But a series you must, MUST read is the “Chronicles of the Necromancer”. It has everything you’d want in a fantasy book. Great characters? Check. Sweet romance? Check. Amazing adventures? Double check. And the author’s name: “Gail” Z. Martin. Guaranteed awesomeness wrapped between covers.

I feel you on Tamora Pierce! I wrote her a letter in fifth grade, and she wrote me back a handwritten note that was very obviously not a generic form letter! I still have her letter lying about somewhere. I’m jealous you got to meet her in person.

I’m not sure I’ve read Jane Yolen and I definitely haven’t read Maximum Ride. I didn’t know James Patterson wrote YA! I’ll have to check that one out for sure.

Tamora Pierce’s writing is amazing in general. She came to my school when I was in 7th grade and I waited in line for 1.5 hours to get my books signed by her but by the time I got up there they were rushing everybody along and since I wanted her to sign every book in the Song of the Lioness quartet she only signed 1 but still, I have a book signed by Tamora Pierce!!! And I agree George is cooler just because of his seemingly endless supply if knives… You should also read the Beka Cooper books that she recently wrote. They’re pretty good. It’s about a girl named Beka who’s an ancestor of George’s family and a legend.

Dealing With Dragons was better when I was younger but it’s still an enjoyable read. I prefer the Pit Dragon Chronicles (I think that’s the series name… When I read them they were just known by their individual titles) by Jane Yolen which starts with Dragon’s Blood.

And then there’s Maximum Ride. I got hooked on Maximum Ride by my 6th grade English teacher who had the first book, Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, and the ARC of the second book which hadn’t been named yet. Since then the series has concluded after 7 more books. The story is about several children who were born in a lab with 98% human DNA and 2% avian DNA; resulting them having wings. The books are about the “flock” finding their way in a world where a plethora of organizations and governments want to grab them and either take them apart and study them or use them for a hidden agenda. The leader of the flock is a strong-willed young woman (self) named Maximum Ride. She leads with the help of Fang, the next oldest in the group. While they grapple to understand their feelings for each other they have to be an example for the rest. Iggy, who is blind as a result of testing done on him. Despite his blindness, Iggy is the best chef and lock picker in the group as well as an adept bomb maker along with his sidekick “the Gasman” or just Gazzy, for short. I can’t remember his real name because they all call him Gazzy a nickname resulting from his putrid smelling… you know… His sister, Angel, is the youngest in the group and Max’s indubitable favorite. The last in the group is Nudge, the peppiest and most high spirited, happy-go-lucky kid you’ll ever know. The series follows them on their adventures around the world. Discovering themselves, their fates, all while trying to save the world. If you can’t tell, these books are, like, my all-time favorites. Despite how long that is if I hadn’t reined myself in it might have been twice that length. As it is, I probably gave way more info than any online review you’d find.

P.S. Look up the Teen Book Festival. That’s where I met Tamora Pierce and so many more authors. I volunteered and was a personal helper for Daniel Kirk when he visited. I think the website is tbflive.org