5 sci-fi/fantasy young adult novels adults might enjoy

Many adults who enjoy speculative fiction have often branched out into reading young adult novels as well, for a number of reasons. Usually these stories include great character depth and plot. I found myself on many a night, enjoying the tales of teen aged heroes, struggling to survive in their fantastic world. Sadly there are many young adult novels and it can be very confusing as to which ones should be read, especially if you're just branching into this particular set of fantasy and Science Fiction. So I have compiled a list of my personal favorites. This list, while by no means massive, should at least have a few suggestions for the avid YA reader, and a good base for those just checking out YA genre fiction for the first time. So without further ado, a list of YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy novels, in no particular order:

Sabriel (Abhorsen Series)
The very talented Garth Nix has a wonderful habit of producing quality worlds with fun concepts and unusual twists on classic archetypes. Nix realizes a land with electricity and automobiles, separated from "the Old Kingdom" a place filled with magic and monsters. Sabriel follows the story of a girl by the same name, who is the daughter of the Abhorsen, a powerful necromancer who uses his control over the undead to keep them from menacing the living. But when her father turns up missing, Sabriel must go on a quest to discover the truth behind his disappearance.

Across the Universe (Series by the same name)
Beth Revis takes the reader on a journey aboard the Godspeed where not all is as it seems. Combining science fiction and drama, with a nice dystopian twist, Across the Universe follows Amy, a girl frozen in cryostasis. Amy has been waiting for the Godspeed to arrive at her new home, a planet far from Earth. But when she is mysteriously awakened from her sleep early, she must protect the others in cryostasis from a murderer aboard the vessel.

Westmark (Westmark Trilogy)
One of my favorite authors, Lloyd Alexander, delivers an epic tale of a dead princess, a wanted criminal, and a con man all set in a revolutionary war style world. While this isn't directly historical fantasy, the muskets and minutemen found within the pages help spark a feeling of revolution and discovery as our hero, Theo tries his best to flee the clutches of an evil adviser and gets caught up in love, rebellion, and the intriguing art of the con.

The Looking Glass Wars (Series by the same name)
As the name might suggest, this tale deals a lot with the classic tales by Lewis Carol but with a new and unusual twist. Frank Beddor writes of a Wonderland that is familiar yet, distinctly different. Princess Alyss is forced from her home in Wonderland into our world, barely escaping the mad queen. Desperate and in search of a way home, she discovers Lewis Carol who makes her horrible time in Wonderland into nothing more than nonsensical children's literature. But, her bodyguard, Hatter Madigan has not given up on finding her and bringing her back so that she may take her rightful place on the throne of Wonderland.

Ready Player One
Ernest Cline gives his readers a healthy dose of nostalgia via a dystopian world in which everyone plugs in to one massive multiplayer online experience (MMO) called the Oasis. School is taught via the Oasis and most jobs are run through it as well. But when a treasure hunt begins, with rights to the Oasis being the prize, mega-corporations and individuals alike set out in search of glory. The book is riddled with 80's pop culture references ranging from Dungeons and Dragons to the classic band Rush. Cline does a masterful job taking romance, science fiction, action, and anything "nerdy" and molding it into one giant amalgamation of awesome.