February Genreflecting: Romance: The Basics

I wanted to do a reading challenge for the subject of Genreflecting, but I didn't get much feedback (maybe because it asked you to read 2 books for each genre and discuss them or because it's not really a "reading challenge" per se, but more an educational experiment), so I've turned it into a monthly feature! For each month of 2013, there will be a specific genre that will be analyzed. I'm planning to have author input and at least 2 reviews of books in the genre as well.

February's genre is Romance! While many if not most YA books have some romance in them, the books in that fit in this genre revolve around the romantic elements. Rather than focusing on the experiences of life, these books focus on the emotions and what is more emotional than young love? A key difference between YA and adult romance though is that in YA books, it's not all about the happily ever after or the hot & heavy action. These books handle the emotional build-up to creating a romance more than the outcome of said romance. (paraphrased from Teen Genreflecting 3, 2010)

A few of my favorite authors you may recognize in this genre are:
Meg Cabot (The Princess Diaries)
Anna Godbersen (The Luxe)
Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry)
Jandy Nelson (The Sky is Everywhere) (Interview)

I'm excited to say that I've chosen my two books, one older and one newer, to read for this challenge. The older book is Forever by Judy Blume (originally published in 1999) and I'll have a review and analysis up on Friday, February 15th. The newer book is Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway (originally published in 2008) and I'll have a review and analysis up on Friday, February 22nd. I'll also be hosting a giveaway, so stay tuned!