WHEN THREE BECOMES FOUR….THE QUARTET IN YA FICTION

 
Regular readers of Young Blood probably felt we were going to run out of steam after our huge features on YA duologies and trilogies. Think again, this series has plenty of legs to keep running well into the New Year and beyond! Make sure you check the page should you have missed the earlier two postings.
 
Trilogies:
https://gingernutsofhorror.com/young-blood/three-is-the-magic-number-the-power-of-the-trilogy
 
Duologies:
https://gingernutsofhorror.com/young-blood/why-not-give-two-christmas-gifts-instead-of-onethe-power-of-the-ya-duology
 
We’re already said many series, particularly in YA and children’s fiction, overstay their welcome and just go on too long.  The quartet is a tricky one; often the fourth entry comes across as a cash-cow or an appendix of short stories and novellas, of which some examples are included here. Few authors will set out to deliberately write a quartet, in which the fourth entry naturally follows the third book. In contrast, the fourth entry sometimes comes many years after the natural conclusion of the trilogy. I doubt few authors set out with the intention of deliberately writing a quartet. But we all have to pay the bills
 
When do you stop? Four truly is a good number. Remember, your audience grows older with you. When authors expand beyond four, they have to start recruiting new readers as the ‘oldies’ grow up and move onto more mature reads but might still check-in for nostalgia’s sake.
 
There are several excellent books featured here that do seem to have ended at four, but without a genuine 100% conclusion which truly slams the door shut. Why is that? Either a decline in readership or perhaps book five will come along at some unspecified time in the future. One wonders why hugely successful authors need to revisit their best works so many years later; is it an itch they must scratch again? Why did Ursula Le Guin return to Earthsea when the series was done and dusted as a trilogy in the 1970s? Who knows for sure apart from Le Guin.
 
They are listed alphabetically and the date of first and last book is noted. Do get in touch if you think there are any glaring ‘quartet’ omissions, of which there are bound to be. As always, my lists drift into wider genre fiction, particularly fantasy and science fic

ALEXANDRA BRACKEN: DARKEST MINDS (QUARTET 2012-18)

The excellent Darkest Minds trilogy was relatively unknown in the UK until the film of the same name gave it a bump and triggered the arrival of a fourth novel after the series had looked done and dusted. There are also inter-connecting novellas which arrived between each of the first three books. The story opens with the revelation that most of America’s teenagers died during a mysterious epidemic with some of the few who survived developed weird and powerful psychic abilities, which they can’t control. This happens to main character Ruby who is subsequently sent to Thurmond a brutal government 'rehabilitation camp' where much of the action takes place until she escapes and goes on the run, joining a resistance led by romantic interest Liam. What follows is an entertaining conspiracy thriller, loaded with crazy psychic abilities, where the kids are feared by everyone, but ultimately what is the government hiding? Expect a fightback, when the kids are united, they will never be defeated. AGE 12+
 
ANDY BRIGGS: THE INVENTORY (QUARTET 2016-18)

Andy Briggs has written many entertaining easy to read adventure and action-packed novels aimed at pre and young teens of which The Inventory series is my favourite. Hidden under a small suburban town, the ‘Inventory’ is a collection of the most incredible technology hidden from the everyday world, including; invisible camouflage, HoverBoots, indestructible metals, and the vicious war robot Iron Fist which stars in a later book. The main character Dev is a lucky kid, as his uncle is the curator of the Inventory, hidden beneath the farm they live on. However, others become aware of its existence and set on stealing the collection, which could lead to a genuine threat to world security. For kids who are fans of Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz, the Young Bond adventures, or Robert Muchamore’s CHERUB series, these are addictive, fast paced, top-heavy with gadgets and a lot of fun. If you have a 10-12-year-old reluctant reader who likes action, then this series is worth a second look. AGE 10+
 
KATIE COYLE: VIVIAN VERSUS THE APOCALYPSE (QUARTET 2013-17)

This is an odd but funny blend of teen angst, thriller, horror, quirkily mixed with Bible prophecy. Vivian lives in a version of America which is dominated by the sinister Church of America who insist ‘The Rapture’ of the church is imminent. Before long, her parents and some friends disappear and then many more people Vivian knows. The media claim The Rapture has genuinely occurred and the true believers have ascended into heaven leaving the non-believers on Earth to face the consequences of their lack of faith.  I really cannot imagine this series went down well in the USA with its rather unique spin on religion! But it really made me chuckle and Vivian really was a spunky, if reluctant, heroine as she undertakes her own voyage of discovery and highly entertaining road-trip for the truth. AGE 12+
 
