A luminous story of a young artist grappling with first love, family boundaries and the complications of a cross-cultural relationship. Perfect for fans of Sandhya Menon, Erika Sanchez and Jandy Nelson. Praise for American Betiya A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of 2022 A YALSA Best Best Fiction for Young Adults A Cosmopolitan Best 100 Books of All Time A Book Riot best YA Book of 2021 A South Asia Book Award 2022 honoree A Children's Cooperative 2022 Best Book of the Year A 2022 Nerdy Book Club Best Novel Award Winner Rani Kelkar has never lied to her parents, until she meets Oliver. The same qualities that draw her in--his tattoos, his charisma, his passion for art--make him her mother's worst nightmare. They begin dating in secret, but when Oliver's troubled home life unravels, he starts to ask more of Rani than she knows how to give, desperately trying to fit into her world, no matter how high the cost. When a twist of fate leads Rani from Evanston, Illinois to Pune, India for a summer, she has a reckoning with herself--and what's really brewing beneath the surface of her first love. Winner of SCBWI's Emerging Voices award, Anuradha D. Rajurkar takes an honest look at the ways cultures can clash in an interracial relationship. Braiding together themes of sexuality, artistic expression, and appropriation, she gives voice to a girl claiming ownership of her identity, one shattered stereotype at a time. "A brave, beautiful exploration of identity--those thrust upon us, and those we forge for ourselves." --Elana K. Arnold, award-winning author of What Girls Are Made Of "Captures the heartbreaking impetuousness of that all-consuming first love, the tightrope we walk as we seek to navigate cultural tensions . . .” —Gae Polisner, author of The Memory of Things "A bold coming-of-age piece.” –Buzzfeed | Author: Anuradha D. Rajurkar | Publisher: Ember | Publication Date: Feb 07, 2023 | Number of Pages: 368 pages | Language: English | Binding: Paperback | ISBN-10: 1984897187 | ISBN-13: 9781984897183
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Teenagers. They're a species of humans generally disliked by both adults and children. It's seen as some kind of horrible disease that pops up around 13 and supposedly miraculously disappears at the age of 18 or 20, depending on how one interprets the word teenager or the laws concerning minors. Suffice it to say that teenagers are not a favorite part of most societies. And yet, books featuring teenage characters are some of the most popular stories known to modern man. Makes total sense, right? Yeah, not really. Because teenagers are generally frowned upon and not well understood, they almost always suffer when they are converted into book characters. As a writer of YA, I spend a lot of time reading YA fiction. It is very rare that I run across a teenage character and think, "Yeah, this one was done really well!" Most of the time it ends up being, "Idiots. They're all idiots!" Allow me to explain to you all of the various ways that many writers manage to ruin their teen characters, along with ways to fix them. 1. You are generalizing. This is the number one problem that spans across all genres and effectively ruins potentially awesome characters. Your character needs to be treated as an individual with unique personality traits and interests, not as part of the teenage body. As soon as your character's defining trait becomes "teenager," you have lost all hope creating anything other than an annoying, stereotypical fictional person. 2. You aren't taking time period or society into account. This is the part where I tell you about how teenager is a fairly new word, that "back then" you were either a child or an adult, that teenagers were expected to run houses, have jobs, and function as adults, were actually able to pull it off, yada yada yada. But I'm not going to, because I'm sure you've heard that before, and yet it doesn't seem to matter to most writers. So go ahead and ignore all that and plop your teenager into medieval times and have him act like an immature idiot. Or make your Indian girl be extremely disrespectful toward her elders and get away with it. Go on. I'm sure it'll be fine. 3. You are relying on cliches. The characters defined by their love triangles, the "I can change him" girl, the guy with absent parents, the bookworm nerd, the brooding jock, the hot one. *slaps upside the head with your own manuscript* Stop it! You are a writer, not a copy cat. Besides, if you are going to rip something off, then rip something of that isn't subpar and completely horrendous. 4. You're using the "teenagers have bad decision-making skills" excuse. In an attempt to explain away the fact that your characters are acting like idiots, you may try to say that they do dumb things because they are teens and thus don't make good choices because they're too young to know differently. Let's get something straight: Teenagers are not stupid. They have brains and are perfectly capable of using them. You need to develop your character so that any bad decision he/she may make is specific to him and his mentality and his past. Teenagers don't make bad decisions simply because they're teenagers. It goes far deeper than that, so find the root of the problem that is unique to your character and go with that. 5. Your slang skills are horrible. If you are writing contemporary fiction, please, for the love good