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Grab The Ebook Edition of HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD for $2

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Don’t have a copy of my first anthology Here We Are: Feminism For The Real World? Pick it up at your favorite ebook retailer through the end of this week for $2. Click here to be taken to your choice of e-retailers or click the image below.

 

 

A School Library Journal “best book” of 2017.

A Chicago Public Library “best book” of 2017.

A King County Library System “best book” of 2017.

 

Let’s get the feminist party started!

Here We Are is a scrapbook-style teen guide to understanding what it really means to be a feminist. It’s packed with essays, lists, poems, comics, and illustrations from a diverse range of voices, including TV, film, and pop-culture celebrities and public figures such as ballet dancer Michaela DePrince and her sister Mia, politician Wendy Davis, as well as popular YA authors like Nova Ren Suma, Malinda Lo, Brandy Colbert, Courtney Summers, and many more. Altogether, the book features more than forty-four pieces, with an eight-page insert of full-color illustrations.

Here We Are is a response to lively discussions about the true meaning of feminism on social media and across popular culture and is an invitation to one of the most important, life-changing, and exciting parties around.

 

Praise:

 

“A progressive antidote to the ancient teen health textbooks that mull over the dry basics of teen identity . . . a stellar collection  . . . An embarrassment of riches.”
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

 

“Earnest, conversational, and dauntlessly unapologetic . . . An education unto itself, the message of inclusion and strength is invaluable.”
—Booklist, starred review

 

“Fantastic . . . There is something here for everyone. This celebratory examination of feminism is a much-needed addition to teen collections.”
—School Library Journal, starred review

 

“Sophisticated yet entirely accessible, the collection is valuable both for the breadth of thought and perspective it represents and for the support it directs toward readers.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

 

“Within the lively pages of Here We Are is a 21st-century ‘feminist party,’ and everyone is invited . . . This exciting, provocative anthology for young adults collects diverse and even fascinatingly contradictory viewpoints on modern feminism.”
—Shelf Awareness for Readers, starred review

 

“Here We Are not only presents an inclusive and hopeful vision for the future of feminism, it also boldly and proudly passes the torch to the next generation of leaders.”
—Teen Vogue

 

“Jensen has assembled a collection of meditations on what it means to be a woman today that is both important and gripping . . . HERE WE ARE is a book every feminist will want to get for the teen in their life—and will end up reading and learning from, too.”
—Bust

 

“In an exceptionally inclusive and diverse anthology featuring pieces from 44 creators, editor Kelly Jensen has curated a definition of feminism that is a safe space of equality and acceptance for everyone . . . A top-notch guide for all.”
—The Globe & Mail

 

“[A] feminist power tome.”
—New York Magazine/The Strategist

 

“Forty-four writers, performers, artists and more contribute to this ‘zine-like collection that offers reading lists, comics, a 4-step guide for becoming a superheroine, and essays from writers like Mindy Kaling.”
—InStyle

 

“Kelly Jensen’s anthology is too good to pass up. In Here We Are, Jensen collects a ton of great pieces from authors, actresses, dancers, and more, all centered around the theme of feminism. Nova Ren Suma? Brandy Colbert? Mindy Kaling? Oof, this book is fantastic.”
—Paste Magazine, A Most Anticipated Young Adult Book of 2017

 

“This scrapbook-style guide book has everything any teen would every want to know about feminism packed into one fun, unique package . . . an inspiring read for young adults that examines where feminism stands today, and what we need to do next to help it succeed in the future.”
—Bustle

 

 “[Here We Are] brings a diverse millennial perspective to the feminist movement.”
—Justine Magazine

 

“[Jensen’s] strength is on full display in this dynamic collection of essays, interviews, comic strips and more, which brings together a chorus of diverse viewpoints, from women and men, to help teens understand, broaden and visualize their own definition of contemporary feminism.”
—Chicago Tribune

 

“Here We Are takes on difficult and painful subjects . . . yet as a whole the book has an uplifting, hopeful tone. Older sisters and aunts (and a few older brothers and uncles) are sharing their stories and offering their encouragement. The book’s scrapbook-like design adds to its friendliness. Jensen also incorporates spot illustrations and relevant comics . . . [and] offers several sparking pop-culture pieces . . .”
—Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

