Final Draft

Description

The only sort of risk 18-year-old Laila Piedra enjoys is the peril she writes for the characters in her stories: epic sci-fi worlds full of quests, forbidden love, and robots. Her creative writing teacher has always told her she has a special talent. But three months before her graduation, he dies suddenly - and is replaced by Nadiya Nazarenko, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist who is sadistically critical and perpetually unimpressed. At first, Nazarenko's eccentric assignments seem absurd. But before long, Laila grows obsessed with gaining the woman's approval. Soon Laila is hiking through the Catskills during a thunderstorm in March and discovering the psychedelic highs and perilous lows of nightlife, temporary flings, and instability. Dr. Nazarenko has led Laila to believe that she must choose between perfection and sanity - but rejecting her all-powerful mentor may be the only way for Laila to thrive.

Riley Redgate is a graduate of Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. Her first two novels, Noteworthy and Seven Ways We Lie, earned critical acclaim. She lives and writes in Brooklyn.

"This book packs a lot in to its pages and you get swept along with Laila's dizzying voyage to adulthood very quickly. It seems like no 'issue' is left off a YA writer's tick sheet, but it really works." -- The School Librarian "Perfect for teens and young adults who struggle to meet the impossible standards set for them, Final Draft asks the question: is it worth sacrificing your happiness in the quest for perfection?" -- Happiful "18-year-old fat, pansexual, Ecuadorian American Laila is an accomplished sci fi writer whose final semester of high school is ruined when her favorite creative writing teacher is replaced. Her new instructor is critical of and unenthusiastic about her work, leading her to push herself out of her comfort zone - but how far is too far?" -- Autostraddle, 50 of the Best LGBT Books of 2018 "Writing is never easy, and Final Draft delves fully into the darker side of a creative life. Ultimately, however, it's a hopeful reminder that words, imagination and creativity can change the world." -- Bustle