About Hear Her Howl: As fiercely feminist as it is hopeful, this speculative, sapphic YA romance from the author of For Girls Who Walk through Fire is simultaneously a modern-day war cry and a PSA that there is a wolf who slumbers inside us all—we only have to wake her. 

If there is one thing that we should all be going in the year of our lord, 2025, it’s staying wild. And what do I mean by that? Am I proposing we all turn into wolves? Honestly, that would be amazing but no. It’s time we stopped listening to the external voices telling us who and what we should be, what is and is not proper, whom we’re allowed to love, how we’re allowed to live. And it’s time we start listening to the quiet howl within. That we rediscover the self that has been there all along. It’s time we own our wild. 

However, embarking on this internal journey is best done with a pack, so I hope you will consider the below books (along with Hear Her Howl) as your virtual wolf pack, encouraging you to stay wild every step of the way.

If you want a pack member attempting to be their truest self while at Catholic school:

The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

This debut YA novel a) has an amazing title, and b) is such a delight. It follows Yamilet, a queer closeted Mexican-American girl who’s transferring schools after being outed to her friend group…by her best friend and crush, no less. With this fresh start, Yami’s determined to hide her sexual identity. But when she becomes friends with annoyingly perfect Bo, the only out queer kid at her new school and begins to fall for her (whoops!), Yami’s entire plan becomes a little…difficult. This book handles Yamilet’s experiences so sensitively, and the characters are all so nuanced and heartfelt. And if you read this book and love it, I have great news for you, Sonora Reyes has a new companion book out: The Golden Boy’s Guide to Bipolar.

If you want a pack member who’s refusing to confirm to society’s expectations:

The Wilderness of Girls by Madeline Claire Franklin

When I first saw the announcement for this book on Instagram I immediately reached out to Madeline Claire Franklin and basically forced her to become my writer friend.  A foster teen discovers a pack of feral girls in the forest (being guarded by wolves no less), who claim to be princesses from another realm raised by a prophet named Mother. And they are convinced that the girl is their lost fifth sister. But when she helps bring them into the modern world, she is forced to face her own traumatic past and ultimately ask the question of whether helping these wild girls adapt is truly the best thing. I loved this book and have been lucky enough to be on two panels with Madeline. The book is nuanced, beautiful, and 100% worth your time.

If you want a pack member who is literally turning wild:

Nightbitch by Rebecca Yoder

I cannot stop talking about this book, even years after reading it. Have I forced it on friends? Possibly. Did it inspire Hear Her Howl? Absolutely. An artist who has become a new stay-at-home mother, is struggling with isolation, and the loss of her identity, and frustrations at no longer being able to create her art…and she’s fairly certain she’s turning into a dog. See, she’s no longer domestic, now she’s feral. This book made me laugh out loud. It’s weird, and relatable, and freaking awesome. And while I haven’t seen the movie, I can tell you with certainty that the book will make you want to howl.

When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

Want a book where the transformation isn’t into a canine, but a dragon? Imagine this: an alternative world in 1955 that’s much like our own except for one thing: hundreds of thousands of ordinary women—wives, mothers, sisters, aunts—have turned into dragons and then taken to the skies. Except the Mass Dragoning is taboo, no one’s allowed to even discuss it. This book explores female rage and what it’s like to be asked to stay small when all you want to do is expand. And by the end, it will make you want to breathe fire and unfurl your own wings.

If you want a pack member pursuing meaning (and a sapphic romance) while at boarding school:

The World Cannot Give by Tara Isabella Burton

This book is a favorite of mine and has a number of commonalities with Hear Her Howl: a New England boarding school, a school choir, a sapphic romance, illicit midnight activities. It’s also about obsession, religious fervor, idealism, and a search for meaning and transcendence outside the realm of the day to day. I tore through this book, loving how dark and messy things got. And I love an intense female friendship—especially when it’s not clear if the main character wants to be the other girl, or just flat out wants the other girl (or possibly both)—and wow, does this book deliver. 

