Loan Le’s debut novel A Phở Love Story is an #ownvoices romantic comedy about two Vietnamese-American teens whose parents own competing phở restaurants. A book about identity and family at its heart, Le’s vibrant and three dimensional characters bring the…
‘Fat Chance, Charlie Vega’ review: Crystal Maldonado’s beautifully diverse debut about unconditional self-love
Crystal Maldonado’s debut novel blends body positivity, friendship, romance and an effortlessly diverse cast in a captivating contemporary young adult novel. Fat Chance, Charlie Vega is a book young adult readers everywhere should pick up, but be warned: it will…
‘When You Look Like Us’ interview: Pamela N. Harris on crafting realistic characters and the impact of stereotypes in her debut novel
Pamela N. Harris, a former school counselor turned writer, blends together elements of mystery and social justice to create the compelling, young adult novel, When You Look Like Us. Set in her hometown of Newport News, When You Look Like…
‘Fat Chance, Charlie Vega’ interview: Author Crystal Maldonado on body positivity, friendship, and representation
Author Crystal Maldonado’s young adult contemporary novel Fat Chance, Charlie Vega is a compelling, body positive, coming-of-age book about self-love. In an #ownvoices book centering a fat Puerto-Rican girl living in a predominately white Connecticut suburb, Maldonado pairs an effortlessly…
‘Concrete Rose’ review: Angie Thomas revisits Garden Heights in ‘The Hate U Give’ prequel
Set seventeen years prior to the events of the award-winning novel, The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas revisits Garden Heights in Concrete Rose and immerses readers in her incredible writing once again. In Concrete Rose, Starr’s parents Mav and Lisa…
‘When You Look Like Us’ review: Pamela N. Harris’ timely debut on the plight of missing Black girls
Pamela N. Harris’ timely debut When You Look Like Us calls attention to an urgent epidemic of missing Black girls. Skillfully blending together mystery and social justice, identity and community, hurt and hope, Harris’ When You Look Like Us lends…
‘We Are Not Free’ review: Traci Chee voices the stories of Japanese Americans during WWII
Traci Chee’s beautifully written historical fiction novel pulls from her own family history of being forcefully relocated during World War II to draw attention to an often overlooked episode of American history. We Are Not Free follows a group of…