 

“Here We Are is the book about navigating young adulthood that I wish had been available to me as a teenager . . . The range of experiences included is intimate . . .  and makes it hard for readers not to spot themselves in the pages. In fact, the book’s accessibility is a major factor in its success.”—Roanoke Times (Roanoke, VA)

 

“An accessible collection of contemporary feminist writing and an introduction to twenty-first-century feminism. By embracing the voices of women, men, people of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and myriad other identities, the book sends a strong message that feminism is for everyone.”
—The Horn Book Magazine

 

“Feminism remains a hot-button topic, and this makes an excellent introduction to a complicated movement based on a simple concept of equality.”
—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

 

“Here We Are is the kind of book you dip into over and over again, to learn something new about feminism and social justice, to marvel at all the different paths to creative expression and courage, to find little rays of hope when things some oppressively broken. Poems, manifestos, interviews, FAQs, short stories, comics: the many pieces collected here come from role models like Mindy Kaling and Laverne Cox and from young women who are speaking up and reshaping the future.”
—Apple iBooks

 

“This awesome feminist scrapbook is required reading for 2017 . . . [a] guide to finding feminism for yourself. The mishmash of perspectives (so many razor-sharp opinions!) will make you think, question your own ideals, and get a better grasp on how we can stay empowered through the future.”
—Clover Letter

 

“Here We Are is the book you wish you’d had as a teenager . . . Buy this for your younger sibling, your besties’ kids, any female or gender minority teenager you happen to be close to.”
—Rebellious Magazine

 

“A great introduction for teen (and adult) readers. Whether you’re looking for a playlist of feminist songs to sing along to from Kody Keplinger, advice for surviving high school from Mindy Kaling or a handy chart of FAQs, this book has you covered.”
—Bookpage

 

“This book is so much more than an anthology, more than an invaluable and insightful text, more than a book that ought to be in every high school in the country—though it is all those things. Here We Are is, simply, a gift.”
—B&N Teen Blog

 

“This is perfect for teens looking for diverse perspectives on the titular topic; some tips and advice for living as a feminist; and/or an optimistic peek at the future of feminism . . . readers will find themselves immersed in a dynamic exploration of inclusion and strength.”
—VOYA

 

“Here We Are is an excellent work that makes the topic of feminism approachable and engaging.”
—Foreword Reviews

 

“Just go ahead and buy like twenty of these, okay? Give them out for birthdays, for holidays, for graduation gifts. This book is for everyone and makes it clear that feminism is, too.”
—Teen Librarian Toolbox

 

“An accessible, engaging collection that readers won’t want to miss out on.”
—Bookish

 

“An introduction to some modern, intersectional feminist works where black women’s voices, stories and perspectives are given the space to be seen as the leaders of this movement they have always been.”
—GirlTalkHQ.com

 

“Absolutely delightful, insightful . . .”
—Novel Ink

 

“Really great . . . it would be an excellent gift for a young person in your life.”
—Go Fug Yourself

 

“An scrapbook-style anthology by 44 feminist contributors which includes essays, lists, poems, comics, and illustrations. It was written with teens in mind, but people of all ages will come back to it again and again.”
—Romper

This Week at Book Riot

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Over on Book Riot this week…

 

 

 

  • Michigan residents: there are 3 bills in the house right now that would make school librarians mandatory. Call your reps and support these. If you’re outside Michigan, use these as a means of advocacy for school librarians in your own state.

 

 

Remember how last week I produced an awesome episode of “Recommended?” I did another one as well. Tune in this week to hear from authors Sarah Enni and Jean Kwok, who each share their favorite books.

Dare You to Lie by Amber Lynn Natusch

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Teenager Kylene has a lot on her plate. Her father, once a respected FBI agent, is in prison for a crime Ky believes he didn’t commit. Her mother left the family when it all went down and moved cross-country with her new flame. In order to stay close to the prison where her father is incarcerated, Ky moves in with her grandfather instead of following her mother. Unfortunately, this also means returning to the high school she left two years ago after someone took topless photos of her without her permission while she was drunk and shared them with the entire student body. Ky thinks her boyfriend at the time is the guilty party, but she can’t be entirely sure. She’s determined to solve both crimes: the one that put her father away and the one perpetrated against her.

