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Nikki Barthelmess

    Nikki Barthelmess writes for young adults, delving into complex emotional landscapes and the nuances of healing. Her experiences in the foster care system profoundly shaped her writing, providing a foundation for stories that explore resilience and the search for belonging. Through her work, she offers readers a voice for difficult experiences, emphasizing the power of connection and self-discovery. Barthelmess crafts narratives that resonate with young readers navigating their own paths toward hope and understanding.

    Everything Within and In Between
    Quiet No More
    • 2021

      For Ri Fernández's entire life, she's been told, "We live in America and we speak English." Raised by her strict Mexican grandma, Ri has never been allowed to learn Spanish. What's more, her grandma has pulled Ri away from the community where they once belonged. In its place, Ri has grown up trying to fit in among her best friend's world of mansions and country clubs in an attempt try to live out her grandmother's version of the "American Dream." In her heart, Ri has always believed that her mother, who disappeared when Ri was young, would accept her exactly how she is and not try to turn her into someone she's never wanted to be. So when Ri finds a long-hidden letter from her mom begging for a visit, she decides to reclaim what Grandma kept from her: her heritage and her mom. But nothing goes as planned. Her mom isn't who Ri imagined she would be and finding her doesn't make Ri's struggle to navigate the interweaving threads of her mixed heritage any less complicated. Nobody has any idea of who Ri really is -- not even Ri herself

      Everything Within and In Between
    • 2020

      Quiet No More

      • 352 pages
      • 13 hours of reading

      College freshman Victoria Parker is trying to move on with her life after surviving sexual assault by her father and six months in foster care. She's focusing on the positives--attending college, living on her own, repairing old relationships and making new ones, and getting involved with an abuse survivors activist group on campus. But everything's thrown into disarray when a strange woman shows up, claiming to be Victoria's aunt and asking Victoria to lie about what happened to her. With her father's sentencing in a few months, she's nervous about having to share the truth of what happened with a judge. She's not even sure if she has the strength to go through with it. But when her fellow club members begin pressuring her to speak out, Victoria has to decide how to share her story while remaining true to herself.

      Quiet No More