I need some suggestions for young adult books for my 14 year old daughter..she has changed her taste in books and I am unfamiliar... I know she has read and liked the Clique Series and books by Scott Westerfelt- The Pretties, The Uglies and The Extras, and some Meg Cabot, but I worry about books without too much emphasis on boy/girl relationship..so that said..I have seen a book by Sarah Dessen called Lock and Key and wonder if anyone is familiar  with it and do you have any other suggestions?

Thanks!

Lock and Key just came out, I haven't read it yet, but I've read other Dessen. Have you seen the movie How To Deal? It's based on 2 of her books. They are really good books, but I was 18 when I read them. They do deal with some adult situations. I read alot of YA (because I review ALOT of it), so if you have anyother questions, just ask!!

BTW- I'm reading a GREAT YA book called Audrey, Wait! and also Gamma Glamma. They are both good.

Books similar to Scott Westerfeld are those written by Margaret Peterson Haddix. She has a book series about Shadow Children..,..Among the Hidden, Among the Brave, etc.  It is based in a world which allows families to have 2 children and three were not allowed. The "thirld child" was hidden....

She has also written some great stand alone novels... House on the Gulf, Turnabout, Running out of Time. Many have some sci-fi in it similar to Scott Westerfeld.

Sisters Grimm series is great too. Taking "fairy tales" into real world as if they had really existed rather than stories from the Brothers Grimm. The stories are actual 'historical naratives".....from them rather than make believe. There are six books in that series.

I have read some Sarah Dessen and I really liked them.

Joyce look through my reviews on here on my profile. I've read a lot of YA books and I put up on my reviews if I think they deal too much with relationships and adult situations and I read a lot of books that your daughter likes. Hope that helps you out!

A lot of my 14 yr. olds at school like the Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray.  The first book is A Great and Terrible Beauty. 

The Gemma Doyle Trilogy is really good, I enjoyed that one.

Since you don't want anything that focuses too much on relationships one that I recently read and thought was pretty good for the tween market was I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter. I know there is a second book out in the series, but that is a pretty good one. 

I can see how the book would be popular with it's target age-range, because it is very well written and entertaining. It includes elements that tween girls are sure to connect with and is presented in an attractive way. For me, though, it was a fluffy piece that didn’t require too much thought or concentration to follow, but still managed to hold my interest to the end. While the characters weren’t as believable as I would have preferred, the concept of the story was fun and I can see some wonderful potential for the series.

If she likes Meg Cabot and hasn't read it yet - The Mediator Series is really good as well. There is a romance angle, but nothing physical. In fact - I think there was hardly even any kissing. Still a really good series - very fun.

How about the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan?  I imagined it to be geared more toward boys, but I read them and loved them and several of my female students loved them too.  It is based on greek mythology, and was really interesting. 

ETA - the first book is The Lightening Thief.

There is a series out that I have read the first few book in called A Non-Blonde Cheerleader.  They are real cute, about a girl that goes to a new school (where everyone is blonde) and trying to fit in wihtout changing herself.  They are really good, and while she does end up with a "boyfriend" it's a really light relationship and not a big part of the book :-)

The westerfeld series is great.  I just started the red king series, its kinda like harry potter in some ways.  I liked I'd tell you I love you but then I'd have to kill you, its way less relationship focused that it protrays itself in its title.  The shadow children series is going to be too easy given her other reading choices.  The beast of noor is really great but starts a bit slow.

Well..there is no relation-ships in these books but they're a really great read.

Patrick Carmen's The Land of Elyon

Try Celia Rees.

When I was a YA,  I became addicted to V.C. Andrews books - Flowers in the Attic, etc.  I collected all of the books in 6 of her series.  They are all listed on my bookshelf - they are in very good condition - some are still brand new.  I want to see these books go to a new home.

A Great And Terrible Beauty is good. She also might like The City of Ember, by Jeanne DuPrau. I'd also reccomend the Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.

I agree with Darla on the Gail Carson Levine book, but the title is The Two Princesses of Bamarre.  It's been my daughter's favorite

book since before she could read it herself!  I also loved the Margaret Peterson Haddix books.

My older daughter enjoyed the TTYL and TTFN books by Lauren Myracle.   If your daughter likes to instant message her friends     

she would love this.  It's about 3  15-year-old girls and is written entirely in IMs!

I would recommend the James Patterson books that he wrote for YA. They are the Maximum Ride series. The first one is called 'The Angel Experiment'

Both and my daughter tend to read darker themes or issue books. I hate that term 'issue' by the way.  If your daughter likes Westerfield I'd suggest Neil Shusterman- Unwind. I also like What Happened to Lani Garver? by Carol Plum-Ucci. She might like Chris Crutcher. I enjoyed Whale Talk and Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes.

Both and my daughter tend to read darker themes or issue books. I hate that term 'issue' by the way.  If your daughter likes Westerfield I'd suggest Neil Shusterman- Unwind. I also like What Happened to Lani Garver? by Carol Plum-Ucci. She might like Chris Crutcher. I enjoyed Whale Talk and Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes.

I see someone suggested VC Andrews. Those books are very racy.

Shannon Hale has written a number of wonderful books.  They are not modern-day (except Austenland, which is an adult book, but okay enough for teeens).  Beastly by Alex Flinn was great, I thought, although it has a boy/girl thing. It's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast from a teenage beast's point of view. Ally Carter's spy school novels are good. I also liked Jennifer Zeigler's (?) How Not to Be Popular. 

Almost all books marketed to teen girls have some element of romance in them, but I bet you already knew that.

I have recently discovered Suzanne Collins-The HUnger games and the sequel is due out this september, they are VERY good, I was engrossed!

Also, Cassandra Clare's City of Bones trilogy is very good, but on the paranormal side if that's ok. It's not racy or gory, very good taste.

I also secind the recommendation for James Patterspn's Maximum Ride series. The newest one just came out (the 5th) called Max, but start with the Angel Experiment.

I also higly recommend Jodi Picoult!!! She is very into real life and deep stories involving teens and teen situations.

These are all about know when it is "real" instead of "easy/showy" relationships

• An Abundance of Katherine’s - John Green
• Deadline - Chris Crutcher (terminal teen)
• The ABC's of Kissing - Tina Ferraro
• Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac  - Zevin
• Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature  -  Robin Brande (Evolution vrs Creation)
• Elsewhere - Zevin (this is about the after life)
• Born to Rock - Korman
• Dairy Queen  - Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Robin Jones Gunn has at 3 series out for girls your daughters age.  My daughter just turned 14, and she has read 2 full series by Gunn, and really enjoyed them.  These are really good books, and I highly suggest you looking into  them!!

I did read Lock and Key! It was my first Sarah Dessen book. I really enjoyed it! I also really like Rachel Hawthorne.