I got a strong Veronica Mars vibe from Natusch’s story. The violation Ky experienced feels similar to what Veronica went through, though Veronica’s rape is certainly much worse. Still, the slut-shaming and lack of action by local law enforcement are issues that Ky and Veronica had in common. And of course, such things happen frequently in real life, too.

Like Veronica, Ky is always ready with a witty comeback, fiercely loyal to her friends, and can’t help but get caught up in other people’s business. She’s the first and only person to take action when she sees local bully Donovan beating up his girlfriend in front of the whole school, which puts her on his shit list. This is a very bad thing, because Donovan is a very scary dude. He’s caught up in other shady things, too, like a doctor writing fraudulent prescriptions for steroids to help the high school football team win. It’s unclear until the very end of the book if and how these various threads – the FBI frame job, the photos, the steroid business – connect to each other, and Natusch does a good job keeping readers guessing. The climax is unsurprising in some ways, but very surprising in others, and it will have readers’ hearts pounding. It’s violent (but not gratuitously so) and terrifying, with Ky coming face to face with a killer and no one around to help but herself.

I loved Ky’s relationship with her friends in this book. Natusch does a great job showing the platonic relationship between Ky and Garrett, her longest friend, as well as Ky’s new and deepening friendship with Tabby. As an unstoppable threesome, they’re a joy to read about. The mysteries themselves are more uneven. The steroid plot feels tired, though Natusch does throw a twist into it at the very end that remains unexplored (not a loose end, but fodder for future books). Ky obtains a few small clues about the case against her father, but this seems like it’s going to be the Big Story that stretches across multiple books and is only fully resolved in the final one. The mystery of who took the photos of Ky without her consent is the only one that is solved completely, and the culprit is not exactly a surprise. Still, Natusch juggles all of these plot threads pretty well and kept me interested the entire way.

I like to read mysteries as audiobooks; it prevents me from skipping to the end to find out whodunit, an unfortunate tendency of mine. Narrator Vanessa Moyen is not my favorite, though. She voices Ky well, but her male voices sound almost comical, and her other female voices are all too high-pitched and whiny. Of course, this is a matter of taste for each individual listener. Hand this title (in any format) to teen mystery fans. They won’t be disappointed.

Debut YA Novels: March 2019

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It’s time again to round up a new batch of debut novels — this time for March!

 

 

This round-up includes debut novels, where “debut” is in its purest definition. These are first-time books by first-time authors. I’m not including books by authors who are using or have used a pseudonym in the past or those who have written in other categories (adult, middle grade, etc.) in the past. Authors who have self-published are not included here either.

All descriptions are from Amazon, unless otherwise noted. If I’m missing any debuts that came out in March from traditional publishers — and I should clarify that indie/small presses are okay — let me know in the comments.

As always, not all noted titles included here are necessarily endorsements for those titles. List is arranged alphabetically by title,  with publication dates in parentheses.. Starred titles are the beginning of a new series.

 

Debut YA Novels: March 2019

*Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith (3/12)

Princess Aurelia is a prisoner to her crown and the heir that nobody wants. Surrounded by spirits and banned from using her blood-magic, Aurelia flees her country after a devastating assassination attempt. To escape her fate, Aurelia disguises herself as a commoner in a new land and discovers a happiness her crown has never allowed. As she forges new bonds and perfects her magic, she begins to fall for a man who is forbidden to rule beside her. But the ghosts that haunt Aurelia refuse to abandon her, and she finds herself succumbing to their call as they expose a nefarious plot that only she can defeat. Will she be forced to choose between the weight of the crown and the freedom of her new life?

 

 

 

Fake Plastic Girl by Zara Lisbon (3/26)

Celebrity-studded parties that last long into the night. Camera flashes and designer clothes. And a body found floating in the Venice Beach canals.

But let’s start at the beginning.

Justine Childs is your average teenage girl, until the day ex-child-star Eva Kate Kelly moves in across the way. Eva Kate is gorgeous, seductive, and eager to invite Justine into her glittery world. Their relationship intensifies quickly, but there is a lot they aren’t telling each other, and in the midst of the whirlwind, a girl lies dead. Who killed Eva Kate? Justine swears her innocence—and she’d like you to hear her side of the story.