BECCA FITZPATRICK: HUSH HUSH (QUARTET 2009-12)

The entertaining Hush Hush appeared during the Paranormal Romance fad where the obsession with vampires expanded relentlessly into naughtiness with angels. There were many similarities with Twilight, swop the vampires for angels and you’ll see what I mean. To be able to take this series seriously the human characters needed to convince and that was one of the major strengths of Hush Hush; Nora Grey was decidedly unromantic and had never been attracted to any of the boys in her school until new kid Patch turns up and she is immediately drawn to him after they’re paired together on a project. It is not difficult for the reader to figure out the teenage boy is not human, and Nora finds herself right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen. When it comes to choosing sides, which is what most of the book is about, the wrong choice might cost her life or even her soul. It takes its time, concentrates on the romance and human aspect and is a fulfilling teen read for kids who might not normally read supernatural fiction. It was easy to be snobbish of the Paranormal Romance subgenre, but many were excellent teenage romances cloaked within a convincing supernatural packaging. AGE 12+

KAMI GARCIA/MARGARET STOHL: BEAUTIFUL CREATURES (QUARTET 2009-12)

When the Paranormal Romance world was going mental for vampires and angels
Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl led an entertaining breakout into the realms of witches and witchcraft. The ‘craft’ is never far away in YA fiction, so this series was slightly tacked onto the Paranormal Romance fad but does tick many of the same smouldering romantic boxes.  Lena Duschannes is a ‘Caster’ and in the runup to her sixteenth birthday is unsure which way she will swing after an upcoming of age event, to the ‘light’ or ‘dark’ and the type of witchcraft she’ll end up practicing. When she switches schools, she meets Ethan who has been having recurring dreams about a girl he has never met. Guess who that is? Before long the novel is knee deep in superstition, curses, doppelgangers, young love, lust, dodgy family histories with the feeling of a sprawling supernatural soap opera. Like many of these books, the female characters seem more fleshed out than the guys who are the obviously the primary audience, but it’s great frothy stuff. AGE 13+ 
 
JULIA GOLDING: COMPANION’S (QUARTET 2006-07)

This wonderful mythological series which is set in modern Britain is outstanding and could do with a major revival for the kids of 2020. The ‘Society for the Protection of Mythical Beasts’ is an organisation which keeps tabs on supernatural creatures which still exist by interconnecting specific humans to particular creatures which usually live in harmony and under the radar of mankind. Main character Connie is sent to live with her aunt in the town which is the centre of this weird activity and before long things start going wrong when the ‘Sirens’ (the first book is called Song of the Sirens) start luring oil-workers to their death, which is cleverly connected to pollution. Connie, however, has a special gift, the ability to communicate with all mythical creatures, which is developed throughout the series. She is going to need her ‘Universal’ gift as in book two The Gorgon’s Gaze when she meets the last surviving Gorgon.  Outstanding mix of very cleverly presented mythology and fantasy in a contemporary setting. AGE 10+
 
SHANE HEGARTY: DARKMOUTH (QUARTET 2015-17)

Blending horror, adventure and comedy is never easy, Shane Hegarty completely nails it in this highly engaging series which will have you sniggering, it is also ideal to read aloud to younger children who might want a taste of horror which is not too threatening, but still had an edginess. Monsters, known as ‘Legends’, invade the town of Darkmouth and youngster Finn discovers he is the last line of defence against the evil hoards. Can the nerdy, animal loving twelve-year-old save the world from the swarms of vicious which include the vicious Minotaur? He’s willing to give it a go, learn on his feet (and how to swing a sword) and fulfil his destiny of becoming a true Legend Hunter with the help of some of his friends. I loved this refreshing blend of genres and rebranding of old horror characters. AGE 10+
 
CHRISTOPHER WILLIAM HILL: TALES FROM SCHWARTZGARTEN (QUARTET 2012-15)

