PODCAST · arts
To All the YA I've Loved Before
by Retrospect Publishing
Join best friends Kaycee and Ashley as they dive into the wonderful world of young adult fiction books from the 1990s, 2000s, and beyond. Revisit influential books and listen as they share relatable (and cringy) experiences from their own teen years. With insightful analysis, they discuss both the beloved and not-so-great aspects of these works while exploring the evolution of YA. Whether you're a bookworm or want to revisit the entertainment of your teen years, this is your perfect podcast BFF. Get ready to uncover the timeless magic of young adult fiction, one nostalgic page at a time.
Episodes
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Check out our new show, Nostalgic Nightcaps!
Hi! Kaycee and Ashley here with a new podcast all about the Movies, TV, books, music, and pop culture that influenced our childhood in the 90s and 2000s — and the stuff that came out before our time that still had a hold on us. We’ll discuss and analyze the artifacts of pop culture past all while...
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To All the YA Interviews: Micky O’Brady, author of Playing With #Fire
In this mini-episode, Kaycee sits down with author Micky O’Brady to discuss Playing With #Fire, and her latest release, CRISPR—CRIS PARR, a gripping YA Sci-Fi Thriller. Micky shares her unique journey from pediatrician to writer, and how her medical background shapes the compelling narratives in...
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To All the YA Interviews: Maureen Johnson (Best-Selling Author of Truly Devious) Discusses Her Latest Release, Death at Morning House
In this episode, we sit down for an interview with Maureen Johnson, the mastermind behind the best-selling Truly Devious series. We explore her latest YA mystery, Death at Morning House, set in the picturesque Thousand Islands of upstate New York. Maureen's signature wit and complex storytelling...
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Track 05: Darling (K. Ancrum) + “Peter”
We adore retellings of classic stories, and Darling by K. Ancrum, published in 2021, instantly captivated our hearts. This dark, modern reimagining of Peter Pan unfolds in the vibrant cityscape of Chicago, seen through the eyes of 17-year-old Wendy Darling. On her very first night in her new…
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Track 04: Albatross v. “The Albatross”
The year was 2010, and emo boys were wreaking havoc on the girls in Josie Bloss’s Albatross (and perhaps in our own lives too). Tess is new in town and finds herself irresistibly drawn to Micah Richter, the brooding, “brilliant”, and emotionally erratic emo kid that everyone warns her about. As...
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To All the YA Interviews: Jamie Krakover, author of The Tracker Sequence books
Welcome to a special mini-episode of To All the YA I've Loved Before! This week, Jamie Krakover, an aerospace engineer by day and a sci-fi and fantasy writer by night, joins Kaycee to discuss her upcoming book Authority. Jamie shares her unique journey as an engineer and the author of the Tracker...
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Track 03: Sarah Dessen’s Someone Like You + “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)”
That’s right, this week we’re finally heading into the Dessen-verse. Sarah Dessen is one of Young Adult Literature’s best, and in this episode, we are talking about her 1998 novel Someone Like You. This is a coming-of-age classic, with just about every single high school experience packed into...
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Track 02: Roswell High #1 The Outsider + “Down Bad”
Homecoming dances, overwhelming crushes, and…aliens?! In this episode about The Outsider, we're talking cosmic love. Melinda Metz packs in a whole lot of intergalactic goodness and meaningful themes in the first book of the Roswell High series, published in 1998. In this episode, Kaycee tells...
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To All the YA Interviews: Bethanie Finger, author of YA Fantasy series More Than Life
In this month’s Featured Author Episode, Kaycee is joined by Bethanie Finger to talk about her nautical Young Adult Fantasy novel More Than Life. Discussions of topic include: incorporating grief into storytelling, worldbuilding candle pairings, and The Baby-Sitter’s Club spin-off fanfiction.…
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Track 01: The Boy Next Door (Fear Street #39) + “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys”
Note: We’d like to blame Simon and Schuster for using the wrong name for one of the characters in the book blurb, which Kaycee reads at the beginning of the episode. There is no Lauren in this book, so we stand corrected. Justice for Lynne! Hey, Shadysiders! Despite all warnings to avoid the…
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Sweet Valley High: The New Jessica + A Very Special Birthday Episode
Frutopia mornings, business casual afternoons, and makeover weekends…Kaycee introduces Ashley to the best of Sweet Valley, which mean talks about black shampoo-in hair-dye, Jeffrey French romances, and Jessa Fields. Follow us on Instagram @toalltheya www.instagram.com/toalltheya You can find...
