Praise for Follow Your Arrow:
"Jessica Verdi delivers a thoughtful story about love, heartbreak, and self-discovery. I was cheering on CeCe as she found her voice to stand up for what she believes in and — as importantly — for herself. Follow Your Arrow shot straight into my heart, in the best possible way." — Elizabeth Eulberg, international bestselling author of Better Off Friends
"Jessica Verdi has created an unforgettable character in CeCe. She is enterprising and socially conscious, but also very relatable. Readers will root for her as she navigates first loves, heartbreaks, and identity in the online age. Follow Your Arrow is definitely a must-add to any YA bookshelf." — Sabina Khan, author of The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali
"Both sweet and empowering, Jessica Verdi's Follow Your Arrow reminds us that the best path we can take is the one that's uniquely all our own." — Ashley Herring Blake, author of the Lambda Literary award finalist Girl Made of Stars
"A page-turning exploration of the perils of social media and the complexities of sexuality." — Kirkus Reviews
"Verdi addresses sexual identity and cancel culture in this accessible and entertaining novel. Readers will enjoy the relatable and authentic characters, who are bisexual, straight, and lesbian, as well as the exciting climax of the novel... Recommended for public and high school libraries for readability and thoughtful examination of social identity and sexual orientation." — School Library Journal
"Follow Your Arrow is an incredibly important, relevant, and identity-affirming novel in both internet and LGBT culture, two very prominent attributes in the lives of so many. As CeCe grows to prioritize herself and her heart, readers are reminded to take care of themselves, too." — Andrew King, bookseller, University Bookstore, Seattle
Praise for And She Was:
"Verdi just gets better and better with every book. And She Was is a beautiful, multilayered journey of love, understanding, and empathy that made me want to be a better daughter, ally, and person." — Dahlia Adler, author of Under the Lights
"A heart-tugging, powerful story of family, identity, and the struggle for acceptance. A beautiful novel that treats every moment with incredible care, Jessica Verdi's latest is a different kind of love story — one about loving yourself, your family, and your life. And it features my favorite mother-daughter relationship since Gilmore Girls." — Corey Ann Haydu, author of OCD Love Story
"An engrossing story about the collision of big, grand dreams and long-held life-saving family secrets. I could not stop turning pages and cheering for Dara." — Caela Carter, author of Tumbling
"And She Was took me right back to my adolescence, a time when I was struggling to come to terms with my trans parent's identity while figuring out my own." — Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker Sharon Shattuck
* "Verdi's respect and care are evident in every character in the book . . . A triumph — an exquisite mirror in which trans parents and their children will see themselves. And for once, the reflection won't break their hearts." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"The message of love and support here rings clear." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Compelling . . . a valuable addition to library collections." — School Library Journal
Praise for What You Left Behind:
* "Verdi eloquently details the trials and tribulations of being a single teen dad... [Verdi] holds nothing back... An excellent addition to YA collections." — School Library Journal, starred review
Praise for The Summer I Wasn't Me:
"This title is recommended as a quality piece of fiction in a teen collection, and especially as part of an LGBTQ collection." — Voice of Youth Advocates
Praise for My Life After Now:
"Debut author Verdi paints Lucy's devastation and her tangled emotions with honesty and compassion... Information about living with HIV is peppered throughout, but Verdi's novel never preaches, instead telling Lucy's story with realism and hope." — Publishers Weekly
02/01/2021
Gr 9 Up—CeCe Ross and Silvie Castillo Ramírez met on the second day of freshman year in their high school's brand new Gender and Sexuality Alliance and have been inseparable ever since. Together, they are the Internet-famous couple Cevie, a brand that has earned them a million followers each and substantial income as influencers. When Silvie unexpectedly breaks up with CeCe and #Cevie no longer exists, CeCe loses more than a girlfriend; she loses an identity. In steps Joshua Haim, a violinist who is delightfully disconnected from social media and whose friendship will cause CeCe to reevaluate her identity, the price of keeping secrets, and the meaning of family and love. Verdi addresses sexual identity and cancel culture in this accessible and entertaining novel. Readers will enjoy the relatable and authentic characters, who are bisexual, straight, and lesbian, as well as the exciting climax of the novel. CeCe and Joshua are white, and Silvie is Latina. VERDICT Recommended for public and high school libraries for readability and thoughtful examination of social identity and sexual orientation.—Carly Wiggins Searcy, McNeese State Univ., LA
2020-12-15
Known to their fans as #Cevie, CeCe and Silvie are girlfriends and teen fashion influencers on an Instagram-like app.
However, bisexual CeCe’s online and real-life worlds are upended when Silvie ends their relationship and CeCe soon finds herself attracted to a boy from whom she keeps her online life a secret. For more than two years, CeCe has followed Silvie’s lead, to the point of squelching her own political voice to amass followers, likes, and sponsorships. CeCe, who lives with her mother and is estranged from her conservative father, admits she is addicted to social media and worries about losing followers and navigating cancel culture. When she meets Josh, an internet-shunning violinist who goes to a different Cincinnati high school, she decides to hide her online fame while exploring her feelings for him. The novel frames solid debates about the pros and cons of social media in believable dialogue while app posts at the end of every chapter cleverly illustrate what is happening in CeCe’s online life. In this first-person novel, the personal and political issues around CeCe’s bisexuality are deftly handled. Typical high school experiences like prom and awkward encounters with exes are seamlessly woven into the plot—with a rainbow twist. CeCe and Josh are White; Silvie is Mexican American.
A page-turning exploration of the perils of social media and the complexities of sexuality. (Fiction. 13-18)
