As I said a couple of weeks ago, the 8-14 October 2011 issue of the New Zealand Listener (which came out on 1 October), included my large feature on award-drenched crime writer Harlan Coben, who's latest book SHELTER takes a turn into the teen fiction world, centring on the adventures and escapades of Myron Bolitar's nephew Mickey, and his new friends. The article also included a side-bar on other adult fiction thriller writers who had recently turned to the young adult market. The article, and side-bar, is now available to read in full online, at the Listener website here (or click on the image above).
I really enjoyed talking to Coben a few weeks ago for the article; he's an intelligent, interesting guy with a good sense of humour. I read SHELTER before the interview, and really enjoyed it - unlike some adult writers who've turned their hand to teen fiction, Coben hasn't simplified the storylines and issues too much - in essence, SHELTER is a good suspense novel that just happens to have a teenager at the centre of it.
Have you read SHELTER, or any of Coben's other tales? Do you like reading teen crime fiction, even as an adult? What do you think of the feature interview? What were your favourite crime or thriller novels as a teen reader yourself? Comments welcome.
Craig - Thanks for sharing this. I have to confess that I don't read teen-oriented fiction very often. That said though, I salute and admire those who write books that get young people to read. Anything that draws young people into the world of books and reading is, I think, a good thing. So I'm very glad you've highlighted this aspect of what Coben does.
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