24 June 2013

Maurene Goo

I'm super excited for Maurene Goo's Since You Asked for many reasons, but one of them is that having a contemp Asian-American book penned by an actual Asian-American is so rare. The last one I can even think of is Justina Chen's Girl Overboard. Since You Asked is a story that doesn't ignore ethnicity but also doesn't dwell on it, which is something to be admired all the way across the board. The lip curl on the cover girl perfectly captures the spirit of the book and it's going to be great to have a hip, intelligent, and sarcastic POC main character to cheer for.

Maurene herself is the coolest, and I know this because I've been following her ever since my friends Susie and Lilly told me about her upcoming book. I mean, Maurene used to journal into an old school Sanrio diary, loves Freak and Geeks, used to work in a bookstore, got a masters in book publishing, and once interviewed THE Ann M. Martin. Her blog is completely wonderful, as recent posts have featured things like learned manners, best friends, and not being the biggest fish in your pond. Plus here's this informative post about how The President's Daughter series helped spark her toward writing young adult.
"No, no one asked, but Holly Kim will tell you what she thinks anyway.

Fifteen-year-old Holly Kim is the copyeditor for her high school's newspaper. When she accidentally submits an article that rips everyone to shreds, she gets her own column and rants her way through the school year. Can she survive homecoming, mean-girl cliques, jocks, secret admirers, Valentine's Day, and other high school embarrassments, all while struggling to balance her family's traditional Korean values?

 In this hilarious debut, Maurene Goo takes a fresh look at trying to fit in without conforming to what's considered 'normal' in high school and how to manage parental expectations without losing one's individuality...or being driven insane."
Did I mention that Since You Asked is set in San Diego? I can't wait to see what local places Maurene dropped into the book. I'm guessing there's going to be a delicious burrito spot or two. Since You Asked is releasing a bit early, tomorrow in fact, due to high anticipation, and the official blog tour kicks off July 1st so be sure to look for Maurene's posts and interviews going up soon to learn more about SYA. Maurene's also a Lucky 13s so you can check there for SYA related posts too.

Later this month, Maurene will be dropping by Rich in Color -- a newish diversity in YA blog I'm contributing to -- for an interview and giveaway. I can't wait to dig into Since You Asked and then pepper her with questions. It'll be a celebration!