 

*The Fever King by Victoria Lee (3/1)

In the former United States, sixteen-year-old Noam Álvaro wakes up in a hospital bed, the sole survivor of the viral magic that killed his family and made him a technopath. His ability to control technology attracts the attention of the minister of defense and thrusts him into the magical elite of the nation of Carolinia.

The son of undocumented immigrants, Noam has spent his life fighting for the rights of refugees fleeing magical outbreaks—refugees Carolinia routinely deports with vicious efficiency. Sensing a way to make change, Noam accepts the minister’s offer to teach him the science behind his magic, secretly planning to use it against the government. But then he meets the minister’s son—cruel, dangerous, and achingly beautiful—and the way forward becomes less clear.

Caught between his purpose and his heart, Noam must decide who he can trust and how far he’s willing to go in pursuit of the greater good.

 

If You’re Out There by Katy Loutzenhiser (3/5)

After Zan’s best friend moves to California, she is baffled and crushed when Priya suddenly ghosts. Worse, Priya’s social media has turned into a stream of ungrammatical posts chronicling a sunny, vapid new life that doesn’t sound like her at all.

Everyone tells Zan not to be an idiot: Let Priya do her reinvention thing and move on. But until Zan hears Priya say it, she won’t be able to admit that their friendship is finished.

It’s only when she meets Logan, the compelling new guy in Spanish class, that Zan begins to open up about her sadness, her insecurity, her sense of total betrayal. And he’s just as willing as she is to throw himself into the investigation when everyone else thinks her suspicions are crazy.

Then a clue hidden in Priya’s latest selfie introduces a new, deeply disturbing possibility:

Maybe Priya isn’t just not answering Zan’s emails.

Maybe she can’t.

 

Izzy + Tristan by Shannon Dunlap (3/12)

Izzy, a practical-minded teen who intends to become a doctor, isn’t happy about her recent move from the Lower East Side across the river to Brooklyn. She feels distanced from her family, especially her increasingly incomprehensible twin brother, as well as her new neighborhood.

And then she meets Tristan.

Tristan is a chess prodigy who lives with his aunt and looks up to his cousin, Marcus, who has watched out for him over the years. When he and Izzy meet one fateful night, together they tumble into a story as old and unstoppable as love itself.

In debut author Shannon Dunlap’s capable hands, the romance that has enthralled for 800 years is spun new. Told from several points of view, Izzy + Tristan is a love story for the ages and a love story for this very moment. This fast-paced novel is at once a gripping tale of first love and a sprawling epic about the bonds that tie us together and pull us apart and the different cultures and tensions that fill the contemporary American landscape.

 

*The Last 8 by Laura Pohl (3/5)

Clover Martinez has always been a survivor, which is the reason she isn’t among the dead when aliens invade and destroy Earth as she knows it.

Clover is convinced she’s the only one left until she hears a voice on the radio urging her to go to the former Area 51. When she arrives, she’s greeted by a band of misfits who call themselves The Last Teenagers on Earth.

Only they aren’t the ragtag group of heroes Clover was expecting. The seven strangers seem more interested in pretending the world didn’t end than fighting back, and Clover starts to wonder if she was better off alone. But when she finds a hidden spaceship within the walls of the compound, she doesn’t know what to believe…or who to trust.

 

Meet Me In Outer Space by Melinda Grace (3/12)

Edie Kits has a learning disability. Well, not a learning disability exactly, but a disability that impacts her learning. It isn’t visible, it isn’t obvious, and it isn’t something she likes to advertise.

And for three semesters of college, her hard work and perseverance have carried her through. Edie thinks she has her disability under control until she meets her match with a French 102 course and a professor unwilling to help her out.

Edie finds herself caught between getting the help she needs and convincing her professor that she isn’t looking for an easy out. Luckily for Edie, she has an amazing best friend, Serena, who is willing to stitch together a plan to ensure Edie’s success. And then there’s Hudson, the badly dressed but undoubtedly adorable TA in her French class who finds himself pulled into her orbit…

 

The Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds (3/5)

When Jack and Kate meet at a party, bonding until sunrise over their mutual love of Froot Loops and their favorite flicks, Jack knows he’s falling—hard. Soon she’s meeting his best friends, Jillian and Franny, and Kate wins them over as easily as she did Jack.