Set in the fictional town of Schwartzgarten this wonderfully dark and comic tale which blend the grotesque, with elements of mock gothic, is in the same ballpark as legends Lemony Snickets and Roald Dahl. The stories are very loosely connected by location but the series, which begins with Osbert the Avenger, can be picked up and enjoyed at any point. Although it is aimed at kids around ten it has a very dark centre, the main character Osbert, a killer who shows no remorse (which is very rare in children’s fiction) seeks revenge after being expelled from the sinister school for genius children called ‘The Institute’ (long before Stephen King used the same name!) The second novel sees two twins sent to the ill-omened Schwartzgarten Reformatory for Maladjusted Children after losing their aunt to a poisoned marzipan cake! These might not be traditional horror novels, but they certainly do fit the bill as they have a pitch-black centre. They are also excellent for reading out to younger children who will lap them up and have the parents gulping. AGE 9+

PAUL HOFFMAN: THE LEFT HAND OF GOD (QUARTET 2010-20)

Between 2010-13 The Left Hand of God was a done-and-dusted dark fantasy trilogy which I absolutely adored, however, whilst researching this article I was beyond excited to find out a fourth book comes out in 2020 so have sneakily added this series into this section in anticipation. This is a very challenging read which could equally be read by adults as well as teenagers and is very clever and mature fantasy set in the Sanctuary of the Redeemer, which is similar to a monastery for trainee monks or orphans, who are treated horribly by their masters, the Lord Redeemers, who serve in the name of the One True Faith, the religion of the land. The story focusses upon a boy called Thomas Cale who becomes strongly connected to an ancient prophecy whilst the Lord Redeemers plan to use his for their own purposes. Fantasy fiction does not get much better than this, soaked in atmosphere, intrigue and the fear that the prophecies might be real. It’s also set in an exceptionally well-developed world, which is very like ours, but not quite. AGE 13+
 
EDEN MAGUIRE: THE BEAUTIFUL DEAD (QUARTET 2009-10)

The Beautiful Dead was an odd mix of supernatural and teen romantic drama which has each of its books named after four recently deceased teenagers.  Main character seventeen-year-old Davina has recently lost her boyfriend Phoenix in a fight which ended in him being stabbed and killed. Over the same year others died also; Jonas, Arizona and Summer, who have the other books in the series named after them. Soon Davina stumbles upon the four dead friends, who are The Beautiful Dead, but alive in some way, or having returned as ghosts with unfinished business. It turns out they have been brought back to reveal the real cause of their death, and to seek justice, as Davina wants to spend time with Phoenix she helps and keeps their return secret. This was a quirky idea and a good balance between teen stuff and the darker supernatural plotline.  AGE 11+
 
MARISSA MEYER: LUNAR CHRONICLES (QUARTET 2011-15)

Cinder is the first novel in the Lunar Chronicles which is more science fiction that horror but is top heavy with darkness inspired by childhood fairy-tales. In the opening book lead character Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg and second-class citizen with a mysterious past. Reviled by her (evil) stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness she is having a very tough time. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai, she suddenly finds herself at the centre of an intergalactic struggle, and an attraction which is seriously frowned upon. No prizes from where the inspiration of this story came from! The plot expands in the sequels with the Evil Queen beginning to grow in power, whilst Cinder finds herself one of the most wanted fugitives in the galaxy. The future setting, where a terrible disease called letumosis is ravaging the world for which there is no cure is very clever, where cyborgs are seen as abominations. One of the nicest things about this series is that it attracted many girls, who might not normally read science fiction, to the genre. AGE 13+
 
STEPHANIE MEYER: TWILIGHT (QUARTER 2005-8)

I recall reading Twilight when it was brand new and an unknown quantity even in knowledgeable librarian circles, arriving with very little fanfare. Although I always pegged it as a very good book, I would never have predicted it would go onto become the monster seller (the film helped of course) that was to kick-start the hugely successful Paranormal Romance subgenre. It’s very easy to get snobbish about it (especially if you’ve never read it) and in its defence it convincingly taps into the teenage psyche and is a clever modern play on the age-old vampire story with many well drawn characters. It is not difficult to see why the relationship between Bella Swan and the vampire boy Edward became so addictive to millions of teenage girls, captivating that generation, and the (very) occasional boy.  AGE 12+
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KASS MORGAN: THE 100 (QUARTET 2013-16)

