Girls' YA Fiction

[Sukie]

carrier76 said:

I recall reading some paperbacks in junior high....as far as I knew, there were only two series...one was "Class of '88" and the other was "Class of '89." They were very sentimental as each one followed a group of friends through four books, freshman, sophomore, junior and senior year.

Were these the ones where they attended a winter formal or something and one of the girls got a bouquet of balloons instead of a corsage? I read a series like you described where this happened and can't remember the name.

[linared]

I also loved the Lurlene McDaniel books... I am not one for melodrama, but throw in brain swelling or leukemia or heart transplants and I am THERE. When I look back, the premises of her books are SO melodramatic! But I was absolutely riveted to the book about the girl whose sister was in a coma, and also the one where the boy fell in love with the girl who had received his dead brother's heart. I probably learned most of what I know about cancer from those books, which is really sad.

God, these books made me into the hypochondriac that I am today. Any time I have a bruise I assume that I have leukemia. I remember one in which the main character had a boyfriend named Lucas. He was a footballer player and he dies of cancer. For some reason all my friends were in love this guy and wanted to name our children Lucas some day.

[laconicchick]

There was another series where I only got to read the first book, but I liked it, I think it was called "Cranberry Cousins".

Ohhhhh, I think I read one of these. I have a very vague memory of it. Did someone go up in a hot-air balloon?

I read all the "Face on the Milk Carton" books too. I loooved those. I also went through a period where I was really into YA books about druggies living on the street. Probably because I was the biggest goody-two-shoes ever.

I had a friend who loved the Lurlene McDaniel books, but they were too sappy for me. I wouldn't have been caught dead with that drivel. ;D

[muskratmonroe]

mutagen said:

Last but not least, I also went through a phase in which the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys crossover series was my literary crack. Didn't care for Nancy by herself, nor for the Hardys. Together? Pure cringetastic magic. Just remembering some of the plots of those novels, plus the "smoldering" attraction between Nancy and Frank, is making me laugh and bang my head against the desk at the same time.

I LOVED these. I swear, my first "ship" was Nancy/Frank. I loved Nancy Drews and Hardy Boys books separately, too. But I thought their love interests, Callie and Ned, were totally lame. It doesn't help that I fancied myself a Nancy Drew and had the hots for Frank Hardy. In fact, there was one- Secrets of the Nile, I believe it was called, in which Frank and Nancy had to go undercover as a married couple (even though they were 18, and the Hardy Boys, at least, were still in high school). Although it was totally innocent, this was the first book I ever read/owned in which there were certain pages to which the book just fell open because I reread them so much, just to feel that "fluttery" feeling in my stomach. That book has still got to be in the boxes of childrens/YA books in my parents' attic. Just last week I had a total fit because my mom wants to sell/donate all those old books. NOOO! There are so many happy memories in those boxes!

[sportula]

Did anyone else read these Mandie) books?

I did. The town in North Carolina that Mandie lives in is my real hometown, so I always thought that was cool. And you are right, the author, Lois Gladys Leppard, never fails to mention Mandie's blondness; she is always brushing her long blonde hair. Also, Mandie has a kitten named Snowball that goes absolutely everywhere that Mandie does. If she gets to take a trip to England, courtesy of her rich grandmother, the cat goes. If she goes to meet the president (she did) the cat goes. And rides around on her shoulder no less. And gets lost many times, of course. One character that is introduced later always "smiles mischievously". It drove me nuts. And of course Mandie attends boarding school. Augh. My sister and I came to the conclusion that Mandie is a whiney, spoiled brat.

[Deleted]

carrier76 said:

There was another series that I think I only read one book of, "The Stepsisters." Paige was the brunette, smart, serious one, and the evil blonde cheerleader type moved in. Lots of backstabbing and boyfriend stealing going on there. I'd read that again if I could find it.

Knock yourself out. It looks like there's only seven books in the series, so I'd sort by seller and try to get them all from one place. (I found them, you can sort them! )

[dwanollah]

I recall reading some paperbacks in junior high....as far as I knew, there were only two series...one was "Class of '88" and the other was "Class of '89." They were very sentimental as each one followed a group of friends through four books, freshman, sophomore, junior and senior year.

Oh yeah, and I reviewed 'em at my website, even (under Archives).

<--

It never fails to crack me up that the studly football hero is named... Nick Rhodes.

[carrier76]

YES! Nick Rhodes! He always seemed so cute, even before I made the DD connection.

I remember one in which the main character had a boyfriend named Lucas. He was a footballer player and he dies of cancer. For some reason all my friends were in love this guy and wanted to name our children Lucas some day.

WAIT A MINUTE. Was this the book called "Don't Die, My Love"? Because it was made into a REALLY BAD Lifetime movie called "Shattered Hearts." I taped it and my friend and I will watch it while drinking and laugh at it. I think we've seen it 4 times.

Yes, we're evil. Whatever, the movie is terrible.

By the way, thanks Spordelia!

[linared]

My sister and I came to the conclusion that Mandie is a whiney, spoiled brat.

I not only resented Mandie for her wealth and adoration but for her many boyfriends. These books (as long with the BSC) gave me complex about reaching the age of 13 without collecting many, many boyfriends. And how creepy was her older boyfriend who was 15. He already decided that they were going to get married and would bitch at Mandie for talking to another guy. Controlling, abusive relationships are so sweet.

WAIT A MINUTE. Was this the book called "Don't Die, My Love"? Because it was made into a REALLY BAD Lifetime movie called "Shattered Hearts." I taped it and my friend and I will watch it while drinking and laugh at it. I think we've seen it 4 times.

I don't remember name of the book (though I do remember that Lucas planted flowers for her in the football field so that when he died his girlfriend could visit the garden). I really, really need to see this movie.

[NappingAthena]

I still love Ellen Emerson White's stuff about Meghan Powers, the presidents daughter. I also adore a book of her's called Life Without Friends,its about a girl who was involved with a drug dealer who killed people, and everyone is blaming her for it so she's trying to put her life together.
It was a sequel of sorts to another book called Friends For Life that I never read.