If you want a pack member who will inspire you to break free of your cage:

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Everyone in my life is probably sick to death by now of hearing me talk about Glennon Doyle’s writing and podcast, We Can Do Hard Things. But too bad! Because I’m here to do it again! I listened to this book in 2020 and it saved me. Truly. At a time that I felt lost, when the world was shut down and things felt scary and unknown, these were the words I needed to hear. About burning the memos we’ve been given in life, about turning within and owning who we truly are, about realizing we’re not crazy, we’re goddamned cheetahs. Also, talk about an amazing sapphic romance! I have three words for you that you will either already understand, or soon come to understand: there she is.

If you want a pack member who will inspire you to lead a pack:

Wolfpack by Abby Wambach

Another book I couldn’t stop talking about, written by Olympic athlete, activist, and podcast host, Abby Wambach (not to mention the partner to Glennon Doyle). This is a book we should all be reading, even if we’re not planning on being out on the court or field (and believe me, I’m not). This is about leading with integrity, inclusiveness, and having a new kind of model that rejects the old boys club way of doing things. As Abby Wambach points out, the vicious alpha wolf model that we all have in our heads only happens when wolves are trapped in captivity. Wolves in their natural habitats are actually very communal; they are essentially families. And if we translate that idea into how we live our lives and operate in society, there’s some important implications. What if we stopped trying to compete? What if we rid of ourselves of the scarcity mindset? What if, instead, we tried to build something better together?

If you want a pack member who’s way smarter and wiser than you and makes you see stories differently:

Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estés

This book hugely inspired and influenced Hear Her Howl and my copy is completely marked up and highlighted, with little tags on numerous pages. Estés argues that within every woman lives a powerful force “filled with good instincts, passionate creativity, and ageless knowing.” She calls this force, the Wild Woman. But the Wild Woman is endangered because society tries to civilize her into rigid roles. Estés explores this idea by analyzing various myths, fairy tales, folk tales and stories from a wide variety of traditions, all with the goal of helping women reconnect with their truest selves. The Wild Woman isn’t a figure to be tamed, she shows us, she is one to be revered, full of magic, medicine, and deep knowing. 

The post Eight Book Recommendations to Help You Own Your Wild appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hi, Kim! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hello! The TL;DR is that I’m a writer, mother, feminist, and book nerd. I write dark magical stories about strong magical girls, and I’ve been writing ever since I was a kid. That said, I had a long meandering path when it comes to becoming a published author. I grew up in Santa Barbara, CA, where my debut YA novel takes place, and currently live in NYC with my wonderful husband, two amazing kids, and very sweet (slightly needy) dog. I also work full time in digital media, and have an addiction to coffee, podcasts, and books.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I’ve loved books and stories ever since I was a very small child. In fact, the first story I ever wrote was when I was three years old (dictated to my patient mother who kindly wrote it down). I still have it—in fact, I framed it and displayed it at my book launch party, to honor my little kid self who absolutely knew she was a writer.

Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!

“James and the Giant Peach” by Roald Dahl – my mom read stories to me every night, and while I’m sure there were other books we read together before this one, it’s the one I most clearly remember.

“Remember Me” by Christopher Pike – as a child of the 90s, I was obsessed with all of his YA thrillers and horror stories, but this one, which is about a teen girl solving her own murder, was my favorite. It definitely made me want to write dark books with supernatural and/or magical elements.

“Nightbitch” by Rachel Yoder – just absolutely brilliant; as a mother and an artist it so deeply resonated with me.

Your debut novel, For Girls Who Walk Through Fire, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Fierce, witchy, magical, empowering, hopeful

What can readers expect?

For Girls Who Walk Through Fire was pitched as The Craft meets Promising Young Woman and is about a group of diverse teens who meet in a sexual assault support group and form a coven to get revenge on their unrepentant assailants. But it’s also about the impact of trauma, and what it takes to find a path toward healing and truly own your power. It was described as “a searing examination of sexual assault centering teen witches who fight back,” by Kirkus Reviews and “a bold and compassionate debut” by Booklist.

Where did the inspiration for For Girls Who Walk Through Fire come from?

