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Let’s Take a Ride: Anna Banks’ Joyride and Other Risky Love Stories
There’s a lot at risk in Anna Banks’ Joyride, out tomorrow. And if you’re a fan of her writing, that should come as no surprise.
In Banks’ debut novels, the New York Times bestselling Of Poseidon trilogy, readers are thrown into a contemporary world where mermaids exist, occasionally walk among us, and sometimes, dangerously, fall in love. Writing about risk and romance, that’s Banks’ thing. And in the case of her trilogy, when a prince of mermaids (the Syrena) discovers a human girl touched with the gifts of his people, their love story blooms amidst a clash of clans and uncertainty over the future of the Syrena race.
As full of lush fantasy as it is packed with hilarious, awkward romantic moments, I adored her first YA novels. The stakes were high and the tension rose with the tide through all three books. And now, she’s treating readers to her first standalone with Joyride.
In Joyride, we’re introduced to Carly and Arden, two very different teens who never would have seen themselves together. Arden’s a former star quarterback, Carly’s a girl who keeps to herself. And the two of them both carry some serious pain. Arden lives with an abusive father, the town sheriff, who cuts a terrifying, brutal figure. And Carly has been living alone with her brother ever since their parents were deported, the two of them saving every penny to bring her parents back from Mexico.
Carly and Arden’s lives collide, and the result is a swoon-filled, hilarious contemporary novel packed with risk and danger. Because not only are the two of them bonding over the pranks they’re pulling around town, but Arden’s racist father has it out for Carly. Joyride ends up being an exciting page turner, with strong and memorable diverse characters. In celebration of Banks’ latest, let’s take a look at more of YA’s riskiest love stories.
Written in the Stars, by Aisha Saeed
Naila’s family has plans for her. While she’s welcome to choose a few things for herself, like what she’s planning to study and what her career will be, they’ve made it perfectly clear they’ll be choosing who she marries, and plan to arrange a marriage for her, as is their tradition. She can’t date, she can’t even be friends with a boy…and then she does just that, falling in love with a boy named Saif. Under the guise of traveling abroad to visit relatives, her parents carry her away to Pakistan, where a husband is waiting for Naila. Her attempts to escape are brave, and there’s a lot of pain on all sides in this heartbreaking novel of love and loss. Please read with a box of tissues nearby, and perhaps some snacks. For eating your feelings.
How We Fall, by Kate Brauning
Forbidden romance! You are ever so risky. And a forbidden romance is at the center of Brauning’s debut novel, How We Fall. Jackie’s playful, flirtatious remarks around her cousin Marcus spiral into something bigger—while something even more dangerous is happening right in front of her: Ellie, her best friend, has gone missing, and is presumed dead. The drama piles up in this romantic thriller.
Shatter Me, by Tahereh Mafi
So, what happens if you really care about somebody, but can’t touch them? Not because they’re far away, but because your touch is literally deadly? In Mafi’s dystopian sci-fi series, Juliette is locked up for murder by the Reestablishment, who decides to use her and her poisoned body as a weapon. Her ability is a bit like Rogue’s in the X-Men, sucking the life and power out of anyone who comes into contact with her skin. But what happens when a former flame returns to her life? I’m not going to spoil it, but suffice to say that Mafi’s books are a really fun, super-swoony sci-fi trilogy (with a lot of novellas in between!), with some seriously high stakes.
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Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater
I was a late arriver to Stiefvater’s Wolves of Mercy Falls series, but really, that wasn’t such a bad thing. It meant I got to devour several books at once, and it was glorious. In Shiver, we’re welcomed to the town of Mercy Falls, where wolves lurk in the woods…and one in particular spends a lot of time near a girl named Grace’s house. Attacked by wolves as a kid, Grace grows a bit smitten with the yellow-eyed wolf…then learns he’s actually a werewolf named Sam, who feels the same about her.
But there’s a twist here. These werewolves change with the weather, and get to enjoy being human only during the warm summers. Once the winter hits, it’s back to wolf form and roaming the wilderness, being feared by the people of Mercy Falls. Grace tries to keep Sam warm, safe, and human for just a little while longer—because the next time he changes might be his last.
What’s your favorite high-stakes YA love story?