dialogue, go talk to some real teens. You will soon discover that they do not say things like, "OMG, that was, like, totes cray cray." They just don't. If you want your characters to talk like teenagers, then let them talk like teenagers, not like some crackpot 80-year-old alien who has come to earth and is attempting to masquerade as a teen. Unless you actually are writing a book about crackpot 80-year-old alien who has come to earth and is attempting to masquerade as a teen, in which case, that sounds amazing and I applaud your genius 6. Every piece of dialogue you write is dripping with sarcasm. Some teenagers are very sarcastic, some are only a little bit sarcastic, some are not sarcastic at all. If all of your characters have sass buckets for their patronus's, then you have some serious editing to do. I suppose you think your pieces of dialogue are terribly clever, but they probably aren't. They will get very old, very fast, so tone it down. Try reading this guide for writing sarcasm. 7. Your character is extremely troubled. The teen who drinks too much, has abusive parents, misuses his ADHD meds, is bulimic, and is in and out of juvy. This may come as a shock, but that is a rather extreme scenario. Try to find a middle ground. No, I am not saying that troubled teens don't exist, but I am saying that they have become the focus of many stories, so much so that there is a huge (and unhealthy) imbalance in YA fiction. 8. Adult characters are lead by your teen character. The world is in shambles, people are dying left and right, freedom has disappeared, and for some reason the only clothes available are grey-colored. A leader is needed to fix this broken, dying, ugly-clothes world. So everyone decides to herald a sixteen year old girl as their leader. Sounds like a great plan, right? While it is not absurd to think that a teenager can be elemental in leading a group of people, it is absurd to think that adults would choose said teen as their unrivaled leader. So please, don't be such a clotpole. Use your brain to create realistic situations. 9. Your teen is constantly thinking about crushes. While you may spend most of you time playing "he loves me, he loves me not" in high-stress situations such as zombie apocalypses, most people do not. Stop putting your character in a position where he/she is trying to save the world while also fretting about which crush to choose. Here's a fun idea: How about the crushes stop trying to hit on the main character and instead come along side her and try to make her life easier rather than harder? And, if you aren't writing an action novel, please remember that sex should not be the main point of your story. Give your characters a personality and a reason for existing. If you have to put sex in there to make your story interesting, then you're doing it wrong. And there you have it. 9 common mistakes writers make when writing teenage characters. What do you think? Did I miss any or get any wrong? Tell me about it in the comment section below! Related articles: 7 Cliche Characters in YA Fiction that Need to Stop Writing Strong Female Characters: What You're Doing Wrong Writing Awesome Male Characters: What You're Doing Wrong Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, please don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
Want to see all the new release books in one place? We have them all right here. You will not want to miss a single page of these books!
Literary agent alerts (like this one with Eric Smith of P.S. Literary) are golden opportunities for new writers because each one is a literary agent who is likely building their client list.
If you love historical fiction with brave heroines, superb notice to detail, and touches of old-fashioned romance, I strongly recommend The Downstairs Girl.
Glass Girl is a young adult fantasy novel by Dorothy A. Winsor. Seventeen-year-old Emlin hopes to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a master craftmistress of intricately crafted glass inspired by Kural Island's resident hibernating dragon. But when her mother, Calea, is murdered in front of her, Emlin is determined to find the culprit. Meanwhile, she and her fellow glassmakers struggle to keep the glasshouse running in the absence of Calea, and her long-lost Lyzian father's return to Kural has complicated things further. Now Drake Jaffen of Lyz is arriving in Kural, seeking an audience with the ailing Drake Haron. However, Drake Haron's shocking murder forces his son, Symond, to take Jaffen captive. With a young scholar named Addy, Emlin must find the Dragonshard necklace upon which the future of the twelve Dolyan islands rests. Glass Girl is a fantastical tale of murder, conspiracy, and the quest for power in which a young girl unwittingly finds herself embroiled. Dorothy A. Winsor has crafted a unique and vibrant world of master artisans, and hibernating dragons, and you will be immersed in it from the get-go. There is a certain allure to the Dolyan islands, with rich history and lore to captivate fantasy readers with a healthy combination of wonder and awe. The characters are well-developed, with their layers peeled away as their backstories are revealed with the gradual progression of the narrative. I especially enjoyed the dynamic between Emlin and Addy. The ending leaves room for further sequels in the future, and I'm looking forward to reading them. Recommended to young adult fantasy lovers.
