Content warning: this article mentions suicide.
“This is what it means to be a ghost. To watch all the other girls live — laugh, talk, sleep, eat, dance, study, scream — while you flicker and fade into the shadows,” an unnamed narrator declares, opening “When All the Girls Are Sleeping,” published July 13, 2021, the latest novel by Mount Holyoke alumna Emily Arsenault ’98.
BY GABY RODRIGUEZ ’22
Young adult (YA) novels rocketed into the public eye in 2008 when Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” came to the big screen. YA has always been a genre that defied typical expectations; not quite children’s literature but not quite a full-fledged heavy adult narrative, YA is a rebellion against publishing norms. This boundary-pushing nature gives minority authors more opportunities to publish their work, creating a more diverse array of YA novels.
BY SIDNEY BOKER ’21
Book subscription boxes are just what they sound like: a recurring (usually monthly) delivery of a themed assortment of products. Two examples of these genre-focused boxes stand out in particular for their superior quality of monthly new Young Adult (YA) literature and literary goods, like pins, t-shirts and bookmarks.
BY BEATA GARRETT ’20
On the night of Tuesday, Sept. 11, in Gamble Auditorium, Mount Holyoke welcomed four young adult (YA) authors to speak about their recent series and to share their writing experiences. The panel included Cassandra Clare, Holly Black and Scott Westerfeld and it was moderated by David Levithan.
BY DEANNA KALIAN ’20
What makes a good summer read? It’s something experts and book lovers have long debated. According to Reader’s Digest, books that are “an escape in and of themselves” make the best beach reads. PBS claims that summer is for “endless reading,” and therefore the perfect time to tackle a hefty volume which would present too much of a task during the academic year. According to Sarah Paust ’20, “If I’m home on the beach reading it, it’s a summer read!”
