Next year, Peachtree Publishing Company will launch the inaugural list for their new YA-only imprint Peachtree Teen. Lead by Ashley Hearn (formerly of Page Street Publishing) and Jonah Heller, the imprint aims to empower teens through fresh, empathetic storytelling that inspires conversation in an ever changing world.
“What excites me about this inaugural list is that there’s something on it for so many different readers,” said Hearn. “It’s always been an acquiring goal of mine to publish diversely across genres, so that any teen can come to our list and find the book that makes them feel seen. Our mission as an imprint is to publish empowering, compassionate storytelling that focus on authentic aspects of the teen experience, and I’m proud that these three books set the tone for us to achieve that.”
We’re absolutely thrilled to be revealing the covers for their first three titles, The Ghost of Rose Hill by R. M. Romero, Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White, and Boys I Know by Anna Gracia.
The Ghost of Rose Hill by R. M. Romero
May 3rd 2022 | Goodreads
Part achingly beautiful ghost story, and part poignant celebration of Jewish diaspora, The Ghosts of Rose Hill is a modern fairytale, in which aspiring violinist, Ilana, finds love and finds herself while helping free the spirit of the shy, sweet ghost boy she met in a Prague cemetery.
The next read for fans of The Bear and the Nightingale and The Hazel Wood, this verse novel is all about embracing your power, facing your monsters, and loving deeply enough to transcend a century.
R. M. Romero spends her summers helping to maintain Jewish cemeteries in Poland. The Ghosts of Rose Hill was inspired by these experiences.
“The Ghosts of Rose Hill is a very personal book to me,” said Romero. “I’m thrilled that the story is part of such an exciting and diverse YA line at Peachtree Teen!”
Cover design and illustration by Isabel Ibañez
Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White
June 6th 2022 | Goodreads
A furious debut novel from Andrew Joseph White about embracing the monster within and unleashing its power against your oppressors.
Perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth and Annihilation, in this post-apocalyptic thriller, trans boy Benji teams up with an LGBTQ+ youth center to take down the fundamentalist cult who turned him into a monster. Queer trans author Andrew Joseph White is an up-and-coming voice in the YA community.
“Watching Hell Followed with Us find its place in Peachtree Teen’s first-ever list means the world to me,” said White. “This kind of support and visibility for a book about loud, angry, and powerful queer kids will help this story get into the hands of teens who need it.”
Cover design by Melia Parsole / Cover illustration by Evangeline Gallagher
Boys I Know by Anna Gracia
July 5th 2022 | Goodreads
June Chu, a high school senior in Iowa, balances her academic expectations with her fraught love life and discovering what she wants for herself, outside of the expectations of her family and society.
Readers of Becky Albertalli and Jenny Han’s novel’s will be glued to the page as June navigates messy boys and messier relationships in this bitingly funny and much-needed look into the overlap of Asian American identity and teen sexuality. Anna Gracia has crafted an outstanding coming-of-age novel.
“Being a part of the inaugural Peachtree Teen list is a huge honor,” said Gracia. “I am excited about our stories finding their way to teens who need them.”
Cover design by Kelley Brady / Cover illustration by Fevik
Ummm all of these covers are phenomenal?? I’m seriously floored. THIS is how you kick off an imprint!