When I found out one of my favorite young adult writers lives in my home state of North Carolina, I was pretty excited. Then she read my book. And she liked it…which coincidentally happened around the time that my head exploded for the tenth time since this whole process began with my debut YA novel, No Sad Songs.

If you’ve never read any of Amber Smith‘s work, you are truly missing out on some of the most powerful writing for young adults in the past decade. Her debut novel, The Way I Used to Be, is a beautiful and heartbreaking elegy to the experiences of a sexual assault victim in her search for normalcy. Not only will this book tug at your heartstrings and stay with you long after you finish the last page, but it is also an important read during a time in American history when experiences such as the ones illustrated by Smith in her book are seemingly prophetic. Highly recommended.

And I know I’m not alone when I say I can’t wait for Amber Smith’s next book to come out on February 6, 2018. It is titled The Last to Let Go and features murder, abusive relationships, and the mental anguish that often attaches itself to such trauma. If The Way I Used to Be is any indication, The Last to Let Go figures to be another smash hit.

To have an author of this caliber read my work and offer her thoughts is an experience I will always cherish. Here is what Amber Smith had to say about my debut young adult novel, which drops on February 20 and is currently available for pre-order or for addition to your Goodreads TBR:

“NO SAD SONGS explores the complexities of family, love, and loss, as we follow one young man on a powerful, heart wrenching journey of self-discovery—one that is perfectly balanced with both humor and hope.”

Amber Smith, NY Times bestselling author of The Way I Used to Be and The Last to Let Go