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leighsnerdlife 's review for:
Thank you Quirk Books for sending me a copy of Paperback Crush!
Sweet Valley, Babysitters Club, RL Stine, Christopher Pike… these books and authors were a huge part of my childhood. So I’ll admit, when I first saw this book on Instagram I kind of freaked out!
Paperback Crush is a detailed look back at YA from the 80s and 90s, delving into societal influences on the themes, structure and plots of these books. Moss looks at these books with a critical eye - it’s not all nostalgia and heart eyes. In truth, a lot of the themes and plots would be seen as quite problematic today. I like that she approached it in that way - it definitely provokes conversation.
The genre was such a different beast back then, making modern YA look almost unrecognizable. I can’t picture today’s lengthy tomes succeeding 20-30 years ago - YA skews toward a slightly older audience nowadays. I don't prefer one over the other, but it’s an interesting difference.
Overall, this book is a fun trip down memory lane - I recognized a lot of the covers shown and even found a couple that I would love to reread again (anyone remember Behind The Attic Wall? I literally gasped when I saw the cover included in this book - I loved that story!).
Paperback Crush also includes an interview with Christopher Pike (did you know CP is a pen name?! I had no idea). It’s a great interview. Back then YA authors churned out multiple books a year - they were ridiculously prolific. Pike landed in YA by accident, and essentially kept it going for the pay check. He considers himself a ‘hack writer who got lucky’. I’m glad he did - I can’t imagine my childhood without his stories.
Sweet Valley, Babysitters Club, RL Stine, Christopher Pike… these books and authors were a huge part of my childhood. So I’ll admit, when I first saw this book on Instagram I kind of freaked out!
Paperback Crush is a detailed look back at YA from the 80s and 90s, delving into societal influences on the themes, structure and plots of these books. Moss looks at these books with a critical eye - it’s not all nostalgia and heart eyes. In truth, a lot of the themes and plots would be seen as quite problematic today. I like that she approached it in that way - it definitely provokes conversation.
The genre was such a different beast back then, making modern YA look almost unrecognizable. I can’t picture today’s lengthy tomes succeeding 20-30 years ago - YA skews toward a slightly older audience nowadays. I don't prefer one over the other, but it’s an interesting difference.
Overall, this book is a fun trip down memory lane - I recognized a lot of the covers shown and even found a couple that I would love to reread again (anyone remember Behind The Attic Wall? I literally gasped when I saw the cover included in this book - I loved that story!).
Paperback Crush also includes an interview with Christopher Pike (did you know CP is a pen name?! I had no idea). It’s a great interview. Back then YA authors churned out multiple books a year - they were ridiculously prolific. Pike landed in YA by accident, and essentially kept it going for the pay check. He considers himself a ‘hack writer who got lucky’. I’m glad he did - I can’t imagine my childhood without his stories.