Jennifer Lynn Barnes

There is a very specific YA genre of “Female protagonist (often an orphan) discovers she has unusual skill.” These books are not fantasy; she’s not a witch or bitten by a spider. Yes, there is normally a love interest but he is so low on the totem pole of plot lines that you could cut him out without issue. My love for these books started in middle school with Francine Pascal’s Fearless series, was fed later by Ali Carter and now Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Is the writing going to knock your socks off? Of course not. But they sure as shit will take you for a ride.