Amy Reed's debut novel, BEAUTIFUL, emerges from a childhood marked by frequent moves and a vivid imagination. This early restlessness fostered a unique perspective that informs her writing. After exploring filmmaking, she returned to her passion for writing, honing her craft through an MFA. Her background, including early work published in literary journals, contributes to a distinctive narrative voice. Reed's first novel is a testament to her enduring commitment to the art of storytelling.
After Grace learns of a girl who was run out of town for accusing the popular guys at school of gang rape, she convinces her friends Rosina and Erin to help her form an anonymous group of girls, called The Nowhere Girls, to resist the sexist culture at Prescott High. As their group grows in number their movement becomes about more than sex, and transforms the lives of its members, their school, and the entire community.
Grace, Rosina, and Erin. The shy new girl in town. The queer punk girl from a Mexican immigrant family. The girl who suspects she may actually be an android. Apart, they're strong. But together, they're stronger. They are the first Nowhere Girls. When Grace learns that Lucy Moynihan, the former occupant of her new home, was run out of town after accusing the popular guys at school of rape, she and her friends pledge to get justice for Lucy. They form an anonymous group, the Nowhere Girls, to fight back against the abuse and misogyny the female students have suffered at the hands of students and teachers alike, transforming the lives of its members, their school, and their entire community -- Publisher description
21 YA Authors Get Real about Injustice, Empowerment, and Growing Up Female in America
The book is praised for its honest and empowering narrative, offering readers a profound exploration of personal growth and resilience. Through relatable experiences and insightful reflections, it encourages individuals to embrace their truths and find strength in vulnerability. The themes resonate deeply, making it a compelling read for those seeking inspiration and motivation in their own journeys.
In a Seattle-area rehabilitation center, a group of teens develops an unexpected bond while confronting their own struggles with addiction. As they shift their focus from personal challenges to supporting a new member facing even greater difficulties, they discover the power of friendship and community. Their journey highlights themes of empathy, resilience, and the importance of helping others on the path to recovery.
From Amy Reed, Ellen Hopkins, Amber Smith, Sandhya Menon, and more of your favorite YA authors comes an anthology of essays that explore the diverse experiences of injustice, empowerment, and growing up female in America. This collection of twenty-one essays from major YA authors—including award-winning and bestselling writers—touches on a powerful range of topics related to growing up female in today’s America, and the intersection with race, religion, and ethnicity. Sure to inspire hope and solidarity to anyone who reads it, Our Stories, Our Voices belongs on every young woman’s shelf. This anthology features essays from Martha Brockenbrough, Jaye Robin Brown, Sona Charaipotra, Brandy Colbert, Somaiya Daud, Christine Day, Alexandra Duncan, Ilene Wong (I.W.) Gregorio, Maurene Goo. Ellen Hopkins, Stephanie Kuehnert, Nina LaCour, Anna-Marie LcLemore, Sandhya Menon, Hannah Moskowitz, Julie Murphy, Aisha Saeed, Jenny Torres Sanchez, Amber Smith, and Tracy Walker.
The story follows two girls, Max and Sadie, as they flee to Nebraska in search of freedom from their troubles and pasts. However, their journey reveals that running away won't allow them to escape the truths they face about themselves. As they navigate their challenges, the novel explores themes of self-discovery and the complexities of confronting one's reality.
“Gritty, gutsy, and ferociously strange.” —Nova Ren Suma, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Walls Around Us The Astonishing Color of After meets Eleanor & Park in this breathtaking and beautifully surreal story about a friendship between two teens that just might shake the earth around them. Billy Sloat and Lydia Lemon don’t have much in common, unless you count growing up on the same (wrong) side of the tracks, the lack of a mother, and a persistent loneliness that has inspired creative coping mechanisms. When the lives of these two loners are thrust together, Lydia’s cynicism is met with Billy’s sincere optimism, and both begin to question their own outlook on life. On top of that, weird happenings including an impossible tornado and an all-consuming fog are cropping up around them—maybe even because of them. And as the two grow closer and confront bigger truths about their pasts, they must also deal with such inconveniences as a narcissistic rock star, a war between unicorns and dragons, and eventually, of course, the apocalypse. With a unique mix of raw emotion, humor, and heart, the surreal plotline pulls readers through an epic exploration of how caring for others makes us vulnerable—and how utterly pointless life would be if we didn’t.
In this gritty and realistic novel, two teenagers grapple with the emotional aftermath of their friend's tragic death in a car crash. The story delves into themes of grief, loss, and the struggle to find closure, offering a haunting exploration of how such a profound event impacts their lives and relationships. The author, known for previous works like Beautiful, Clean, Crazy, and Over You, presents a raw and poignant narrative that resonates with the complexities of adolescence and mourning.
Facing terminal cancer, Evie cherishes her remaining days, aware that her time is limited. As she grapples with her diagnosis, a surprising opportunity for a second chance at life emerges, challenging her perspective on hope and survival. This poignant journey explores themes of gratitude, resilience, and the unpredictability of fate, as Evie navigates the complexities of living with a terminal illness.
We Were Liars meets Speak in this haunting, mesmerizing psychological thriller--a gender-flipped YA Great Gatsby--that will linger long after the final lineOn wealthy Commodore Island, Fern is watching and waiting--for summer, for college, for her childhood best friend to decide he loves her. Then Ivy Avila lands on the island like a falling star. When Ivy shines on her, Fern feels seen. When they're together, Fern has purpose. She glimpses the secrets Ivy hides behind her fame, her fortune, the lavish parties she throws at her great glass house, and understands that Ivy hurts in ways Fern can't fathom. And soon, it's clear Ivy wants someone Fern can help her get. But as the two pull closer, Fern's cozy life on Commodore unravels: drought descends, fires burn, and a reckless night spins out of control. Everything Fern thought she understood--about her home, herself, the boy she loved, about Ivy Avila--twists and bends into something new. And Fern won't emerge the same person she was.An enthralling, mind-altering fever dream, Tell Me My Name is about the cost of being a girl in a world that takes so much, and the enormity of what is regained when we take it back.