My favorite book (or movie) moment has got to be the Oh. Em. Gee!
I like to be surprised. No, scratch that… I like to be shocked. I love a plot twist that makes me rethink everything I thought I knew. I love how, as I’m reading one of those Holy shit, that just happened! scenes, my heart begins to race and my skin breaks out in shivers. I love when the absolutely unexpected reaches out and slaps me across the face. I love being awed by the way dozens of once-hidden clues suddenly become SO OBVIOUS. And I love nothing more than when an author ties numerous seemingly loose threads into a neat and tidy bow.
I love to have my mind blown.
A few books that totally rock the elusive Oh. Em. Gee! moment (there’s a reason these are on my FAVORITES list):
Do you have any Oh. Em. Gee! book recs for me?
katyupperman.com 
I looove books with twists that make me gasp. Ender’s Game is the first book that comes to mind in terms of OMG momets, so definitely add that one to your list if you haven’t read it!
You are the second person in about 12 hours to rave to me about ENDER’S GAME, Meagan. I’ll definitely add it to my TBR list, especially knowing now that it has an OMG moment. 🙂
Divergent was an OMG book for me, especially when she’s zip-lining in the city and jumping from moving trains. Ah… Heart stopping moments. Definitely loved Across the Universe, too. Chime is still on my to-read list.
Yes, to both DIVERGENT and ACROSS THE UNIVERSE! They both had me dropping my jaw more than once!
I have A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS, and it’s on my TBR list. I would also like to read ACROSS THE UNIVERSE. Elizabeth Norris’s very-soon-to-be-released UNRAVELING has a reveal that caught me by surprise (in a good way).
Ooh, I don’t know UNRAVELING, Colin, but I’ll definitely check it out, especially knowing now that it has the OMG factor. And A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS… that book tore me up. I LOVED it!
HOLES. Yes. That book. It is one of my all-time favorites and it is truly mind-blowing. JELLICOE ROAD is high on my list as well. The entire Harry Potter series is pretty mind-blowing too. When you think that horcruxes were planted in stories as early as book 2 (Tom Riddle’s diary), it’s really something.
JK Rowling is a master at OMG moments. The end of THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN is one of my favorites. The forward planning involved with that series… it blows my mind.
Jellicoe Road, the entire Harry Potter series like Erin mentions above (though I’m a LITTLE biased on that one because I did an entire Independent study in college on the series so I could actually see where JK took her stuff :)), Fight Club (although as I was reading that one, someone I knew ruined it for me GRR!!), and Like Megan said way way above……ENDER’S GAME!!!!! Oh man, yes.
To ruin FIGHT CLUB for someone in the middle of reading it… that’s terrible! And yes, I’m adding ENDER’S GAME to my TBR list today. I’ve heard way too many good things about it lately to slack any longer. 🙂
We asked some of the teens the same question today. 2 of 6 said Jellicoe Road. MUST READ TOO. 🙂
I don’t know if I have any new ones you haven’t read. I loved TIMEPIECE and PERFECT ESCAPE, but they don’t come out until this summer. (I know, hate me. It’s okay) Oh wait, Ellen Hopkins. Read IDENTICAL. 🙂
I saw today’s YA Confidential post today and loved it! Further proof that teens today are smart, well-read, and have EXCELLENT taste. 🙂 And don’t hate me, but I’ve yet to read Ellen Hopkins. I promise I’ll remedy that soon!
What a creative way to use the letter O. Such great suggestions. I have been reading so much non-fiction lately. I am looking forward to the summer, I’m planning to get lost and hopefully wowed by a few good books.
I was just thinking that I need to read MORE nonfiction! I just enjoy the escape of fiction (especially YA!) too much. 🙂
[continues to hand head in shame for not having read JELLICOE ROAD yet] I loved WHEN YOU REACH ME, too. It had one of those plots where you want to reread the second you finish, to go back and see the twists coming!
Yes! I checked WHEN YOU REACH ME out from the library, then bought a copy as soon as I’d finished reading. That book is just too amazing not to own, and I look forward to reading it with my girlie someday. And Rebecca… you MUST read JELLICOE!
I love the OMG moments too 🙂 I think there was a pretty big one in Beth Revis’ A MILLION SUNS. Oh, and ENDER’S GAME too, but I won’t say much about that because you haven’t yet read it.
Great post, Katy!
Okay, I’m buying and reading ENDER’S GAME and reading it very soon. I’ve heard such amazing things about that book, and only just in the last few days. If it rocks the OMG factor, I MUST read it!
