Don’t you just love it when you get a second chance to discover an awesome book? For those who didn’t get the opportunity to read it in hardback, Melissa Walker’s fantastic YA novel, SMALL TOWN SINNERS, just came out in paperback. And it’s got an amazing review from The New York Times!
“Walker has written a credible and tender evocation of the moment when a young person’s beliefs begin to emerge and potentially diverge from the teachings of a family’s religion… Near the end, Lacey contemplates a verse from the prophet Isaiah: ‘Come now and let us reason together.’ It’s a good summation of what Walker asks of her characters and, by extension, of her readers.” —The New York Times Book Review
Congrats, Melissa!
And as always, here’s a little bit about her book to get you hooked:
Does falling in love mean falling out of faith?
Lacey Anne Byer is a perennial good girl and lifelong member of the House of Enlightenment, the Evangelical church in her small town. With her driver’s license in hand and the chance to try out for a lead role in Hell House, her church’s annual haunted house of sin, Lacey’s junior year is looking promising. But when a cute new stranger comes to town, something begins to stir inside her.
Ty Davis doesn’t know the sweet, shy Lacey Anne Byer everyone else does. With Ty, Lacey could reinvent herself. As her feelings for Ty make Lacey test her boundaries, events surrounding Hell House make her question her religion.
Here’s what Melissa had to say:
Melissa: Before I write a book, I do little interviews with some characters. That information almost never makes it into the manuscript, but I like having it.
Here’s a tiny bit from Dean, one of the best friends of her main character Lacey Anne:
What’s your ideal college?
Dean: I don’t like school. I do okay without trying though, so maybe I’ll get into a good college. I’ll worry about that next year.
Future career?
Dean: No idea. Do I really have to think about that right now?
Who’s your best friend?
Dean: Starla Joy and Lacey. Lacey is just good. She lives by the rules and they actually seem to work for her. I don’t know if that’s by sheer will or good genes or what, but it’s true. And it’s not just a “follow the crowd” impulse either—she likes me, doesn’t she? That’s not a popular thing to do. Starla Joy is sarcastic and funny. She makes me laugh all the time when she gets worked up about something. She knows who her friends are and she’ll defend us to the death. It’s a good quality to have in a BFF.
Thank you, Melissa! Now, everyone go out and buy books, lots and lots of books!
