Today, in honor of both National Poetry Month and our April Book of the Month author Lisa Schroeder — we’re bringing you an introduction to verse novels.
All three of Lisa’s YA novels are written in verse, a device she’s found handy for a variety of reasons. For one, it lets her get down to the core emotions of her characters. It’s also a style that works well for her, since she has admitted she has difficulty expanding on long, descriptive passages.
But for a newcomer, verse novels can seem intimidating. Fear not! Not only are they really easy & fun to read — they’ve also been around for ages.
In fact, you need only look at the “classics,” such as The Illiad and The Odyssey — both epic poems that can be considered a precursor to modern verse novels.
The simple definition of a verse novel is this:
a type of narrative poetry in which a novel-length narrative is told through the medium of poetry rather than prose
In a guest blog later this month, Lisa Schroeder will talk about why verse novels are perfect for reluctant readers.
We’ll also feature information about nine YA verse novels recommended by Lisa herself.
For the comments: Have you ever read a verse novel? What did you like/dislike about it?
Novel Novice 