of books compacted into a tiny device that could easily slip into my purse versus the overstuffed, 20-pound suitcase. If you’re a genuine lover of stories, it doesn’t matter how you read the book; the content is what’s truly important, the ability to wash away the world around you with an unexplored adventure. E-readers don’t take that away. I no longer have to struggle with which books to bring with me on the plane while visiting family during holidays. When a much-awaited novel debuts, I can own it in seconds with a single click of a button. Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m finished with physical books. My favorites, the ones I like to discuss with people who come over to visit, are always displayed on my bookshelf for everyone to see. So if I genuinely become enraptured by a new novel, and if I have the extra money to spend, I have no problem with buying the physical edition to show people. I’ll stick with reading my YA novels strictly on my Kindle, however.

I am learning about new YA novels every day, and I intend to check out as many as I can. I’ve been reading them since February, so I have plenty to review and recommend based on particular interests. Those books will include ‘The Iron Fey’ series by Julie Kagawa, the ‘Hush, Hush’ series by Becca Fitzpatrick, the ‘Matched’ series by Ally Condie, the ‘Fallen’ series by Lauren Kate, the ‘Pretty Little Liars’ series by Sara Shepard, ‘Before I Fall’ and ‘Delirium’ by Lauren Oliver, and many, many more. I will publish a new review every Monday, beginning tomorrow with ‘Elixir’ and ‘Devoted’ by Hilary Duff and Elise Allen.

I hope to introduce you to a new book or series you will enjoy, or perhaps to help you avoid it.