Appeal Terms for Teens (courtesy of the Phoenix Public Library)
Recommending books based on their particular appeals (rather than, for example, by subject alone) is a concept endorsed and practiced by many prominent readers’ advisory librarians.
Storyline Appeal Terms (Teens)
The Storyline tag is a quick way to determine a book's focus -- is the plot what drives the story, or is character development where the real interest lies? Is the plot intricate and complex? This appeal factor will help readers find books with the overall structure they are looking for.
· Action-packed: Pulse-pounding, high-octane excitement is the rule in these books!
· Character-driven: The interior growth and development of the characters is an important element in these books.
· Intricately plotted: These books have intricate, complicated, or elaborate storylines, often involving multiple plots, large casts of characters, or numerous narrative twists and turns.
· Issue-oriented: Issue-oriented books explore controversial themes, which may cover a variety of emotional, ethical, or social problems.
· Plot-driven: In these books, a pivotal event or series of events move the story forward; characters often react to the events, rather than causing them.
· World-building: Almost exclusively found in works of fantasy and science fiction, these books immerse the reader in a vividly-created imaginary world that possesses such intricacies as invented histories, languages, geography, or cultures.
Pace is the rate at which a story unfolds for the reader. The NoveList vocabulary for this appeal factor is designed to identify books falling at either end of the pacing spectrum -- those titles that are clearly fast-paced, or those which are steady and measured. Books that fall in the middle will not receive a pace appeal tag.
· Fast-paced: Events in these exciting books unfold rapidly, moving the reader quickly through the story.
· Relaxed pace: Due to descriptive language, focus on detail, or careful development of character or setting, these books unfold slowly and gradually, allowing the reader to savor the narrative.
Tone is the feeling that a book evokes in the reader. Is the mood of the story light and upbeat, or dark and menacing? Is it inspirational or bleak? Does the setting significantly add to the emotional content of the story? This subtle and challenging appeal factor is very important to readers.
· Amusing: While they may not make you laugh out loud, these entertaining stories have a light humor that sometimes accentuates more serious themes.
· Angst-filled: Characters in these books experience the problems associated with adolescence, such as changing relationships, parental pressure, and questions about sexuality, popularity, or social standing. Unsurprisingly, interpersonal or social conflict is often a major aspect of the story.
· Atmospheric: These books immerse the reader in the story's setting, whether it's a gothic mansion or a small Midwestern town. Although noteworthy, these settings are more generic than those in which 'Strong sense of place' is used as an appeal term.
· Bittersweet: These books have a mixed emotional edge – both pleasant and painful – that is sustained through much of the story.
· Bleak: The general outlook of these books is dark, frequently offering little faith in human nature, and tending away from hope or optimism. While there may be some brighter elements, a sad or grim tone pervades the overall story.
· Creepy: Unsettling in a visceral, skin-crawling way, these books make the reader distinctly uneasy, and often feature supernatural elements and eerie settings.
· Darkly humorous: The humor found in these books is biting, and the tone and subject matter are often morbid.
· Disturbing: These books approach the darker side of human nature, and are unsettling in a sophisticated, psychological manner. They often feature socially marginal or dysfunctional individuals and families, and showcase the less pleasant sides of human interaction.
· Emotionally intense: Conveying great depth or complexity of emotion, these books explore the inner lives of characters in detail.
· Feel-good: These books have a gentle, comfortable, and hopeful feeling (not just a happy ending), and don't usually have edgy or potentially objectionable content.
· Funny: Laugh-out-loud humor and a light, playful tone characterize these books.
· Gruesome: Not for the squeamish, these books include a significant amount of explicit gore or other grisly elements.
· Haunting: Often because of hard-hitting storylines, these books have a memorable, unforgettable quality that stays with the reader.
· High-drama: These juicy books deal with the perilous teen social scene and its attendant back-stabbing, gossip, and over-the-top theatrics.
· Homespun: Simplicity is key in these books, which often have a rural or small-town setting and feature characters that are unpretentious and cherish old-fashioned values.
· Inspirational: These books have an inspiring, enlightening, or uplifting quality, which may or may not be religious in nature.
· Melancholy: While not grim or hopeless, these books have a sad, somber, or gloomy edge.
· Menacing: A sense of threat or menace pervades these stories, giving the reader a feeling of foreboding or dread.
· Moving: These books convey emotions that are profoundly touching, hitting a nerve with readers and deeply affecting them.
