Amy Zhang channeled her childhood abundance of imaginary friends into compelling characters when told to "grow up." Her writing is fueled by a playful yet profound exploration of self, bringing her unique stories to life. She crafts narratives that are both imaginative and deeply resonant, inviting readers into worlds shaped by a curious mind. Beyond her writing, she embraces diverse pursuits like playing piano and tennis, and even grapples with weekly existential crises, showcasing a multifaceted personality.
Seventeen-year-old Ocean Wu moves to New York City to start college, but she defers her enrollment, keeping it a secret from her immigrant mother, and instead uses the time to deal with her ambivalence about her place in the world.
From Amy Zhang, the acclaimed author of Falling into Place, comes a heart-wrenching new novel about best friends on a collision course with reality. Janie and Micah, Micah and Janie. That’s how it’s been since they were children, when Janie Vivian moved next door. Janie says Micah is everything she is not. Where Micah is shy, Janie is outgoing. Where Micah loves music, Janie loves art. It’s the perfect friendship—as long as no one finds out about it.
She would be an object in motion that would stay in motion, even if it meant flattening everything in her path. One cold fall day, high school junior Liz Emerson steers her car into a tree. Is life truly more than cause and effect?An Indies Introduce TitleA Top Ten Indies Next Pick
One cold fall day, high school junior Liz Emerson steers her car into a tree. This haunting and heartbreaking story is told by a surprising and unexpected narrator and unfolds in nonlinear flashbacks even as Liz's friends, foes, and family gather at the hospital and Liz clings to life. This riveting debut will appeal to fans of Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver, and 13 Reasons Why, by Jay Asher. "On the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton's laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road." Why did Liz Emerson decide that the world would be better off without her? Why did she give up? The nonlinear novel pieces together the short and devastating life of Meridian High's most popular junior girl. Mass, acceleration, momentum, force—Liz didn't understand it in physics, and even as her Mercedes hurtles toward the tree, she doesn't understand it now. How do we impact one another? How do our actions reverberate? What does it mean to be a friend? To love someone? To be a daughter? Or a mother? Is life truly more than cause and effect? Amy Zhang's haunting and universal story will appeal to fans of Lauren Oliver, Gayle Forman, and Jay Asher.