The 100 was turned into a long-running TV series (having a much longer lifespan than the original source material, which is rare) around seven seasons long and based upon this quartet of post-apocalyptic science fiction novels. The TV show is full of exceptionally good-looking twenty-somethings with not a hair out of place, the books are a grittier proposition and are based upon a clever premise. The last survivors of a nuclear war have been living in a space station above Earth for hundreds of years because of radiation poisoning after a long-forgotten war. However, the colony is now very low on resources and in a desperate attempt to save mankind send one hundred teenage delinquents (they’re nice really…) back to the planet to see if it can be colonised once again. Once they arrive, we quickly head into Lord of the Flies territory, factions break out, there are rivalries and powerplays, and they are most definitely not alone. A terrific page-turning series. AGE 12+
 
JEFF NORTON: METAWARS (QUARTET 2012-14)

The Fight for the Future opens Jeff Norton’s MetaWars series and what initially attracted me to this series of books was the fact that it was set in and around the area of south London I work and live.  Teenager Jonah Delacroix can't stand the real world - so he lives most of his life inside a global computer-based virtual world called the Metasphere, comparable to the Matrix or Ready Player One, where everyone is represented by an avatar. When he discovers the avatar of his dead father, and assumes his online identity, a series of events are unleashed that force Jonah across the real world to protect the freedom of everybody aided by a shady secret society. The sequels develop the story exceptionally well with the idea that the avatars of dead people can be reactivated and come to life. This may well be a dystopian series, but life within the Metasphere is exceptionally colourful and vividly drawn by the author. An outstanding and very easy to read series for kids who spent too much time online or on their phone. AGE 11+
 
DARREN SHAN: THE SAGA OF LARTEN CREPSLEY (QUARTER 2010-12)

‘Origin’ stories are dime a dozen these days, however, back in 2010 Darren Shan was way ahead of the curve when he returned to the world of his most memorable creations, the twelve book series Cirque Du Freak which is one of my personal favourites and will feature in the final  section of these round-ups. You could easily read this quartet without reading Cirque Du Freak, but much of it has been written for those ‘in the know’ and stars Larten Crepsley one of the main supernatural characters from Cirque Du Freak who is several hundred-years-old. This origins story takes us back to when Larten was still a human boy and gets into trouble after killing a man who murdered his brother. Once on the run he meets a vampire, Seba, and his life changes forever. The four books beautifully humanise Larten who at various times falls out of love with being a vampire and immortality, taking the reader on a highly entertaining and swashbuckling series of adventures and escapades. I wish Darren Shan would start writing books for kids again, few have done more for engaging boys into reading horror than this outstanding author in the last twenty years.  AGE 11+
 
NEAL SHUSTERMAN: UNWIND DYSTOLOGY (QUARTET 2007-14)

I am a massive fan of Shusterman and adore the Unwind quartet. Imagine a world where parents can effectively ‘disown’ their children through a process called "unwinding." Unwinding ensures that the child's life doesn't 'technically' end, as all their organs are transplanted into the body of various other recipients. Now a common and accepted practice in society, troublesome or unwanted teens can be unwound, whether they want it or not. This book follows three teens who all become runaway Unwinds: Connor, a rebel whose parents have ordered his unwinding; Risa, a ward of the state who is to be unwound due to cost-cutting; and Lev, his parents' tenth child whose unwinding has been planned since birth as a religious tithing. But soon their paths cross and the battle for survival is on. AGE 12+

MAGGIE STIEFVATER: RAVEN CYCLE (QUARTET 2012-16)

Stiefvater is exceptionally good at blending fantasy, romance with a strong supernatural element in her fiction with convincing and well-drawn teenage characters. Raven Boys opens this excellent series, the slang name given to the boys who attend the local private school, close to where main character Blue Sargent and her clairvoyant mother live. Early in the novel Blue gets to know a few of the boys and begins to develop feelings for one of them, however, this is a problem as an old family prophecy warns that her own true love will die. There is much crammed into this series, which is probably aimed more at girls, including mythology, dodgy prophecies, secrets, with plenty of twists and spicy turns, told from very distinct and believable multiple points of view. AGE 13+
 
MAGGIE STIEFVATER: WOLVES OF MERCY FALLS (QUARTET 2009-14)

The Wolves of Mercy Falls quartet opens with the mega-selling Shiver which was one of the most successful of the Paranormal Romance stories focusing on werewolves. The author cleverly makes up her own rules and does not reply upon other folklore you might have come across, developing a convincing romantic thriller. Teenager Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away, reminding her of one of the wolves which used to lurk in her back-garden staring at her, which she was never quite afraid of and quietly drawn to. You can tell where the story is going, but it’s an engaging journey told via a duel narrative with distinctive voices. AGE 13+
 
