There are so many things I loved about Tara Kelly’s YA debut that it’s hard to know where to start. The main character Drea, is a teenager who’s tired of being defined by her acronyms… ADHD and AS, or Asperger’s Syndrome. I’ve read a few YA novels with main characters on the autism spectrum, but this is the first one that explores that voice from a female point of view, and it does so beautifully. If you enjoyed Marcelo in MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD, I think you’ll also fall in love with Drea; both characters are so three-dimensional, defined by a whole host of characteristics and gifts, rather than just by their labels. Like MARCELO, HARMONIC FEEDBACK is a coming of age story with a beautifully drawn, unique protagonist.
The secondary characters are pitch-perfect, too. There’s Drea’s loving but imperfect mother, who is begging her to get along with her grandmother, since Drea and her mom have been forced to move in with her for now. There’s Justin, the cute-but-keeping-secrets boy who falls for Drea at her new school. And there’s Naomi, Drea’s first friend in years, who is so full of energy and spirit and so painfully flawed that my heart absolutely ached for her from the minute I met her. The characters in this book feel real through and through, and their journeys are believable and compelling. Teens who love music, especially, will be drawn into Drea’s world.
I can’t share much about the ending without running the risk of spoilers, but let’s just say that I cried. And then I cried again. And it was just perfect. Don’t miss this one, due out in May from Henry Holt. You can read more about it at http://harmonicfeedback.com
Book by book, I’m reading and recommending my way through the fantastic ARCs I picked up at NCTE. I had been looking forward to C.J. Omololu’s YA novel DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS for two reasons. First, I know Cynthia online and had read about her book sale. And second, my Walker editor Mary Kate is also the editor of this book, and I know how excited she is about it. I read DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS in a single sitting — on the plane home from NCTE, actually — and it kept me turning pages long after I should have been sleeping. 
My editor was kind enough to send me an early copy of MAGIC UNDER GLASS by 
Note: This is the UK cover, which I think I might like even better than the US cover above. They’re both gorgeous, though, befitting a beautifully written book.
I’m late to the party, but someone has declared today Agent Appreciation Day. Since I think it’s always a great idea to celebrate people who do great work, I’m sneaking in a quick post about my literary agent, Jennifer Laughran of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (She’s 
WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON is a collaboration between YA legends John Green and David Levithan, which is probably enough information to make you want to read it. But if not…also know that it is an amazing book.
