Laura Mont�far
4/25/2013
English 112B
Dr. Warner
Annotated Bibliography:
The Supernatural and Things That Go Bump
in the Night
When it comes to literature one of my
favorite genres has always been one that is highly underappreciated, and it is:
the supernatural/paranormal. Like
fantasy, the supernatural/paranormal genre is often mocked or discarded. Critics of this wonderful genre
inaccurately rebuff the idea that anyone, let alone young adults, can gain
anything of value from reading stories in which vampires, werewolves, witches
and all sorts of other nonexistent beings play pivotal roles.
However, the supernatural/paranormal gives young
adult readers the chance to stretch their minds and indulge the possibilities
of what could be, rather than simply accepting what is. By doing this, imagination and
creativity are encouraged, which allows the reader to see the �real world� in
an entirely new light. In today�s
world of social media and technology/electronics vying for the attention of the
younger generations, any literary genre that captivates their attention and
engrosses their imagination is one that should be applauded and encouraged.
The novels I�ve selected for my annotated
bibliography are some that I believe represent the full scope of the
supernatural genre while also incorporating themes that young adults can relate
to, appreciate and learn from, such as: love, social isolation, starting a new
school, leaving what is known behind for an unknown, and of course, family problems. Despite the fact that fantasy is described in chapter 7 of Literature For Today�s Young Adults as allowing
�readers to escape the
mundane and to revel in glorious adventures [then] sends [them] back to their
own�worlds to face many of the same problems� (Donelson and Nilsen), it is
important to note that the supernatural/paranormal does it as well.
1. Armstrong, Kelley. The Summoning.
New York: Harper Collins, 2008. Print.
Chloe
Saunders sees dead people. But at 15, she just wants to fit in and maybe get a boy
to notice her. After a particularly violent ghost haunts her, Chloe is sent to
Lyle House, a center for disturbed teens.
At first Chloe is determined to keep her head down, but when her roommate
disappears and some of the other patients seem to be manifesting paranormal behavior,
Chloe realizes that if she doesn�t uncover the truth, she could be destined for
a lifetime in a psychiatric hospital. Or could her fate be even worse�?
(Summary from: http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/the-summoning/ )
Chloe�s
story is great for young adult readers because it deals with family relationships,
the loss of a parent, fear of the unknown, and learning how to deal with a set of
circumstances that are beyond control without having all the facts to help
guide the way. It�s also a great way for readers to see that sometimes, in
order to face their fears and overcome difficult challenges, they must first
discover their voice and not let anyone (even an adult) try to force them into
silence.
2. Cast, P. C., and Kristin Cast. Marked. New York: St. Martin's
Griffin, 2007. Print.
16
year old Zoey Redbird is just a normal teenage girl until the day she gets
Marked as a fledgling vampyre and must leave her old life behind to attend the
House of Night – a boarding school where she will train to become an
adult vampyre. Soon Zoey learns
that vampyre Goddess Nyx, has chosen her to be special, and she�s not the only
one. With trouble brewing at the
House of Night and the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school�s most elite
group, misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for
the courage to embrace her new destiny – with a little help from her friends.
The
first novel in the House of Night series is an excellent choice for young adult
readers because it deals with many issues that would be easy to relate to, such
as: going to a new school, loosing old friends and making new ones, and also learning
to trust oneself. Yet it also deals with some issues that are much harder to
address, like knowing whom to trust, and realizing that not everything/everyone
(even authority figures) are what they appear to be. These kinds of topics are
important for young adult readers and can be applied to real life long after
the book is finished.
3. Clare, Cassandra. City of Bones. New York: M.K. McElderry,
2007. Print.
When
fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a
murder—much less one committed by three teenagers covered with strange
tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. This is Clary�s first meeting with the
Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons, and Jace, a Shadowhunter
who looks like an angel and acts like a jerk. When her mother disappears, Clary is pulled
into Jace�s world with a vengeance�but why would demons be interested in mundanes
like Clary and her mother? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . (Summary
from: http://books.simonandschuster.com/City-of-Bones/Cassandra-Clare/Mortal-Instruments-The/9781416914280 )
Clary�s
ability to see demons, Shadowhunters and other things that most people can�t
makes her an outcast and feel out of place with her friends and family.
Unfortunately, not feeling totally connected to friends and family members is
something that many young adults can relate to, and turning those
insecurities into strengths the way
Clary does in the novel, is a great thing for readers to learn and incorporate
into the their everyday lives.
4. Clare, Cassandra. Clockwork Angel. New York: Margaret K.
McElderry, 2010. Print.
When
sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, something terrifying
is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural
folk stalk the gaslit streets. Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members
of a secret organization, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with
a rare ability: the power to transform at will, into another person. Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes
refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her
brother if she will use her power to help them. As their search draws them deep
into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters,
Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and
helping her new friends save the world. . . . (Summary from: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Clockwork-Angel/Cassandra-Clare/Infernal-Devices-The/9781416975861 )
Set in
Victorian England, this prequel to Clare�s The Mortal Instruments series is great
for young adult readers because it shows them how a young adult must sometimes have
to push the against the limits of what society tells them they �can do� in order
to do what they must. It�s a great example of just how powerful love,
friendship and determination can really be.
5. Garcia, Kami, and Margaret Stohl. Beautiful Creatures. New
York: Little, Brown, 2009. Print.
