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Review Quotes: "This Must Be the Place is an ode to community, family, and the persistence of queer joy in unexpected places. Louisa's world feels lived-in and achingly real, and her story shines with wisdom, warmth, and vulnerability. As always, Kelly Quindlen shoots straight for the heart--and she never misses." --Becky Albertalli, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda "Poignant and unapologetically empowering, This Must Be the Place is an earnest exploration of legacy, community, queer identity, complex relationships, and the necessary spaces where we find ourselves. A joyful read and Quindlen's best yet!" --Julian Winters, USA Today bestselling author of Last First Kiss "One of the most layered, heartfelt books I've ever read. Quindlen is at her absolute best as she captures the multifaceted soul of the queer community, both past and present, through the warm and colorful lens of the Frisky Cricket. Reading This Must Be The Place is exactly like stepping behind a secret waterfall and finding all of your people waiting for you." --Kit Rosewater, author of All's Fair in Love and Field Hockey " This Must Be the Place is a triumphant homecoming to Rustin, Alabama, a place aglow with first loves and old flames--and to the Frisky Cricket, a space electric with charm and glitter. Quintessential Kelly Quindlen, these pages are filled with humor, heart, and deeply human characters. It's a love letter to the havens queer people have built to hide in, and to the people who help us step into the light." --Jen St. Jude, author of Where You'll Find Us and If Tomorrow Doesn't ComeBiographical Note: Kelly Quindlen is the bestselling author of the young adult novels She Drives Me Crazy (winner of the Volunteer State Book Award), Late to the Party, and Her Name in the Sky. Her books have been featured in The New York Times, Business Insider, Vulture, and Paste. Kelly enjoys speaking to high school GSAs, PFLAG groups, and all manner of LGBTQ+ positive organizations. She lives in Atlanta with her fiancée and their saucy cat, Peach Marie. kellyquindlen.com Brief Description: When eighteen-year-old Louisa returns to her small Alabama hometown for a funeral, she rekindles a fragile romance with Aubrey, only to find their relationship tested by local scandals, family pressures, and the challenge of being openly queer in a place seemingly built on secrets. Publisher Marketing: Inheriting a gay bar from your secretive great-uncle? Awkward. Trying to save it while catching feelings for the wrong girl? Complicated. From the author of She Drives Me Crazy comes an exuberant YA novel about queer joy, found family, and standing your ground. When eighteen-year-old Louisa Wade inherits a gay bar from her late great-uncle, she figures there's been some kind of mistake. There's no way Uncle George--football legend and hometown hero of Rustin, Alabama--could have secretly owned a queer bar... right? But The Frisky Cricket is real, and so is the messy legacy Uncle George left behind--including his grumpy ex-partner, Hatch, who wants nothing more than to sell the bar. Louisa may have zero business experience, but she's determined to keep it open for the vibrant queer community that calls it home. As the summer heats up, Louisa's crusade puts her on a collision course with Aubrey Calhoun: the pretty, popular, and sharp-tongued daughter of Rustin University's newly crowned football coach. The girls start off on the wrong foot, but a tentative truce leads to late nights, shared secrets, and a growing spark. But things threaten to sputter out when Coach Calhoun sets his sights on The Frisky Cricket, scheming to replace it with a new athletic facility--celebrating Uncle George's football career while erasing his queerness. Now Louisa must decide if she can fight for Uncle George's legacy without losing sight of herself in the process. A JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTIONDon't miss the other YA offerings from Kelly Quindlen, "master at portraying the teen experience." (SLJ) *HER NAME IN THE SKY: Kelly's debut novel that started it all, a sapphic romance about two best friends who fall in love and find the courage to choose--and be--themselves. *SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY: a sapphic enemies-to-lovers, fake dating rom-com about a high school basketball player and the pretty cheerleader she gets into a fender bender with. *LATE TO THE PARTY: a queer coming-of-age story about what it means to be a "real" teenager and an ode to late bloomers everywhere. Review Citations:
Contributor Bio:Quindlen, Kelly |
