LB Teen

Ask the Passengers

By A.S. King (Hardcover Book, 2012)

Astrid Jones desperately wants to confide in someone, but her mother's pushiness and her father's lack of interest tell her they're the last people she can trust. Instead, Astrid spends hours lying on the backyard picnic table watching airplanes fly overhead. She doesn't know the passengers inside, but they're the only people who won't judge her when she asks them her most personal questions . . . like what it means that she's falling in love with a girl.

As her secret relationship becomes more intense and her friends demand answers, Astrid has nowhere left to turn. She can't share the truth with anyone except the people at thirty thousand feet, and they don't even know she's there. But little does Astrid know just how much even the tiniest connection will affect these strangers' lives--and her own--for the better.

In this truly original portrayal of a girl struggling to break free of society's definitions, Printz Honor author A.S. King asks readers to question everything--and offers hope to those who will never stop seeking real love.

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- Format: Hardcover Book
- Price: $17.99 US/$19.99 CAN
- ISBN-13: 9780316194686
- On Sale Date: 10/23/2012
- Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Full Details
Formats Available: Hardcover Book, Trade Paperback, Electronic Book
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A.S. King is the author of the highly acclaimed novel Everybody Sees the Ants, an Andre Norton Award finalist and a 2012 YALSA Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults book. She is also the author of the Edgar Award-nominated, Michael L. Printz Honor Book Please Ignore Vera Dietz and The Dust of 100 Dogs, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. When asked about her writing, King says, "Some people don't know if my characters are crazy or if they are experiencing something magical. I think that's an accurate description of how I feel every day." She lives in rural Pennsylvania with her husband and children. Her website is www.as-king.com.

A 2012 Publishers Weekly Best YA Book
A 2012 School Library Journal Best Book
A 2012 Kirkus Reviews Best YA Book
A 2012 Library Journal Best YA for Adults Book
A 2012 BookPage Best Children's Book
A 2012 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature Winner
A 2012 Los Angeles Public Library Best Teen Book
A 2012 Lambda Literary Award Finalist
A 2013 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Book
A 2013 Rainbow List Top Ten Book
A 2013 Capitol Choices Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens Book
A 2013 Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices Book
A Junior Library Guild Selection
* "Quite possibly the best teen novel featuring a girl questioning her sexuality written in years."
(Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
* "Another thoughtful, and often breathtaking, achievement for King, whose star is ascending as quickly as one of Astrid's planes." (Booklist, starred review).
* "At once much more than a coming out novel and one of the best coming-out novels in years.... Funny, provocative, and intelligent, King's story celebrates love in all of its messy, modern complexity." (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
* "Will appeal to any mature teen resisting the pressure to conform or rebel [and] anyone who wants to define herself on her own terms." (School Library Journal, starred review).
* "For kids struggling with their own truths, it can be hard to believe how much light there is once you come out of the cave. This is a book that knows and understands that, and it's one that readers will believe." (The Bulletin, starred review).
* "A furiously smart and funny coming-out-and-of-age novel." (The Horn Book, starred review).
"Astrid is a model of strength and compassion.... Good reading for everyone." (VOYA).
"King has penned a work of realism that is magical in the telling." (Cooperative Children's Book Center).
Praise for Everybody Sees the Ants:
A YALSA 2012 Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults title
A Capitol Choices 2012 Noteworthy Book for Teens
A Keystone to Reading Children's Choice Award winner
* "King remarkably channels fifteen-year-old Lucky, creating one of the most believable teen male characters in young adult fiction.... This unique coming-of-age story will hold tremendous appeal for reluctant male readers."
(VOYA, starred review).
* "Blending magic and realism, this is a subtly written, profoundly honest novel about a kid falling through the cracks and pulling himself back up." (Booklist, starred review).
* "King's heartfelt tale easily blends realism and fantasy.... A haunting but at times funny tale about what it means to want to take one's life, but rising above it so that living becomes the better option." (School Library Journal, starred review).
* "A smart, funny, and passionate novel that embodies the idea that 'It Gets Better'--when you take action." (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
* "The unusual and occasionally comic juxtaposition of the POW experience with Lucky's victimization... [offers] compelling food for thought about the things we can control and the things we can't, and how that distinction ultimately determines the need for action." (The Bulletin, starred review).
* "King's themes of torture, physical and emotional imprisonment, and bullying connect in satisfying ways in this improbably witty and heartwarming story." (The Horn Book, starred review).
"A resonant, uplifting story about not just getting through, but powering through, the tough times." (Kirkus Reviews).
Praise for Please Ignore Vera Dietz:
- A Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book
- A Kirkus 2010 Best Books for Teens Contemporary Novel
- A 2011 Edgar Award Nominee
- A Junior Library Guild Selection for Fall 2010
- An Indie Next Pick for Teens
- A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection
* "A harrowing but ultimately redemptive tale of adolescent angst gone awry . . . The author depicts the journey to overcome a legacy of poverty, violence, addiction and ignorance as an arduous one, but Vera's path glimmers with grace and hope." (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
* "Chilling and darkly comedic... The book is deeply suspenseful and profoundly human as Vera... struggles to find the courage to combat destructive forces, save herself, and bring justice to light." (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
* "[A] witty, thought-provoking novel. . . . Watching characters turn into the people they've long fought to avoid becoming is painful, but seeing them rise above it, reflect, and move on makes this title a worthy addition to any YA collection." (Booklist, starred review).
* "It is hard to describe how deeply affecting this story is . . . The writing is phenomenal, the characters unforgettable . . . There is so much in here for young people to think about, presented authentically and without filters . . . It is a gut-wrenching tale about family, friendship, destiny, the meaning of words, and self-discovery. It will glow in the reader for a long time after the reading." (VOYA, starred review).
Praise for The Dust of 100 Dogs:
- 2010 YALSA BBYA Pick
- Indie Next List Pick For Teens
- A 2010 Cybils Award Finalist
"Undeniably original." (Booklist).
"A remarkable and compelling story for readers seeking something out of the ordinary." (VOYA).
"Charming...poignant." (Publishers Weekly).