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Young Adult Fiction Lgbt

Bruised

by (author) Tanya Boteju

Publisher
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Initial publish date
Mar 2021
Category
LGBT, Death & Dying, Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781534455047
    Publish Date
    Mar 2021
    List Price
    $9.99 USD
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781534455023
    Publish Date
    Mar 2021
    List Price
    $24.99
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781534455030
    Publish Date
    Feb 2022
    List Price
    $16.99

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Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels

  • Age: 14 to 18
  • Grade: 9 to 12
  • Reading age: 14 to 18

Description

“A searing portrait of self-discovery; soulful and captivating.” —Kirkus Reviews

Whip It meets We Are Okay in this vibrant coming-of-age story about a teen girl navigating first love, identity, and grief as she immerses herself in the colorful, brutal, beautiful world of roller derby—from the acclaimed author of Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens.

To Daya Wijesinghe, a bruise is a mixture of comfort and control. Since her parents died in an accident she survived, bruises have become a way to keep her pain on the surface of her skin so she doesn’t need to deal with the ache deep in her heart.

So when chance and circumstances bring her to a roller derby bout, Daya is hooked. Yes, the rules are confusing and the sport seems to require the kind of teamwork and human interaction Daya generally avoids. But the opportunities to bruise are countless, and Daya realizes that if she’s going to keep her emotional pain at bay, she’ll need all the opportunities she can get.

The deeper Daya immerses herself into the world of roller derby, though, the more she realizes it’s not the simple physical pain-fest she was hoping for. Her rough-and-tumble teammates and their fans push her limits in ways she never imagined, bringing Daya to big truths about love, loss, strength, and healing.

About the author

Tanya Boteju is a teacher and writer living on unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations (Vancouver, British Columbia). Part-time, she teaches English to clever and sassy young people. The rest of her time, she writes and procrastinates from writing. Her novel, Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens was named a Top Ten Indie Next Pick by the American Booksellers Association, as well as selected for the American Librarian Association 2020 Rainbow List. Her work appears in the anthology Out Now and her latest young adult novel, Bruised, has been selected as a Gold Standard book by the Junior Library Guild. In both teaching and writing, she is committed to positive, diverse representation. Visit her at TanyaBoteju.com.

Tanya Boteju's profile page

Editorial Reviews

A Junior Library Guild Selection

“Boteju writes with acumen about the roller-coaster ride of being a teenager. . . . A searing portrait of self-discovery; soulful and captivating.” Kirkus Reviews

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