Ethan
Wate is haunted by dreams of a girl he�s never met. When Lena Duchannes moves
into his small southern town of Gatlin County, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to
her. And he is determined to uncover the strange connection between them, even
if it means uncovering the one secret that could change everything. (Summary
from: http://beautifulcreaturesnovels.com/page/novels#novel-creatures )
What
I love about the first novel of this series (and the rest of series as well) is
that other young adult novels with romance in them, the clich� of a good
girl/bad boy pairing is flipped on its head, and the romance portion of this
book centers around a good guy and a girl who is an outcast. It also emphasizes the importance of
being able to look past what is on the surface of a person appearance, and
taking the time to see who they truly are.
6. Hawkins, Rachel. Hex Hall. New York: Hyperion for Children,
2010. Print.
In
the wake of a love spell gone horribly wrong, Sophie Mercer, a sixteen-year-old
witch, is shipped off to Hecate Hall, a boarding school for witches,
shapeshifters and faeries. It's bad enough that she has to deal with a trio of
mean girls led by the glamorous Elodie, but it's even worse when she begins to
fall for Elodie's gorgeous boyfriend, Archer Cross, and frankly terrifying that
the trio are an extremely powerful coven of dark witches. But when Sophie
begins to learn the disturbing truth about her father, she is forced to face demons
both metaphorical and real, and come to terms with her own growing power as a witch.
(Summary from: http://books.simonandschuster.co.uk/Hex-Hall/Rachel-Hawkins/9781847387226 )
This
story is great for young adults because it incorporates elements of family issues,
going to a new school, and trying to find a place in a new environment, while
at the same time staying true to your heart. By keeping Sophie�s family out of
the main plot line, Hawkins gives readers the chance to connect with her on
deeper level, as opposed to the standard young-kid-at-a-new-school.
7. Kagawa, Julie. The Iron King. Don Mills, Ont.: Harlequin Teen,
2010. Print.
Megan Chase has a secret destiny—one
she could never have imagined�
When
a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes
strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she�s known is about
to change. But she could never have
guessed that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a
deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she�ll go to save someone she
cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face�and to find love
with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy
heart. (Summary from: http://juliekagawa.com/wordpress/?page_id=130 ) This
novel focuses on a girl whose whole life is turned upside down on her 16th
birthday, and how everything she thinks she knows changes. That kind of instant change is something
that young adults can relate to as they make their way to adulthood and have to
deal with the sudden changes that are often associated with it Key themes range from trust, family and
relationships, which are just as important for the reader to think about outside
the novel as well as in it.
8. Messenger, Shannon. Let The Sky Fall. New York: Simon Pulse,
2013. Print.
Seventeen-year-old
Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed
his parents, or if the beautiful dark-haired girl who�s swept through his dreams
every night since then, is real. Seventeen-year-old
Audra is a sylph, an air elemental; and she�s also a guardian—Vane�s
guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs. When a hasty mistake reveals their
location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra�s forced to
help Vane remember who he is. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory
Audra needs him to forget. (Summary
from: http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/p/let-sky-fall.html )
I feel
as though this novel would be fantastic for young adults because it takes the idea
of not knowing who you really are or where you come from to a whole new level.
In some ways, it is something many young adults deal with (whether they have
their families or do not) as they have yet to discover themselves and don�t
really know who they are until well after their teenage years.
9. Nayeri, Daniel, and Dina Nayeri. Another Jekyll, Another Hyde.
Somerville, MA: Candlewick, 2012. Print.
When
Thomas�s billionaire father married French governess Nicola Vileroy, high society
is all abuzz – but Thomas, the most popular student at Marlowe, is just
plain high. As Thomas�s blackouts give way to a
sinister voice inside his head, and as news of a vicious hate crime has
students on edge, Thomas comes to the sickening realization that Madame Vileroy
has made him a victim of a horrifying supernatural plan.
In
today�s world, this novel�s subject is one that many young adults are able to
relate to. Issues such as divorce, drug use, and trying to block out the rest
of the world are all things that are prevalent for today�s young adults, and
the this book does an excellent job of bringing those subjects to the reader�s
awareness in a fun, suspenseful way.
10. Stiefvater, Maggie. Shiver. New York: Scholastic, 2009.
Print.
For years, Grace has watched the wolves in
the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a
chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two
lives: In summer, a few precious months of being human� until the cold makes
him shift back again. Now, Grace
meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. But as winter
nears, Sam must fight to stay human—or risk losing himself, and Grace,
forever. (Summary from: http://maggiestiefvater.com/the-shiver-trilogy/shiver/ )
While
many young adult readers may seem too young to have ever felt the pang of first love, any who have will instantly
be able to relate to Stiefvater�s first novel of the Wolves of Mercy Falls
series. Yet aside from the romance
aspect of the novel, the story also deals with family relationships and prejudice
in a way that will engage readers who are not interested in the romance aspect
of it.
Works Cited
Let The Sky Fall – Eleisha Caripis�s
presentation and handout
Donelson, Kenneth L., and Alleen Pace
Nilsen. "Chapter 6 Adventure, Sports, Mysteries and the Supernatural� Literature
for Today's Young Adults. 8th ed. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman, 1980.
86-101. Print.
http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/mary.warner/Engl112B_handouts/LfTYA_Chapter_6.pdf
http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/mary.warner/Engl112B_handouts/LfTYA_Chapter_7.pdf