And the 2011 LA Times Book Prize...
...for YA literature goes to The Big Crunch, by Pete Hautman.
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSS.
It’s a quiet love story that delivers an emotional kick in the gut. It’s unpredictable and unusual, true and real. The Big Crunch acknowledges the ephemeral nature of first love, but celebrates the depth of feeling that accompanies it. It’s introspective without navel-gazing, and it’s tightly written, sharply detailed, with a crisp, clear focus. It’s painful without being angsty, and hopeful without being saccharine or ever sacrificing realism. All that, and it’s also a beautifully written story about friendship and family, sacrifice, commitment and compromise.