In preparation for my internship working with a children’s and YA imprint, I was asked to read a good amount of contemporary young adult literature. I stopped reading YA books years ago when I went to high school, thinking I would be cooler if I was able to reference classic novels and say I read adult fiction. (In hindsight, this likely made me less cool, but that’s neither here nor there.) However, what I found from my readings was that the books of my young adult years- The Hunger Games, Divergent, Twilight, any Sarah Dessen and/or John Green book ever written- were just the foundation for progressive minded and incredibly well-executed writings.
YA fiction, as I’ve now discovered, treats love, friendship, and magic with the same sarcasm and wit with which my 15-year-old sister responds to the world. In terms of love and relationships, these novels tend to opt for a “slow burn” trope, where you as the reader have to watch a relationship unfold right up until the end; yet, despite the ever-present focus on finding someone to kiss, new YA literature paint the friendships each character as the central rallying cause for a protagonist/arch nemesis/sidekicks personality, making healthy friendships the ideal goal for characters to try to achieve; more specifically in the case of "A Darker Shade of Magic," the presence of magic is far more intriguing and awe-inspiring than sparkling vampires ever were or ever will be.
In "ADOSM" there are four worlds with four different Londons existing in the same place on their respective maps. The main character, Kell, is one of two who possess the ability to travel between these worlds. In 1817 Grey “Dull” London (the magic-less one we all know and love), Kell makes the acquaintance of Delilah Bard, a skilled pickpocket and boss ass bitch. After ending up together following a predictable yet charming encounter, Kell and Lila have to travel together between worlds to return a stolen artifact to Black “Dead” London.
You would think the predictability of some of the plot points would diminish the quality of the story, but you would also be wrong if you thought that. It is so interesting to see the lengths the two main characters -as well as their fun, flirty, and fierce murder twin enemies- will go through in order to achieve what they want. The writing isn’t demeaning nor is it aggressively teen talk, but enjoyable and even sometimes really funny.
On a scale of 10, this book stands at a solid 8. Do I have issues with it? Of course. Will I cherish it forever and ever? Probably not. (If you’re looking for a book that will stay with you for years, check out A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. I’m only putting a review which barely hints at anything because you should read this book spoiler-free!) But I found that ADSOM is the perfect representation for this new generation of YA literature.**For the next session of Bad Reader's Book Club, I will be reading Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan. Join along with me!**
