What do the following books have in common?
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (1900)
- Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie (1990)
- Divergent by Veronica Roth (2011)
- The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien (1937)
- The Maze Runner by James Dashner (2009)
- When Dark Roots Hunt by me! (2023)
The answer is: they’re the best ‘It’ll be better when I get there’ SFF YA Books!
Shepherd is a book discovery platform for readers and authors, designed to make discovering a new book a magical experience where the search is part of the fun. By creating ‘Best Book’ lists, readers can stumble upon books similar to others they’ve enjoyed, opening them up to new experiences, all while promoting authors.
This particular ‘Best Book’ list encapsulates the common ‘it’ll be better when we get there’ philosophy. Dorothy in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz believes it’ll be better when she follows the yellow brick road and reaches the Emerald City. Everyone in The Maze Runner believes that it’ll be better once they escape the maze. In The Hobbit, Bilbo believes everything will be better once he returns home. It’s the same for Haroun, Tris and Sala in Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Divergent and When Dark Roots Hunt. Each of these books features an element of wishful thinking, and characters who find guidance, hope, and courage through their strength of belief, no matter how dangerous their trials in the unfamiliar worlds around them.
Whether or not you’ve already read When Dark Roots Hunt yet(!), this ‘Best Book’ list invites you to consider reading other similar books you might enjoy. If you haven’t read any of the books on this list… you sure have some exciting and thought-provoking reads ahead of you!!
Thank you Shepherd for including this incredible ‘Best Book’ list, and of course for promoting authors – including me! Read more over here: Best ‘It’ll be better when I get there’ SFF YA Books.
