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AKWAEKE EMEZI reads from their new YA novel PET

 

Pet (Make Me a World)

From Akwaeke Emezi, author of the heralded 2018 release Freshwater, comes PET, their riveting and unique young adult debut.

Children in the city of Lucille are taught that monsters are not real. Jam and her best friend, Redemption, have grown up with this lesson all their life. But when Jam meets Pet, a creature made of horns and colors and claws who emerges from one of her mother’s paintings, she must reconsider what she’s been told.

Pet has come to hunt a monster, and the shadow of something grim lurks in Redemption’s house. Jam must fight not only to protect her best friend, but also to uncover the truth and answer the question: How do you save the world from monsters if no one will admit they exist?

In their gripping YA debut, novelist Akwaeke Emezi asks difficult questions about what choices you can make when the society around you is in denial.

PET is the first release from Make Me a World, a new imprint of Random House Children’s Books led by Christopher Myers, award-winning author and artist and the son of the late, celebrated author Walter Dean Myers. Make Me a World is committed to publishing a selection of books that open up new worlds, possibilities, and pathways for young readers of all ages. To learn more about Make Me a World, please visit MakeMeaWorld.com.

Praise for PET

 “A riveting and important read that couldn’t be more well timed to our society’s struggles with its own monsters.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“This soaring novel shoots for the stars and explodes the sky with its bold brilliance.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Emezi’s direct but tacit story of injustice, unconditional acceptance, and the evil perpetuated by humankind forms a compelling, nuanced tale that fans of speculative horror will quickly devour.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Jam is also notable as a Black, trans protagonist in this important narrative that teens will want to read to gain some perspective on the modern political environment.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review

Akwaeke Emezi is an Igbo and Tamil writer and video artist based in liminal spaces. They are a 2018 National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” honoree, and their debut autobiographical novel, Freshwater, is currently a finalist for a 2019 Lambda Literary Award and long-listed for the 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction, making it the first time in the twenty-seven-year history of the prize that a nonbinary trans author has been nominated. For more information about Akwaeke and their work, visit Akwaeke.com.

Author Photo by Beowulf Sheehan

Event date: 
Sunday, September 29, 2019 - 5:00pm
Event address: 
1818 N Vermont Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Pet By Akwaeke Emezi Cover Image
$17.99
Possibly out of print. Email or call to check availability and price.
ISBN: 9780525647072
Published: Make Me a World - September 10th, 2019

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Freshwater By Akwaeke Emezi Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780802128997
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Grove Press - December 18th, 2018