This collection of interconnected contemporary YA short stories, written by Gen Z authors, explores different parts of "the college experience," from questioning your major to questioning your identity. College...the best time, the worst time, and something in between. What do you do when orientation isn't going according to your (sister's) detailed plans? Where do you go when you're searching for community in faith? How do you figure out what it means that you're suddenly attracted to your RA? What happens when your partner for your last film project is also your crush and graduation is quickly approaching? Told over the course of one academic year, this collection of stories set on the same fictional campus features students from different cultures, genders, and interests learning more about who they are and who they want to be. From new careers to community to (almost) missed connections—and more—these interconnected tales explore the ways university life can be stressful and confusing and exciting and fulfilling. Gen Z contributors include Jake Maia Arlow, Arushi Avachat, Boon Carmen, Ananya Devarajan, Camryn Garrett, Christina Li, Racquel Marie, Oyin, Laila Sabreen, Michael Waters, and Joelle Wellington.
Authors
Laila Sabreen is a young adult contemporary writer who was raised in the Washington DC area. She currently attends Emory University where she is double majoring in Sociology and English. Her love of writing began as a love of reading, which started when she used to take weekly trips to her local library. There she fell in love with the Angelina Ballerina series, so much so that she started to write Angelina Ballerina fanfiction at the age of five (though she did not know it was fanfiction at the time). When she isn’t writing, she can be found working on essays, creating playlists that are way too long, and watching This Is Us. Her debut YA contemporary novel, YOU TRULY ASSUMED, releases with Inkyard Press/HarperCollins on February 8, 2022.
Arushi Avachat is a writer from the Bay Area. She currently studies English and Political Science at UCLA, where she can be found sipping caramel lattes and pretending to be productive at Kerckhoff Coffee House. She is a contributor to the Young Adult anthology Study Break (Feiwel and Friends). Arushi loves dark chocolate, Jane Austen books, and California winters. Arya Khanna’s Bollywood Moment (Wednesday Books) is her first novel. She is represented by the lovely Rebecca Rodd and Kerry Sparks at LGR Literary.
Ananya Devarajan is in her fourth and final year at the University of California, Irvine, where she is pursuing a major in Neurobiology and Behavior as well as a minor in English. After graduation, she will be attending medical school at the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in Middletown, New York. Like many of her characters, Ananya is a second-generation Indian American young adult. Her love for storytelling began on Wattpad, where she grew her audience as a Featured Author, and she later went on to win first place in TeenPit 2019. Now, Ananya writes young adult romance novels featuring chaotic Desi teenagers, swoon-worthy banter, and lighthearted drama with a speculative twist. In her free time, she can be found watching her favorite Bollywood movies or studying for yet another Anatomy exam. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram under the handle @ananyad12. Her debut novel, KISMAT CONNECTION, will be published on June 13, 2023 by Inkyard Press and HarperCollins. She is represented by the wonderful Ann Leslie Tuttle at Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret LLC.
Christina Li, BA, MA, is an author, journalist, wife, and mother of five. She and her family live in the northwest suburbs of Chicago where they serve in a great church, The Life Church of Glenview, www.thelifechurchofglenview.org Besides writing, she loves a great cup of coffee, fresh roasted by her wonderful husband, and afternoon tea. Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/ChristinaLi Connect with her on FaceBook at www.facebook.com/ChristinaLiBooks Check out her blog at http://ChristinaLiBooks.wordpress.com for inspiration and information on writing and publishing your own books