Here are the 18 most anticipated YA books of August! Check out our list and tell us what you're reading in August! So many books to choose from.
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With special bonus content - a letter to readers from Alice Oseman The second novel by the phenomenally talented Alice Oseman, author of Solitaire and graphic novel series Heartstopper - now a major Netflix series. What if everything you set yourself up to be was wrong? Frances has always been a study machine with one goal, elite university. Nothing will stand in her way; not friends, not a guilty secret - not even the person she is on the inside. But when Frances meets Aled, the shy genius behind her favourite podcast, she discovers a new freedom. He unlocks the door to Real Frances and for the first time she experiences true friendship, unafraid to be herself. Then the podcast goes viral and the fragile trust between them is broken. Caught between who she was and who she longs to be, Frances' dreams come crashing down. Suffocating with guilt, she knows that she has to confront her past... She has to confess why Carys disappeared... Meanwhile at uni, Aled is alone, fighting even darker secrets. It's only by facing up to your fears that you can overcome them. And it's only by being your true self that you can find happiness. Frances is going to need every bit of courage she has. A YA coming of age read that tackles issues of identity, the pressure to succeed, diversity and freedom to choose, Radio Silence is a tour de force by the most exciting writer of her generation.
Tumblr Breaks Down Young Adult Dystopian Fiction - The internet has generated a huge amount of laughs from cats and FAILS. And we all out of cats.
One impulsive lie leads to a weeklong adventure of fake dating for two bickering coworkers in this swoony destination wedding rom-com by Sajni Patel, author of The Trouble with Hating You.Sunshine incarnate Bhanu brings big UX energy to whatever she does, including going for the promotion where her only serious competition is her work nemesis, AKA Sunny, the grump with the Denzel voice. She expected to get a reprieve from him while visiting her family in Hawai’i, but the universe has other plans. When Bhanu runs into Sunny at the hotel and witnesses his ex criticizing him about being single, Bhanu does the first thing that comes to mind: she impetuously claims to be Sunny’s girlfriend just to get some peace and quiet. Except Sunny is on island for a friend’s wedding and his ex has already texted the entire wedding party about this mysterious girlfriend.Bhanu truly is the bane of Sunny’s existence. But the last thing he wants to do is cause tension during his friend’s wedding festivities, much less be the object of their pity. He has no choice except to play along, if only he and Bhanu can put aside their quarreling and act like a real couple.Between Bhanu’s hilariously meddling family and Sunny’s ecstatic friends, the two are pushed closer together, even as stress mounts over the impending promotion.They say what happens on island, stays on island. But as Sunny and Bhanu let their guards down, will either of them be able to resist this romantic getaway without crossing the line? DETAILS ISBN-13: 9780593547854 Publisher: Berkley Publication Date: July 16, 2024 Pages: 384
Emma Chan and Naomi Lin are best friends who attend the same school, share a love for music, and often compete in the same competitions. Despite these similarities, their lives couldn't be more different. Naomi is always busy and does not find much pleasure in her achievements. She feels numb from the daily routine and the pressure to succeed. Her parents are always proud of her accomplishments and remind her of their love for her. On the other hand, Emma struggles every day to reach Naomi's level. She has low self-esteem, and her parents are always arguing. They blame her for every problem, and their marriage is on the verge of collapse. When Emma and Naomi decide to collaborate in a competition, the challenges in their lives and the true nature of their friendship become apparent. Will they find true happiness and learn to believe in themselves? Discover the answer in Stuck In Her Head by Kylie Wang and Liana Tang. Stuck In Her Head is an inspiring story that takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster. The book explores various social issues that young adult readers will relate to, including Naomi's fear of following her dreams and Emma's struggle for perfection while dealing with her parents' disagreements. The story is set in Hong Kong, which is a unique touch that adds to the book's charm. Kylie Wang and Liana Tang use their personal experiences to introduce readers to the lifestyle and culture of Hong Kong residents. The story is thought-provoking and will resonate with many teenagers. Overall, I enjoyed reading Stuck In Her Head and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to read a well-written and emotionally engaging story.
Dedicated to mothers everywhere, readers will laugh out loud as they read familiar little poems and brief anecdotes about the pitfalls, pratfalls, joys and horror stories associated with being a mother. Pregnancy cravings, projectile vomiting, post-birth and permanent weight gain, pediatrician's visits, despising your kid's choice of mate--all the predicaments are included to amusingly affirm
