10/16/2017
Nijkamp’s reflective examination on love and returning home pairs well with the haunting environment of Lost Creek, a tiny Alaskan town where strange things are known to happen. Corey and her family left Lost Creek seven months ago, and it’s been hard to leave behind her best friend, Kyra. Both girls grew up in Lost Creek, but Kyra’s mental illness drove a wedge between her and other residents, with Corey caught in the middle. Just before Corey’s planned trip back to Lost Creek, Kyra is found dead, leaving Corey just five days to uncover what happened and say goodbye to her friend. Told through a combination of flashbacks and present-day passages, this complex coming-of-age tale is hindered only by a repetitive fixation on Corey’s guilt and her musings on the concept of home. But this intense focus on Corey’s thoughts and feelings lets readers immerse themselves in her pain and her drive for answers; Nijkamp (This Is Where It Ends) has an uncommon talent for drawing readers deep into the psyches of her characters. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jennifer Udden, Barry Goldblatt Literary. (Jan.)
Talking about anthologies is forever one of my favorite things, because—especially as their shelf presence grows and you start to see repeat authors—you get to learn which of your favorite novelists have a serious gift for short fiction, too. There are a lot of familiar voices in this season’s anthologies, but what would these collections […]
Sophomore Slump. Second Book Syndrome. We’ve all heard the ways a sophomore book can tank for readers, and if you happen to be an author, too, well…you’re probably very well familiar with how horrendous the experience of writing that first book under contract can be. But fear not, sophomores! It can be done! It will […]
Looking for the all-time best YA beach books? The Girls’ Life magazine team shares their essential summer reads. We might be a bit biased, but we believe that no summer vacation (or staycation, really) is complete without a stack of sweet reads. The only question is…which title should you add to your packing list this […]
Marieke Nijkamp’s debut, This is Where it Ends, spent an outrageous sixty-four weeks on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list, and today, her long-awaited sophomore novel about a complicated friendship, even more complicated grief, and the danger of idealizing illness releases. It’s also the release day of a brand-new voice in YA you won’t soon forget: […]
YA Open Mic is a monthly series in which YA authors share personal stories on topics of their choice. The aim of the series is to peel away the formality of bios and offer authors a platform to talk about something readers won’t necessarily find on their websites. This month, eight authors discuss everything from […]