· Mystical: Although not necessarily religious in nature, these books approach spiritual themes: sometimes by exploring archetypes and myths, sometimes by incorporating magical or metaphysical events, and sometimes by addressing aspects of the human experience from a spiritual perspective.
· Offbeat: Frequently containing extreme plot twists, bizarre humor, and unique personalities, these quirky books recount unconventional, idiosyncratic, or unusual stories, often quite creatively.
· Reflective: These contemplative books feature characters who think seriously about their lives and their place in the world, which can inspire a similar mood in the reader.
· Romantic: These books are not genre romances, but do feature strong romantic elements – either between characters or in the nature of the story or setting itself. Happy endings are not guaranteed!
· Sarcastic: Sarcasm is frequently employed in these books, or can be attributed to one or more main characters. Despite sarcasm's association with humor, these books aren't always meant to be funny, and can be quite serious.
· Sassy: These books feature characters (usually female) with outsized personalities and a bottomless well of one-liners and comebacks.
· Serious: Marked by seriousness, gravity, or solemnity, these books often confront social issues such as war, poverty, environmental, gender, or racial concerns.
· Steamy: Whether they describe chemistry, sexual tension, mere innuendo, outright lust, or the act itself, these books have an unmistakably sexy aura.
· Strong sense of place: The powerfully depicted locales – real or imaginary – in these books come alive for readers, giving them a good sense of the buildings, people, and ways of life that make a place unique. This appeal term is often linked to a subject heading for the setting or location being described.
· Suspenseful: Ranging in intensity from subtle psychological unease to nail-biting suspense, these books keep readers on edge.
· Thought-provoking: More than just telling a story, these books take on big ideas – anything from philosophical quandaries to time paradoxes – and in doing so stimulate continued interest or thought in the reader.
· Upbeat: These fun books are lighthearted, hopeful, and optimistic.
· Whimsical: These fanciful and playful books will charm and enchant readers and often include fairy tales or other elements of fantasy.
In NoveList, writing style as an appeal factor includes the language used in the book and the level of detail in the background. How is the book written? Are care and attention placed on the words or language used to convey the story, or is this secondary to the plot? Does the author excel at including "extras" that enrich the reader's experience?
· Candid: The narrative style of these books is frank and forthcoming, even when discussing potentially sensitive or discomfiting subjects.
· Compelling: Incorporating a variety of narrative techniques, from foreshadowing to frequent changes in perspective, these gripping books have a powerful effect on readers, drawing them irresistibly into the story.
· Conversational: Written in informal language, these books read as if a close friend were telling a story.
· Descriptive: Full of elaborate descriptions, these books use illustrative, expressive language.
· Dialect-rich: These books employ regional language, making the setting come alive.
· Dialogue-rich: These books contain well-crafted, notable, or remarkable dialogue.
· Engaging: These appealing books capture the attention and imagination of readers through narrative style, character, or use of detail.
· Experimental: These books employ language, narrative structure, or even setting in an unusual or unexpected manner.
· Gritty: Characterized by a narrative style that includes dark and unsettling details, these books often depict violence.
· Jargon-filled: These books use the specialized, technical language of a particular group, trade, or profession.
· Lush: The descriptive language in these books is specifically geared toward evoking the senses. Touch, taste, smell, hearing or sight are strongly depicted, making readers feel as if they are actually experiencing what is being described.
· Lyrical: The language in these titles is elegant and beautiful, often with a rhythmic or poetic quality.
· Richly detailed: In these books, a strong level of detail informs the story's backdrop. Sometimes a special body of knowledge (e.g., of forensics, music, history, etc.) adds to the storyline, and sometimes there are so many "extras" included that the reader's experience is greatly enriched.
· Slang-heavy: Characters in these books make frequent use of slang, which often aids in character development. Slang occurs chiefly in casual and playful speech and is typically made up of short-lived coinages and figures of speech that are deliberately used in place of standard terms for added raciness, humor, irreverence or other effect.
· Spare: The writing in these books is minimal and elegant. Words are seldom wasted, and great attention is paid to the use of language.
· Stylistically complex: The language in these books is constructed with care, and may skillfully combine several style elements. Due to sophisticated narrative structure, these stories can often be read on a number of levels.
· Thoughtful: Despite covering a sensitive or controversial topic, these books are considerately written and handle the subject with respect.
· Witty: Through clever use of language, these books express amusing insights or perceptions.
