The Devil is in the Details

I admit it. I love big, complicated, detailed plots. Sure, I have certainly been known to love some books with very straight-forward, simple plots, too. But for the most part, the more detailed and complicated, the better!

(This is assuming, of course, that the author has the skill to dangle multiple plot threads at once and to tie everything up by the end of the book, or at least by the end of the series.)

It seems that many of the "big" YA books -- you know the ones I mean...that hit all the bestseller lists, get lots and lots of attention, and have a large crossover audience of adults as well as teens -- have detailed plots and multiple subplots. Not all of them, of course. There are plenty of excellent books out there that are incredibly straight-forward.

Yet, there are some people who believe that YA should not have detailed, complicated plots, because teenagers have shorter attention spans than adults. Frankly, I think that's a little patronizing, and fails to take account of some of the "biggest" books out there.

Which brings me to cross-over novels, those YA books that appeal to both teens and adults. Most of these books have large, detailed plots with multiple subplots and often a large cast of characters, all of whom get their own thread. Are "big books" with detailed plots more likely to be cross-overs than straight-forward books?

What are some of your favorite YA books? Are they super complex or more straight-forward? Dish!

BONUS: I'll throw in an additional $10 to Rhonda's Amazon prize, but you need to comment on today's thread!