JONATHAN STROUD: BARTIMAEUS (QUARTET 2001-10) 

The Bartimaeus series remains one of the genuine high points of post-2000 fantasy and dark fiction, beautifully straddling genres and creating a magical delight which looked like it had concluded as a trilogy in 2005 with Ptolemy's Gate. However, there was a surprise resurrection in 2010 with The Song of Solomon which is a prequel of sorts which focuses on the origins of the djinni Bartimaeus with an adventure going back in time to the days of King Solomon. The series opens with Nathaniel, a magician's apprentice, summoning up the djinni Bartimaeus, instructing him to steal The Amulet of Samarkand (also the name of the first book) from the powerful magician Simon Lovelace. When the 5,000-year-old djinni Bartimaeus is summoned he is amazed how powerful a magician the young boy is, who is also hell-bent on revenge against Lovelace. Set in a modern-day London controlled by magicians, these wonderful, funny and electrifying, supernatural thrillers are totally irresistible as Nathaniel works for the government and the djinni, who is a real scene-stealer, is simply wonderful. If I heard book five was in the pipeline, I would dance a jig! AGE 11+
 
TERI TERRY: SLATED (QUARTET 2014-19)

The dystopian Slated series have been incredibly popular in my library and there was some recent excitement when Teri Terry made a surprise return to the series with a prequel five years after the conclusion of the original trilogy. A ‘Slating’ is a type of brain wiping operation which is a punishment dished out to supposed terrorists, who the government are apparently giving a second chance to. This happens to Kyra at the start of the novel, who has no recollection of the crime she has been convicted of, or her previous life. However, perhaps her slating procedure was not a 100% success? As echoes of her past, residual memories, return and nothing is what it seems in what develops into a complex conspiracy thriller. Teri Terry is quite superb at this type of oppressive dystopian story where nothing should be taken for face value, and nobody can be trusted. The series fans out into a fiendishly well plotted and compulsive thriller. AGE 12+

JAMIE THOMSON: THE DARK LORD (QUARTET 2012-17)

I found the four book Dark Lord series to be very funny, the opening book deservedly won the defunct Roald Dahl Funny Prize back in 2014. A demon from another dimension (‘The Dark Lord’) awakens in the body of a teenage boy called Dirk Lloyd and realises he has lost his magical powers and is forced to go to school, brush his teeth and is even made to go swimming. It pitches perfectly the trials of the ‘Dark Lord’ who tries and fit in at school, deal with puberty, whilst trying to destroy the world after lunch. It is very stupid, but particularly engaging and is not to be taken seriously and is perfect for kids who want an easy, undemanding, read.  Before long Dirk makes friends with the son of his foster family, Christopher, and the local Goth Girl, Sooz, and together they attempt to cast a spell that will transport Dirk back to his demonic homeland. Inevitably, not everything goes to plan which is developed in book two. It is also perfect for reading aloud to younger kids for bedtime reading. AGE 9+
 
DANIEL WATERS: GENERATION DEAD (QUARTET 2008-16)

All over the country teenagers who die, ‘The Newlydeads’ come back to life, in this clever riff on the teen horror, not-quite zombie, novel. In some ways it was a teen twist on John Ajvide Lindqvist’s adult horror novel Handling the Undead, but it’s a very convincing YA alternative and having the dead mix with the living in every day high school really is freaky and entertaining. Before long main character Phoebe finds herself falling for a zombie. The sequels really building upon the premise in the original and things get darker as they develop. The belated fourth book is a collection of short stories and novellas which was released six years after book three and is not a true sequel. AGE 12+
 
RICK YANCEY: THE MONSTRUMOLOGIST (QUARTET 2009-13)

This atmospheric gothic series has it all: monsters, corpses, spooky catacombs, atmosphere and loads of great scares, not to mention three bloody sequels which are top heavy with crazy creatures. Will Henry is an apprentice to Dr. Pellinore Warthrop and is about to start telling his story, in diary format, the darkest secrets of the world’s most famous Monstrumologist and the dodgy experiments and dealings he gets up to in the name of science.  Each of the stories are presented as different quests and if monster mashups are your thing, these are hard to beat. After the conclusion of this series Yancey turned his hand to science fiction with the excellent Fifth Wave trilogy. AGE 11+