I saw Fight Club the movie before I read the book, but yeah, that twist was pretty great, and like Erin said, the Harry Potter series always had a great twist at the end (I’m particular to Azkaban, but also when a certain someone died in Half-Blood Prince).
Funny you mention AZKABAN and HALF-BLOOD PRINCE because those are my two HP favorites, and mostly because of their amazingly mind-blowing endings!
A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS, such a beautiful book, such a beautiful beautiful book…
Anywas, the OMG moment: well as I already told you on Twitter, while I am just on Chapter 6 of JELLICOE ROAD, I am wondering why I waited so so long to pick it up. If the story/writing continues that way, I am going to fall in love with it. I am not disturbed by the fact it is a tad slow, I actually don´t find it slow at all…And Jonah just made a brief appearance…and OMG, I need to stop talking about this book and finish reading it 😀 If you lived across the street, this is when I would ask you to drop by for tea or a drink!
Oh, Jonah! How I adore that boy! I’m so excited that you’re reading JELLICOE right now, and I hope, hope, hope you adore it as much as I do. The OMG moments just keep coming! 🙂
First, I’m excited that we are doing the MAYbe Blogfest together. 🙂
And, second, I’ve read all of your book choices above and also loved all of them. If you are asking me to add my thoughts/suggestions on OMG books, I’d add:
The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Lainie Taylor
Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta (love all of her books)
The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
Mystic Rover by Dennis Lehane
The English Patient by M. Oj….something… (I don’t know how to spell his name and I’m in a rush, so no time to look)
I could go on and on…and on… 🙂
Happy Tuesday!
Hugs,
Lola
DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE… Oh, I love that book so much! And yes, full of twists and OMG moments! I have Froi sitting in my TBR pile now; I love all of Melina Marchetta’s work as well.
And yay for Blog Me MAYbe! Can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with for their posts. 🙂
Great post! But I have a COMPLETE brain fart now. I know I’ve had a couple of OMG moments from books–Across the Universe and Fight Club stick out to me from your list. But I can’t think of anymore! Maybe Shutter Island…
I haven’t read SHUTTER ISLAND, but I’ve seen the movie, and yes: It has exactly the kind of OMG moment’s I’m talking about!
HOLES. That has got to be the most ultimate OMG book. Ever. And I loved the twist in When You Reach Me! I find that MG books tend to flourish under that kind of OMG twist, because it’s similar to how kids are learning to look at things, or life in general, in a new way, you know? 🙂
As for books I’ve read: let’s see. Ultraviolet by R J Anderson (she called it “stealth sci-fi”, and for good reason :P); Remote Control by Jack Heath — this book got me hooked on thrillers; Patrick Ness’s The Knife Of Never Letting Go (that book is CRAZY)… I could probably go on and on! Oh, and one more I have to throw in: The Adoration of Jenna Fox, by Mary E. Pearson. Okay. I’m going to be quiet now, so as not to make your life any harder. 😛
I agree with you about middle grade books. Perhaps those big, twisty moments are more common in middle grade because they’re necessary to hold a middle grader’s attention?
I don’t know ULTRAVIOLET, but I’m definitely intrigued, and I’ve never heard anyone say anything negative about THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO. I really enjoyed JENNA FOX… have you read its follow-up? I’ve heard good things!
This is a great topic–this is what makes me love things in all media forms: ASSASSINS (the musical by John Weidman and Stephen Sondheim) kind of does this, MAD MEN does it on my TV every Sunday night, LOOKING FOR ALASKA nearly killed me with it when I was blithely reading away on the subway, totally unaware of what I was in for. Clearly, I have to read JELLICOE ROAD, like, yesterday…it’s just that all the books sitting on my crammed TBR shelf might mutiny. (#bestproblemever)
Oh, JELLICOE… I hope you get around to it soon! I’d had ALASKA spoiled for me before I read it so I knew what was coming. I can only imagine my reaction if I hadn’t!
I can’t really think of anything else that hasn’t been mentioned. JELLICOE ROAD and DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE are the biggest ones for me. I was in shock with both of those!
And with all the talk about JELLICOE lately, I really need to read it again.
JELLICOE is one of the few books I’ve ever wanted to read. I love it so much! And SMOKE AND BONE… holy cow, did that book blow me away!
I have JELLICOE ROAD sitting on my desk right this very minute. i will finish it as soon as I finish A MILLION SUNS which is blowing my mind!!
Oh, JELLICOE… I recommend this book to EVERYONE. I hope you love it, Nicole!
I will START it. Haha