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The Royal Diaries: Marie Antoinette + Bad Women of History
We are so sad to be wrapping up this Dear Diary season, but happy to have our favorite complicated woman of history, Marie Antoinette, to do it with. We read Marie Antoinette, Princess of Versailles of The Royal Diaries series by Kathryn Lasky (published in 2000) and we have a lot to say about…
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Dear America: Voyage on the Great Titanic + Titanic Culture
This episode is all about Titanic Culture, one of the most important things to hit our little 8 year old brains. Everyone was hopping on the Titanic obsession back in the late 90s, and Scholastic was no exception. Enter Voyage on the Titanic: The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady, R.M.S. Titanic, 1912...
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We Go Back to 2006 (All the Time) With Phoebe’s Diary
In this episode, Phoebe’s Diary by Phoebe Wahl (pub. 2023) allowed us to take our own trip down memory lane back to being a teenager in 2006. In a fictionalized diary based on her teenage years, Phoebe Wahl explores embarrassing moments, first boyfriends, and know-it-all older sisters that we…
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Lessons From The Healing Time of Hickeys
We revisited The Healing Time of Hickeys by Karen Rivers (published in 2003) about 20 years after we read it the first time, which means we spotted a lot of the things that made us who we are in the pages of this book. This weird girl lit came at us in a time we needed it the most our freshmen…
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We Contain Multitudes + “The US Postal Service is Abuzz”
A contemporary queer YA romance novel written in letters? Set in Minneapolis, Minnesota? With lots of Prince talk? Wow, what a treat We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra (published in 2019) was for us this week. Topics of discussion include: stinky ex-boyfriends, lots of Minneapolis talk, and...
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P.S. Longer Letter Later + Staying Friends Forever
This week’s book is all about learning how to stay Best Friends 4Ever from across the country, something we personally know a little about after moving so far away from each other :(. We read P.S. Longer Letter Later by Paula Danziger and Ann M. Martin, published in 1998. Main characters…
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Things I'll Never Say + Grief, Crushes, and Diaries
This week, we have a much more nuanced, empathetic take on teens, drugs, and addiction than our last entry in the YA Diary genre. We read Things I’ll Never Say by Cassandra Newbould, published in 2023. It's a beautiful story about grief, love, and what comes next in life. Other topics of interest...
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Go Ask Alice + Fraudsters, Drugs, and Diaries
We’re starting this season off with a novel that was near and dear to a naive twelve-year-old Kaycee’s heart. Go Ask Alice, a book that boasted being a REAL diary from a REAL fifteen-year-old girl was published in 1971, and the journey this book took through history is quite a tale. In this...
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Degrassi Discussions: S1 E15 Jagged Little Pill (Bonus Episode)
In 2002 a drug called ecstasy and a little Canadian teen drama by the name of Degrassi: The Next Generation combined to make one of the best television episodes of our young lives Degrassi proves a lot can happen in 23 minutes, and we discuss it all at length. Plus, we talk favorite and least...
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Tastes Like Candy + It’s a New Year’s Slay
A carnival slasher for the last episode of the season (and the year) just felt so right! We read Tastes Like Candy by Ivy Tholen (published in 2020), and absolutely loved the cool year-round Halloween carnival setting, friendships, and very high school themes of moving on. This episode got us…
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Fear Street’s The First Scream (Fear Park #1) + Amusement Park Horrors
When will the people of Shadyside finally abandon this horror of a town altogether? Absolutely never, if the many Fear Street spin-offs have their way (and we love it). Welcome to Fear Park, an amusement park that shows the horrors of imminent domain and exploiting huge tragedy for entertainment....
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Twilight (film) + When 100 Year Old Vampires Go to High School
Staring longingly across parking lots, bad wigs, and Jasper…these are only a few of the things Stephenie Meyer has to answer for as we take on the popular 2008 teen vampire flick Twilight this week. Topics of discussion include: the vampire version of Wonderwalling a girl, 2008 fashion, and being...
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Look for Me by Moonlight + The Dangers of YA Vampire Boyfriends
We are back in 1995 this week with another vamp novel Look for Me by Moonlight by Mary Downing Hahn. Sixteen-year-old, shy and self-conscious Cynda goes to live with her father and his new family in their old Maine inn. She just wants to feel closer to her dad, and maybe experience a little…
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Dracula Doesn’t Drink Lemonade (The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids #16) + The Beginnings of Vampire YA
Kaycee and Ashley take on another vampire in the Bailey School Kids Universe — penned by Debbie Daley and Marcia Thornton Jones — with Dracula Doesn’t Drink Lemonade. The core four crew of Howie, Eddie, Liza, and Melody are a bit creeped when they meet Mr. Drake, their new school counselor. He...
