Jess Johnson, a much-valued member of our 2018–2019 Teen Advisory Board, reflects in this special guest blog post on the fantasy books that sparked her love of reading.

I will never fail to be amazed by how authors can create an entire world – planned to minute details – within a few hundred pages. By the time you put down the novel, it seems like that world is a real possibility and that somewhere out there, it exists (I wish). That’s my definition of bringing literature to life.

So today, if you’re just getting into reading, or you’ve been a reader for years, I wanted to share a few books I’ve found along the way that helped show me the beauty of fantasy and sci-fi.

The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas

Throne of Glass has been popping up everywhere in recent years, and I could not be happier about it. The series follows an assassin, Selena, as she fights for her freedom from the mines into which she has been forced. She is faced with the challenge to fight for her survival – but will the reward be worth the fight? As mysterious deaths begin occurring, Selena struggles with the secrets that line the palace walls, and the marks that could be the means to an end. I highly recommend this series for all audiences. The story of the assassin facing her struggles and making sacrifices is captivating.

Cinder, The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer

Cinder is a sci-fi adaptation of a classic tale: Cinderella. It follows a cyborg named Cinder who is oppressed by her stepmother and sisters. As Cinder happens to meet the prince, she is wrapped up into assisting to create an antidote to a seemingly endless disease. As events spiral out of control, Cinder abandons all she knows and is faced with the choice to save those who wouldn’t spit on her if she were on fire. I highly recommend this series – whether you’re just getting into sci-fi, or if you’ve loved it for years. It’s the perfect YA with just the right amount of Cinderella, and generally a feel-good book.

The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy is based on – you guessed it – vampires! This book series was incredibly popular for years and there was a reason for it! It follows best friends Rose and Lisa as they struggle to survive the dangers that are hunting the pair down, while being trapped in an academy where the threat looms ever closer. With themes of forbidden love, death, sacrifice, and survival, and with a tight-knit group of extremely lovable characters, it’s no wonder this is a favourite among the YA community. I often avoid ‘mainstream’ books, or just books that are ‘overhyped’, but I will never regret picking this series up, because it was the best week of my life (I flew though it). These books are so amazing, and once I’d finished, I fell into a small slump as I struggled to find similar books.

Avalon High by Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot, the popular author of the well-known series The Princess Diaries, released Avalon High in 2005. The novel follows Ellie, who has just moved into a new area and is thrust into the stress of a new high school with all the clichés of jocks, nerds, and, of course, a (super cute) love interest. This seemingly traditional novel, however, has a twist…Feeding on the historical folk tales of Arthur and The Round Table (or the TV show Merlin), we follow Ellie as she discovers the mysterious secrets that govern her life. As a new secret is revealed, Ellie realises her life has more to it than what can be seen on the surface, and that the strange pull she feels towards Will is more than just attraction.While I did love this novel, I would recommend it mainly for younger teens. I read it when I was younger, and I haven’t forgotten it till this day, as it gave me my first taste of historical fiction and fantasy.

Splintered by A. G. Howard

If you liked Alice in Wonderland, you will like this! The novel is a modern adaptation of the classic, following Alyssa, who thinks that insanity must run in the family as she struggles to ignore the voices of plants and bugs that reach for her. Splintered explores topics of relationships, sacrifice and various ultimatums as the high school girl struggles to admit that the ideas she thought were for the mentally insane are, in fact, her reality. Can she prove her sanity? Can she jump through the rabbit hole – will it cost her her mother’s life? I recommend this read for young adults aged 14+, but I will note that the novel explores the topic of mental health within the first few chapters as the character struggles with the concept of insanity. I, however, do believe that those looking for something similar to Alice in Wonderland would truly enjoy this slightly more mature revamp.

Jess Johnson was a member of the 2018/19 Teen Advisory Board cohort.