But then Kate dies. And their story should end there.

Yet Kate’s death sends Jack back to the beginning, the moment they first meet, and Kate’s there again. Healthy, happy, and charming as ever. Jack isn’t sure if he’s losing his mind.

Still, if he has a chance to prevent Kate’s death, he’ll take it. Even if that means believing in time travel. However, Jack will learn that his actions are not without consequences. And when one choice turns deadly for someone else close to him, he has to figure out what he’s willing to do to save the people he loves.

The Quiet You Carry by Nikki Barthelmess (3/5)

Victoria Parker knew her dad’s behavior toward her was a little unusual, but she convinced herself everything was fine until she found herself locked out of the house at 3:00 a.m., surrounded by flashing police lights. Now, dumped into a crowded, chaotic foster home, Victoria has to tiptoe around her domineering foster mother, get through senior year at a new school, and somehow salvage her college dreams . . . all while keeping her past hidden. But some secrets won’t stay buried especially when unwanted memories make Victoria freeze up at random moments and nightmares disrupt her sleep. Even worse, she can’t stop worrying about her stepsister Sarah, left behind with her father. All she wants is to move forward, but how do you focus on the future when the past won’t leave you alone?

 

 

Small Town Hearts by Lillie Vale (3/19)

Fresh out of high school, Babe Vogel should be thrilled to have the whole summer at her fingertips. She loves living in her lighthouse home in the sleepy Maine beach town of Oar’s Rest and being a barista at the Busy Bean, but she’s totally freaking out about how her life will change when her two best friends go to college in the fall. And when a reckless kiss causes all three of them to break up, she may lose them a lot sooner. On top of that, her ex-girlfriend is back in town, bringing with her a slew of memories, both good and bad.

And then there’s Levi Keller, the cute artist who’s spending all his free time at the coffee shop where she works. Levi’s from out of town, and even though Babe knows better than to fall for a tourist who will leave when summer ends, she can’t stop herself from wanting to know him. Can Babe keep her distance, or will she break the one rule she’s always had – to never fall for a summer boy?

 

The Waking Forest by Alyssa Wees (3/12)

The waking forest has secrets. To Rhea, it appears like a mirage, dark and dense, at the very edge of her backyard. But when she reaches out to touch it, the forest vanishes. She’s desperate to know more–until she finds a peculiar boy who offers to reveal its secrets. If she plays a game.

To the Witch, the forest is her home, where she sits on her throne of carved bone, waiting for dreaming children to beg her to grant their wishes. One night, a mysterious visitor arrives and asks her what she wishes for, but the Witch sends him away. And then the uninvited guest returns.

The strangers are just the beginning. Something is stirring in the forest, and when Rhea’s and the Witch’s paths collide, a truth more treacherous and deadly than either could ever imagine surfaces. But how much are they willing to risk to survive?

 

XL by Scott Brown (3/26)

WIll Daughtry is a late bloomer–at least, that’s what everyone tells him. On his sixteenth birthday, Will is just shy of five feet, and he is bitterly resigned to being tiny forever. His only comforts are his best friend and stepbrother, Drew (6’3″), and their pal Monica (5’10”), the girl Will’s been quietly pining for since fifth grade. Everyone else literally overlooks him. But with them, he feels whole. That is, until things take an unexpected turn, and he realizes he’s really and truly on his own.

That’s when he starts to grow. And grow fast. Astonishingly fast. For the first time, Will’s happy with his stature, and the world’s at his feet (for a change). People see him differently; more important, he sees himself differently. But the highest heights come with some low, low lows, and his most precious relationships suffer excruciating growing pains. Will has to figure out what to do with himself–and all of this new “himself” he never expected to have.

This Week at Book Riot (& Elsewhere!)

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Over on Book Riot this week…

 

 

  • Eric and I have a new episode of Hey YA up this week, all about adaptations in YA and what our spring TBRs look like.

 

  • I produced two episodes of Recommended this season, and the first episode is up. I had the immense pleasure of talking with Laurie Halse Anderson and Mikki Kendall about their favorite books. Tune in here!

 

 

Elsewhere…