Indies Introduce

Young Adult

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  Slay, Brittney Morris
  Simon Pulse, 9781534445420, September 24, 2019 (Young Adult)
  

  “Slay is an amazing look at how the creation of an online world can impact the real world. Kiera defines herself differently in her two worlds: in one, she’s the perfect minority student at her private school, while in the other, she has secretly created an online role-playing world for hundreds of thousands of black players — SLAY. The dual meaning of slay — to kill or to greatly impress or amuse — hints at the tough line Kiera walks every day. When a murder occurs, Kiera questions everything about her identity and motivations. Unlikely alliances, failed friendships, and uniquely fought struggles for power fuel this page-turner.”

  Jen Kraar, City of Asylum Bookstore, Pittsburgh, PA
  
  

  “Slay is a stay-up-until-2:00-am-reading kind of book. Morris is a genius and has done the world a service by allowing readers a window into an intimate conversation about identity and racism. This book is important and I am obsessed.”

  Liz Rice, The Book Cellar, Chicago, IL
  

   

  “The Warcross/Black Panther mash-up I didn’t know I needed, SLAY hits so many marks of a great YA book: it’s thoughtful, brilliant, funny, and emotional. The dichotomy between Kiera’s two lives and her relationships with her white friends and her black boyfriend is complex and nuanced but still feels very much from a teen perspective. I loved this book!”

  -Sami Thomason, Square Books, Oxford, MS

   

  “A layered look at black identity within the exciting world of an all-black online role-playing game. Kiera is a high-school student who develops SLAY, a highly popular game, but is afraid of the judgment of her family and friends should they find out she’s its creator. When a boy is killed because of the game, not only does she feel responsible, she may also find herself at the wrong end of a lawsuit, or worse. The game itself is fabulous — I wish it were real!”

   

  Joan Trygg, Red Balloon Bookshop, St. Paul, MN