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Squad + Werewolves Eating the Patriarchy in YA
It’s baby’s first graphic novel on the pod today with Maggie Tokunda-Hall and Lisa Sterle’s Squad. We are diving right back into the whole werewolf of it all, and this one is such a treat…just like the human boys our girl squad snacks on once a month. This novel weaves a wonderfully contemporary...
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Sweet Valley High Horror in London Miniseries (#104-106) + Werewolves Eating the Rich in YA
The Wakefield twins are leaving good old Sweet Valley and crossing the pond to London, England in this miniseries that includes #104 Love and Death in London, #105 A Date With a Werewolf, and #106 Beware the Wolfman. Don’t you worry, though, everyone is just as obsessed with Jessica and Elizabeth...
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The Babysitters Coven + The Power of Babysitting
We felt a deep, magical connection this week with The Babysitters Coven by Kate Williams, and we think all our fellow 80s/90s nostalgia lovers will feel the same. We seriously loved this book, which pays homage to the books and pop culture of our youths in a fantastic, meta way, while giving us…
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Baby-sitters' Fright Night (The Baby-sitter's Club Super Mystery #3) + Babysitters in Horror
What would a podcast about Young Adult Fiction be without talking about The Baby-Sitters Club? A bad one, probably. In this episode, we discuss an installment of the popular 80s/90s teen girl paperback series Baby-sitters' Fright Night (Super Mystery #3). We analyze the series' lasting impact…
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BONUS! Author chat with Lyssa Chiavari on YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Asexuality, and the Release of One World
Happy Ace Week! On this bonus episode, Kaycee talks with YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy and Ace author Lyssa Chiavari all about the release of One World, the last book of the Iamos Trilogy, out Tuesday, October 24th. Topics of discussion include asexuality, representation in YA, and a look into the…
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The Collector + Creepy Dolls in the Modern Age
We’re back on our creepy doll bullshit with the 2018 middle grade horror book The Collector by K.R. Alexander. We have a lot of questions (and a few answers) after reading this book like are the baby dolls in this story all children that have been turned into dolls? What’s with all these creepy...
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The Dollhouse Murders + Creepy Dolls
We step foot into spooky book season with the 1983 children’s classic The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright. This episode is full of horrors like creepy dolls and Reagan’s America as we explore the scary story of what happens when families refuse to talk through their issues. Discussions of...
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Halloweentown, DCOMs, and the Magic of Disney Halloween with Allison McClain Merrill
“Being normal is vastly overrated” We open up Spooky Season 6 welcoming special guest (and Disney Channel Historian) Allison McClain Merrill to discuss the fabulously nostalgic Halloweentown. We talk meeting Kimberly J. Brown (and each other) at 90s Con Tampa and lament over all the content…
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Grumpy/Sunshine + Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches by Kate Scelsa
Helpppp! We’re melting during the recording of this episode. Not because it’s about witches, but because we’re over the summer heat. Good thing we’ve got the autumnal, Halloween spirit of Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches to get us through to fall. Set in Salem, Massachusetts, Improbable Magic...
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Enemies-to-Lovers + My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth
Enemies-to-lovers is one of our favorite tropes, and we’re so glad the STEM-forward My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Carol Follmuth did not disappoint! This YA novel will transport you back to a time when it was uncool to care about anything, but you’ll definitely be caring about the amazing...
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BONUS! More love for Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky in Netflix’s To All the Boys Trilogy (with Cousin of the Pod Kristen)
We’re back with more from the To All the Boys Extended Universe (TAtBEU) talking about Netflix’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, P.S. I Still Love You, and Always and Forever. Kaycee is once again joined by Cousin Kristen (who you’ve heard in our Christmas Home Alone 2 episode). We ask if it’s...
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Fake Dating + To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
In today’s episode, Kaycee crawls out of her Covid hell cave to talk with Ashley about the absolutely delightful To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han and another favorite trope Fake Dating. The ladies love Lara Jean’s sweet, poetic love letters, have a total hate on for Josh (Peter...
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Childhood Crushes Live! from the kitchen table of an Air BnB
The Green Ranger, Dick Van Dyke’s character in Mary Poppins, Usher, and Devon Sawa in Now and Then. What do these people have in common? Not much, except that we were in love with them when we were kids! This episode is all about the guys and gals we loved from teen TV, movies, YA books, and…
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Love Triangles + R.L. Stine’s First Date (Fear Street #16)
This week is a little more scary than romantic with the 1992 Fear Street Series novel First Date. Kaycee and Ashley are here to enthuse about R.L. Stine’s ability to write incredibly authentic teen girl characters while telling a very captivating story about a serial killer and the dangers of...
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Friends to Lovers + Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden
We’ve got a sweet sapphic romance for you all for Pride Month with the Young Adult classic Annie On My Mind from 1982. Join Ashley and Kaycee as they talk about how this is one of the best uses of the Friends to Lovers trope, a history of the banning of this book, and the prevalent themes of home...
