{"product_id":"free-girls","title":"Free Girls","description":"\n\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eFree Girls\u003c\/i\u003e is for the young girls who feel like they're 'not whole, barely together' and are fighting to collect the shattered pieces. It's for the girls who feel unseen and unheard. It's for the girls who believe they can only fail. A heartfelt and heart-wrenching novel about forgiveness, family, and finding a path toward honoring your truth. At every turn, Jasmine is a character to root for--not in spite of her history, but because of it. With such an empowering debut, I can't wait to see what Kristen McCallum does next.\" \u003cb\u003e--Arriel Vinson, award-winning author of \u003ci\u003eUnder the Neon Lights\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Moving and powerful, \n\u003ci\u003e Free Girls\u003c\/i\u003e is a triumph of a debut. With her unstoppable voice and complex and loveable characters, McCallum reminds readers that you can always rewrite your story--and that finding your truth is the first step to finding yourself.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--Andrea Mosqueda, author of \u003ci\u003eJust Your Local Bisexual Disaster\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"There's a real art to capturing the bittersweetness where 'wanting to and knowing you can change' collides with 'this is how the people closest to you have decided you are.' McCallum masterfully expresses this aching, evergreen feeling through \n\u003ci\u003eFree Girls\u003c\/i\u003e.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--Lio Min, author of\u003ci\u003e The L.O.V.E. Club\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Jasmine's journey toward self-discovery had me rooting for her the whole way from heartache to hope. With crisp dialogue and unflinching prose, \n\u003ci\u003eFree Girls\u003c\/i\u003e is an outstanding debut.\" \n\u003cb\u003e --Natasha Díaz, award-winning author of \u003ci\u003eColor Me In\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A pitch-perfect representation of a teen who never promised to be perfect, but is absolutely deserving of redemption and grace. Jasmine could have been me. Jasmine could have been you. Jasmine is every teen who is one fun time, one random misstep, one spur-of-the moment decision away from life-changing consequences. Kristen McCallum's \n\u003ci\u003eFree Girls \u003c\/i\u003eis the tale teens, teachers and parents should read together, to begin necessary conversations on the complexities of making through adolescence.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--Lakita Wilson, author of \u003ci\u003ePretty Girl County\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"With poignancy and an enviable effortlessness, McCallum strikes a chord about the universal feeling of not being 'good enough' and the difference being seen can make.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--Ciera Burch, author of \u003ci\u003eOut of Step, Into You\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"I can't wait to read more from McCallum. Her debut was equal parts rage-inducing and deeply romantic. My heart broke as Jasmine struggled to prove to the adults in her life that she wasn't a bad kid--and soared when she finally found the love she deserved.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--Mina Fears, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Scorpion Queen\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\" \n\u003ci\u003eFree Girls\u003c\/i\u003e is a beautiful depiction of the trauma that befalls unprotected kids.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--Joya Goffney, author of \u003ci\u003eExcuse Me While I Ugly Cry\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"McCallum weaves a powerful story of Black girlhood, female relationships, and how one misstep unfairly leads a teen to experience swift punishment instead of caring correction. Jasmine is a character many teens will connect with.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A beautiful and unflinching story about reputation, tenuous mother daughter relationships, and beginning again.\" \n\u003cb\u003e --\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BCCB)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"An insightful and well-characterized depiction of a teen navigating some of life's tough challenges.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eKirkus\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\"[ \n\u003ci\u003eFree Girls\u003c\/i\u003e] tackles thorny subjects like rehabilitation, queerness, and blended families from a place of empathy and understanding, with strongly defined characters grounding these issues in a relatable, sympathetic context. McCallum expertly splits the difference between standard teen drama and the challenges of formerly incarcerated students, creating a uniquely affecting coming-of-age tale.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBooklist\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\"As a bibliotherapist who works closely with Black girls and women, \n\u003ci\u003eFree Girls\u003c\/i\u003e feels painfully real. Kristen McCallum captures what I see in my practice every day: how quickly Black girls are adultified, how harshly they're judged for adolescent mistakes, and how long shame lingers after the punishment ends. Jasmine's journey toward truth and self-forgiveness is a reminder that second chances aren't about erasing the past, they're about reclaiming your story and learning to hold yourself with compassion. A powerful debut honoring Black girlhood and the relationship between mothers and daughters.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--Emely Rumble, LICSW, author of \u003ci\u003eBibliotherapy in the Bronx\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"This one is for all the labeled 'bad kids' who need someone to see the good in them. Full of heartache but never short on hope.\" --Sonido Reyes, bestselling and award-winning author of \u003ci\u003eThe Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA heartfelt coming-of-age debut about a girl starting over while keeping secret that she's spent the last year in juvenile detention. Perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and Leah Johnson.\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSixteen-year-old Jasmine Cooper is back after twelve months at Guiding Hearts Home for Troubled Girls, and nothing is the way it was. Her mom has remarried and now there's a big new house, a shiny new family, and a fancy new school. Jas feels completely out of place, and things only get more complicated when her mom insists that her \"fresh start\" include hiding the truth of where she's been and cutting off people from her past. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAs Jas settles into her new life bonding with her seemingly perfect stepsister, making a close-knit group of besties, and maybe even falling for the cute girl in class, it starts to feel like her second chance might actually be real. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBut when a friend from the detention center reaches out to reconnect, Jas worries that everything she's built could fall apart. How long can she keep her past a secret? And how many times can she spin the truth before she forgets who she really is? \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e 04\/13\/2026 (EAN 9781250320261, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/span\u003e 05\/01\/2026 pg. 81 (EAN 9781250320261, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eBulletin of Ctr for Child Bks\u003c\/span\u003e 06\/01\/2026 (EAN 9781250320261, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 05\/15\/2026 (EAN 9781250320261, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eContributor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003eMcCallum, Kristen\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eKristen McCallum\u003c\/b\u003e received her MA in English from The University at Albany-SUNY. A writer and creative strategist from Mount Vernon, NY, she credits growing up with the adventures of her Jamaican family as the beginning of her fascination with stories and the ways they could be shared. The founder of SafeWordSociety, an initiative that highlighted the depth and beauty of lived experiences in historically-marginalized communities, Kristen has consulted for The Obama Foundation and Peoplmovr, among others. \n\u003ci\u003eFree Girls\u003c\/i\u003e is her debut novel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n","brand":"Flatiron Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51496202633494,"sku":"9781250320261","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0857\/9910\/8886\/files\/9781250320261.jpg?v=1783057438","url":"https:\/\/lusper.myshopify.com\/products\/free-girls","provider":"Lusperbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}