Diverse Reads Challenge 2016 Guest Post: Welcome, Marieke Nijkamp!


     I'm sure a lot of you remember how I am about Diverse Books. Especially about those that fall under #ownvoices. So, while I was making this challenge, I promised I would have authors come and say a little something about diversity and what they feel about it. For the first guest, I have Marieke Nijkamp, debut author of This is Where it Ends!

This Is Where It Ends

"As a queer, disabled person, writing diversely always felt like a given to me. Every character I write is a choice, and why would I not choose to reflect the world around me? I know too well what it's like to read stories that, along several axes, always seemed to be about people other than me, and I strongly believe everyone deserves to see themselves as the hero of a story, and deserves to have thoughtful and respectful representation.

If I succeeded in doing that with TIWIE is not for me to say, but I do know it's heartening to see more and more inclusive stories--from the well-known trailblazers to debuts and new releases. 2016 alone sees some fantastic books coming out. Jeff Garvin's SYMPTOMS OF BEING HUMAN, about a genderfluid teen. Randi Pink's astounding INTO WHITE. Corinne Duyvis's ON THE EDGE OF GONE, an #ownvoices story featuring an autistic protagonist in the middle of the apocalypse. And Traci Chee's THE READER. We have a long way still to go, but we're making progress."

     I have to admit when I got the answers back from Nijkamp I immediately added those other books to my TBR lol But I also felt really excited. As stated, there's still work to be done, but there is progress being made. There's more and more stories coming out. There's more and more teens reading them. (I've book pushed a couple to some at my library myself lol) and there's more attention being brought to them in other places!

     Thank you so much Marieke Nijkamp for stopping by! And y'all if you haven't read This is Where it Ends, GO GET IT! It's heart breaking and emotional and you will cry rivers! lol

Everyone has a reason to fear the boy with the gun.

"This brutal, emotionally charged novel will grip readers and leave them brokenhearted."
– Kirkus Reviews

"A thought-provoking must-read!"
– A Winter 2015–2016 Kids’ Indie Next Great Reads pick.




Be on the look out for more author guest posts as well as some giveaways in the challenge later on!  


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