Top 5 Light and Funny YA Books

I love me a long epic story as much as the next guy – sweeping series of ten tomes with intricate plots and dramatic battles and all the rest of it. But sometimes, between those epic series, I just need a fun fast read to relax with. Something light that I can devour in a few hours, something that will make me feel good.

I’m willing to bet plenty of you feel the same from time to time. Maybe you just don’t have the time to invest in a Harry Potter-length story, however good that story may be. Or maybe you just finished a super depressing and intense trilogy about drug addiction or something and want to be cheered up. Either way, as the holidays (and more importantly, holiday vacations!) approach, here are five books you could feel good curling up with.

I’ve given an even mix of fantasy YA and realistic YA, so there should be something for everyone! These authors are not nearly as popular as I think they should be, so hopefully this article won’t consist of all books you’ve already read (though if you have, bravo, and we should exchange book recommendations sometime).

Just be warned: these will all make you laugh out loud, repeatedly and obnoxiously. I have gotten many strange looks reading them in public, so proceed at your own risk!

#5: Little Blog on the Prairie by Cathleen Davitt Bell

Would you survive living like 1890s pioneers did? In other words, would you survive living with your family and no technology for weeks?

That is the question asked in this funny and very clever book. Gen’s family isn’t particularly close, and when they decide to take a family “vacation” to Camp Frontier, which recreates the 1890s, she is miserable about it. She sneaks in a cell phone and texts her friends back home with horror stories about the camp (which, let’s face it, most of us would totally do in that situation!). Her friends publish the texts as a blog, which becomes an internet sensation. Meanwhile, Gen makes friends and grows closer to her family… but, naturally, her secret has to be revealed.

There are plot twists, there are wonderfully realized characters, and it’s just a good book. Also, it’s thought-provoking in regards to technology and what a crucial role it plays in our lives. It can be a great conversation starter over Christmas dinner, especially since it’s topical after Hurricane Sandy.

#4: The Boy Recession by Flynn Meaney

After a bunch of guys in a small town move away, there is an alarming shortage of boys at the local high school. And knowing the laws of supply and demand, it’s easy to know what will happen next: girls get completely desperate, and all the remaining boys are suddenly hot commodities. We view the recession unfolding through the eyes of Hunter (a guitar-playing slacker) and Kelly (a down-to-earth girl who also likes music). They become friends, but then they begin to fall for each other.

It sounds like a romance, but it’s not the dramatic life-or-death romance that plagues YA novels. Romance is just one part of the novel. What makes it come alive is the remaining cast of characters populating the high school – in particular, Hunter and Kelly’s ridiculous circles of friends – and the shenanigans they all get up to. And Flynn Meaney is, bar none, the funniest writer in YA. Her witty and sassy voice makes the book come alive.

Also, if you for some reason lose touch with your friends for a few days, read this – it sounds exactly as if your best friend is telling you a story. “I failed all my midterms” is a throwaway line, but a page is devoted to characters’ dating statuses. There are a few minor swearwords and hysterical references to ZEfron and Taylor Swift thrown in, along with an occasional dirty joke, to make it seem like you’re chatting with your friends in high school.

#3: Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst

Let me give you a brief summary of the book, and if that doesn’t make you crack up, then nothing will.

Pearl is a teenage vampire (but a non-sparkly EVIL one). She gets staked by a were-unicorn (think about it – built-in vampire-hunting tools!), and then begins to develop a conscience. She is torn because she has to serve up her high school class as a dinner for the Vampire King. Also, she may be falling in love with the were-unicorn.

This type of story could only come from the mind of Sarah Beth Durst, known for her stunningly original YA fantasies. The world is actually very well constructed. The premise is so silly, that the book never takes itself too seriously, though a few moments are surprisingly poignant. The characters are all supremely snarky (which, you may notice, is how I like them!).

Also, there are so many books out there about humanity’s dark side that it’s exhausting. This book takes a relentlessly optimistic view of humanity that’s truly a breath of fresh air. I can also recommend Sarah Beth Durst’s other books as well, in particular this one’s predecessor, Enchanted Ivy.

#2: Bloodthirsty by Flynn Meaney

That’s right, the same author as #4, Flynn Meaney gets two spots because her two novels are distinct and both absolutely hilarious.

This book makes fun of the vampire craze going on. A sixteen-year-old boy who’s extremely pale and allergic to the sun decides to pretend to be a vampire to take advantage of the craziness and get girls. Needless to say, there are lots of complications.

This may be the best teenage-boy voice I’ve ever read, and the comedic timing is impeccable. There is lots of sarcasm, and a hilarious circle of friends to keep things lively and fun. Moreover, the protagonist’s relationship with his (totally opposite) brother makes this book sweet as well as sassy. I was even a bit sad when it ended, simply because I loved the characters so much and wanted to spend more time with them.

#1: “The Ghost and the Goth” Trilogy by Stacey Kade

Yes, strictly speaking this is three books, not one – The Ghost and the Goth, Queen of the Dead, and Body and Soul. However, they are short and a very fast read, so I’ll put the whole trilogy on this list. Alona Dare is the stereotypical popular girl in high school. She is beautiful with a great fashion sense, and she tries to cover up an unhappy home life. Still, things are going great for her… until she gets run over by a bus and comes back as a ghost. Things are never going great for Will Killian, though, who can see and hear ghosts (he’s the only such ghost-talker he knows), and they’re driving him crazy. These two end up being unlikely allies, and naturally a romance kindles between them. I won’t say much about the second and third book so as not to spoil the first, but rest assured they expand the world and present new challenges for this couple.

This trilogy may not be earth-shattering, but if one actually thinks about it, it is some of the best writing in the YA genre. The world-building is very well-done. The protagonists – both of them – are so snarky that I was laughing throughout the series. However, they are also really smart. This seems to be a complete novelty in YA – usually characters are impulsive and make awful decisions as a way of life. Will and Alona, though they’re very human and succumb to emotion, actually think things through. They make plans, they analyze consequences, and they contemplate the morality of things. The book raises some very interesting moral dilemmas as it chugs along.

And the romance is just so good in this trilogy – it is believable, and adorable, and never inducing eye-rolling. It is impossible not to root for Alona and Will. And upon finishing the third book, with its perfect ending, I let out a huge “aaaawwww,” and hugged the book with a huge grin on my face. Any book that can induce a reaction like that is worth picking up.

Have you read any of these books? Do you intend to? What other light and funny reads do you recommend? Let me know!