The inspiration for this book was very personal; I have my own Me Too experiences, and I have so many friends and loved ones who also have their own Me Too experiences. When I conceived of this story I knew I wanted it to be about a group of girls who met in a sexual assault support group and turned to witchcraft because they didn’t see a clear path toward justice (and had never received a reckoning, apology or so much as an acknowledgment that something happened). But I also knew that I wanted to explore what happens when, as a victim, you take your pain and turn it outward, when you essentially become the very thing you hate.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I truly loved writing all of the characters. But I have to say that I especially loved writing Madeline. She’s got a real Tracy Flick meets Paris Geller vibe (but make it dark and witchy). I’m very drawn to depictions of Type A female characters who are incredibly ambitious and driven and end up going a little off the rails. There are a couple of scenes with Madeline that were especially fun to write, but no spoilers! You’ll have to read the book to find out.

For Girls delves into topics such as sexual assault. How did you approach tackling these topics?

This is a topic that I’m incredibly passionate about and have read and thought about quite a lot. When I went to write this book, I was very much holding so many people’s lived experiences in my mind—my own experiences, the experiences of people I know personally, and the stories and testimonies that I had read about and/or heard. To be clear, none of the stories in this book are intended to be a direct depiction of any of those stories, but there are absolutely similarities. I think that’s one thing you really start to understand, the more you listen to people’s experiences: they can vary quite a lot—and we really shouldn’t be comparing or ranking them as if it’s some sort of Trauma Olympics—but there are similarities both in what individuals experience, and also in the trauma they then carry forward.

There were several individuals whose stories and work were particularly impactful and meaningful to me: “Unbound” by Tarana Burke; “Know My Name” by Chanel Miller; “Not That Bad” edited by Roxanne Gay (as well as Ms. Gay’s writing); “Somebody’s Daughter” by Ashley C. Ford; the testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey-Ford; Evan Rachel Wood’s documentary “Phoenix Rising”; the “Believed” podcast and the testimony of the US Women’s Gymnastics team; and Michaela Coel’s “I May Destroy You,” to name a few.

This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?

Long and winding! While this is my debut novel it’s the third novel that went out on submission to publishers, and I’m currently with my second agent. It’s taken a while to get here, but I really don’t think any of the experiences or writing along the way were wasted. I learned so much about myself and my creative process at each step. I also came to realize that writing and publishing are two very different things. The writing I have control over; that’s a daily practice that I deeply value and find is so additive and essential to my life. The publishing I didn’t have control over, though it certainly always remained a big priority. But I realized that the more I focused on the value of the process, the better off I was.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently working on my next book, and while it’s too early to say much about it, it’s one I’m incredibly excited about. Similar to For Girls Who Walk Through Fire, it features strong, fierce girls, has magical elements, and shares some thematic similarities.

Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?

If you’re looking for other witchy books with strong female characters I’d recommend “Our Crooked Hearts” by Melissa Albert, “Once and Future Witches” by Alix E. Harrow, The Brooklyn Brujas series by Zoraida Córdova, “The River Has Teeth” by Erica Waters, “The Witchery” by S. Isabelle, and everything written by Alice Hoffman.

Will you be picking up For Girls Who Walk Through Fire? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Kim DeRose, Author of ‘For Girls Who Walk Through Fire’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below if you’re looking forward to any!

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
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New York Times bestselling author Andrew Joseph White returns with the transgressive gothic horror of our time! A blood-soaked and nauseating triumph that cuts like a scalpel and reads like your darkest nightmare.

This Dark Descent by Kalyn Josephson
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The Shadows Between Us meets Six of Crows in this spellbinding new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, and pulse-pounding action, where the eldest daughter of a renowned family on the verge of ruin joins forces with a mysterious, rogue enchanter and a handsome, ambitious heir to win a deadly race.

Foul Heart Huntsman by Chloe Gong
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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends comes the second book in the captivating Foul Lady Fortune duology following an immortal assassin in 1930s Shanghai as she races to save her country and her love.

Into the Bright Open: A Secret Garden Remix by Cherie Dimaline
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This queer YA reimagining of The Secret Garden subverts the cishet and white status quo of the original in a tale of family secrets wonderful and horrifying.

Monstrous by Jessica Lewis
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Forced to spend her summer in her aunt’s strange small town, a teen girl discovers dark secrets hidden in the woods. From the author of Bad Witch Burning comes another pulse-pounding novel perfect for fans of Supernatural and Lovecraft Country.

Your Lonely Nights Are Over by Adam Sass
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Scream meets Clueless in this YA horror from Adam Sass in which two gay teen BFFs find their friendship tested when a serial killer starts targeting their school’s Queer Club.