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BONUS! Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet feat. Ryan
Kaycee is back to talk about more forbidden love with Husband of the Pod Ryan on the 1996 modernized adaption of Romeo and Juliet. They’re smitten over Paul Rudd’s silly portrayal of Paris, Kaycee finds a way to relate a classic play to the Gossip Girl TV show, and they have a bone to pick with…
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Forbidden Love + Sweet Valley High (Betrayal Miniseries #120-122)
This week, Ashley and Kaycee take on the task of not just one, but three books all about forbidden love. In this episode, they detail Sweet Valley High’s Betrayal Miniseries, which includes #120 In Love With the Enemy, #121 The High School War, and #122 A Kiss Before Dying. This is Kaycee’s...
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To All the YA 90s Mixtape with Erin and Sam (E.S. Rosalynn)
At To All the YA, we love 90s music and we love YA, so why wouldn't we have two amazing authors who wrote a YA novel incorporating our fave throwback tunes come on the pod? Erin and Sam of writing team E.S. Rosalynn joins us to talk about their first novel Mixtape Volume One, give us a preview of...
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90s Con Tampa Announcement + REWIND! Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Half of To All the YA (aka Kaycee) is going to be at 90s Con in Tampa with Cider Mill Coven September 15, 16, and 17 (Get your tickets now!), and this is a rewind episode from our last Spooktacular Halloween season to celebrate! Kaycee is joined by Cider Mill Coven author Vanessa Abigail Lambert…
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First Love + Judy Blume's Forever
This season, we’re all about love and our favorite romance tropes! We’re starting out with the classic first love novel Forever by the iconic Judy Blume. Kaycee and Ashley had a wonderful first time with this novel, and unlike main character Katherine’s, it did not disappoint. We discuss new...
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Totally in love...with Season 5 (Trailer)
Do you like us? Check yes or no. Kaycee and Ashley are back next week with a brand new season of crushes, first loves, and romantic tropes! Links Follow us on Instagram @toalltheya Visit us at pinkplaidmedia.com/toalltheya to stay up to date with what's happening on the pod. Season 5 theme song:...
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Kaycee and Ashley’s Totally Awesome List of 90s Pop Culture
Join hosts Kaycee and Ashley for a deep dive into the 90s pop culture that made them who they are today. This is a top 20 list of madness, complete with the Nickelodeon vs Disney debate we all had to pick a side on (Ashley was a Nickelodeon kid because she was a dirty gal), a defense of Hootie…
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Wish Upon a Star (1996)
This episode of Supplemental Watching is a celebration of the (early) birthday of co-host and BFF Ashley with the 1996 kids’ classic Wish Upon a Star. Kaycee and Ashley almost lose a friendship over if this is a DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie) or not, and the internet brings them mixed...
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Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging
Have you ever reread a book and discovered that’s what you based your entire personality around? Kaycee and Ashley’s teenage years (and beyond) were totally shaped by Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging, the 1999 British YA novel by Louise Rennison. They spend much of the episode connecting...
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Vampires Don’t Wear Polka Dots (The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids #1)
Let’s get spooky in spring with the first book of The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids series, Vampires Don’t Wear Polka Dots. Kaycee and Ashley talk about their wishes for an aged-up, live-action Bailey School Kids series (Netflix, call us), minced vs. powdered garlic, and they determine...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Join best friends Kaycee and Ashley as they dive into the wonderful world of young adult fiction books from the 1990s, 2000s, and beyond. Revisit influential books and listen as they share relatable (and cringy) experiences from their own teen years. With insightful analysis, they discuss both the beloved and not-so-great aspects of these works while exploring the evolution of YA. Whether you're a bookworm or want to revisit the entertainment of your teen years, this is your perfect podcast BFF. Get ready to uncover the timeless magic of young adult fiction, one nostalgic page at a time.
HOSTED BY
Retrospect Publishing
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does To All the YA I've Loved Before have?
To All the YA I've Loved Before currently has 83 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is To All the YA I've Loved Before about?
Join best friends Kaycee and Ashley as they dive into the wonderful world of young adult fiction books from the 1990s, 2000s, and beyond. Revisit influential books and listen as they share relatable (and cringy) experiences from their own teen years. With insightful analysis, they discuss both the...
How often does To All the YA I've Loved Before release new episodes?
To All the YA I've Loved Before has 83 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to To All the YA I've Loved Before?
You can listen to To All the YA I've Loved Before on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts To All the YA I've Loved Before?
To All the YA I've Loved Before is created and hosted by Retrospect Publishing.
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