A Prayer For Vengeance by Leanne Schwartz
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An orphan out to find the truth within a warped religion turns his poetry into prayer―a prayer that awakens a cursed girl hungry for revenge.

The Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore
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Funny, moving, and heart-achingly real, this romantic romp and paranormal romcom debut—through a haunted library with trapdoors, ghosts, and memories—is full of great love that triumphs over even death, perfect for fans of Ninth House and Cemetery Boys.

For Girls Who Walk Through Fire by Kim DeRose
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The Scarlet Veil by Shelby Mahurin
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A dark and thrilling vampire romance set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Serpent & Dove series.

If I Have to Be Haunted by Miranda Sun
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Cemetery Boys meets Legendborn in this thrillingly romantic, irresistibly fun YA contemporary fantasy debut following a teenage Chinese American ghost speaker who (reluctantly) makes a deal to raise her nemesis from the dead.

When a Brown Girl Flees by Aamna Qureshi
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In this searing contemporary YA novel from new voice Aamna Qureshi, a Muslim teen runs away from home only to find herself on a breathtaking journey of healing, self-love, and hope.​

Nightbreaker by Coco Ma
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Fifteen years ago, The Vanishing thrust Manhattan into darkness, forever changing the City That Never Sleeps. By day, resilient New Yorkers have adapted, clinging to the vestiges of their cosmopolitan lives. By night—well, you never go out at night unless you have a death wish.

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
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Bestselling author Ava Reidmakes her YA debut in this dark academic fantasy perfect for fans of Melissa Albert and Elana K. Arnold.

How to Find a Missing Girl by Victoria Wlosok
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For fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and Veronica Mars, this whip-smart thriller follows a sapphic detective agency as they seek the truth behind a growing trail of missing girls in small-town Louisiana. 

Mermaids Never Drown: Tales to Dive For
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14 Young Adult short stories from bestselling and award-winning authors make a splash in Mermaids Never Drown – the second collection in the Untold Legends series edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker – exploring mermaids like we’ve never seen them before!

A Hundred Vicious Turns by Lee Paige O’Brien
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The heir to an arcane bloodline must outwit their ambitious rival to stop a ruthless magical adversary in Lee Paige O’Brien’s A Hundred Vicious Turns, a YA fantasy debut—first in The Broken Tower series—perfect for fans of A Lesson in Vengeance and Hell Followed With Us.

All the Fighting Parts by Hannah V. Sawyerr
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In the vein of Grown and The Poet X, Hannah V. Sawyerr’s All the Fighting Parts is a searing and defiant young adult novel in verse about reclaiming agency after a sexual assault within the church community.

Everyone’s Thinking It by Aleema Omotoni
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Mean Girls meets Dear White People in this big-hearted, sharp-witted UK boarding school story about family, friendship, and belonging—with a propulsive mystery at its heart.

A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak by Laura Taylor Namey
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In this highly anticipated companion to the New York Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club YA Pick A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, Flora Maxwell heads to Miami to find a path for her future…and finds her heart along the way.

The Society For Soulless Girls by Laura Steven
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A sapphic enemies-to-lovers retelling of Jekyll & Hyde, this dark academia thriller follows two roommates who must solve an infamous cold case of serial murders on their campus after an arcane ritual gone wrong prompts another death.

There’s No Way I’d Die First by Lisa Springer
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A spine-tingling contemporary horror-comedy novel that follows a scary-movie buff as she hosts an elaborate Halloween bash but soon finds the festivities upended when she and her guests are forced to test their survival skills in a deadly game, from debut author Lisa Springer.

Cage of Dreams by Rebecca Schaeffer
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In this thrilling sequel and conclusion to the City of Nightmares duology, Ness is forced to make a twisted deal with the Nightmare Phantom—only to find herself embroiled in the explosive fallout of the agreement when a botched assassination attempt unleashes chaos into the City of Newham.

Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis
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The Inheritance Games meets Ocean’s Eleven in this cinematic heist thriller where a cutthroat competition brings together the world’s best thieves and one thief is playing for the highest stakes of all: her mother’s life.

What YA books are you looking forward to picking up this month? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 24 YA Books Releasing In September 2023 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.