Description

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An exciting fiction YA anthology that celebrates the new experiences and final moments teenagers face on their journey into adulthood from editor Laura Silverman and a cast of spectacular contributors.

From first breakups and romantic vampire encounters to last band performances and the deadly end of a friendship, Firsts and Lasts is an anthology that is just as unpredictable as being a teenager. While each of these stories span different genres and styles, they all perfectly capture the big emotions—confusion, joy, uneasiness, and anticipation—that many teens experience as they grow up. 

Whether you are hopelessly in love and not sure how to tell your crush, going through loss and can't fully process it, or just trying to figure out where you belong in the world, this collection of sixteen stories has something for every reader.

Stories written by: Adi Alsaid, Keah Brown, Monica Gomez-Hira, Kika Hatzopoulou, Shaun David Hutchinson, Amanda Joy, Loan Le, Joy McCullough, Yamile Saied Méndez, Anna Meriano, Nina Moreno, Tess Sharpe, Laura Silverman, Rachel Lynn Solomon, Diana Urban, and Julian Winters.

About the Author

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Laura Silverman (she/her) is the author of Girl Out of Water, You Asked for Perfect, Recommended for You, and Those Summer Nights. She is also the editor and contributor of It's a Whole Spiel, Up All Night, and Game On. Girl Out of Water was a Junior Library Guild selection, and You Asked for Perfect was named to best teen fiction lists by YALSA, Chicago Public Library, and the Georgia Center for the Book. Laura has also been a freelance editor for several years.

Praise For…

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Praise for FIRSTS AND LASTS:

"Each story flows nicely into the next, almost like new friends swapping stories. Alongside each milestone’s potential universality, each short story revels in specificity to create glimpses of fully realized characters. The entries that are rooted in trauma or sadness, especially, demonstrate the fictional adolescents’ incredible resilience and maturity as they process these novel experiences.  Beautifully sentimental and utterly relatable."—Kirkus Reviews


"Perfectly balanced anthology that embraces diversity across the board…The strength of the whole lies in compelling juxtapositions. Give this to readers with an eclectic taste or those looking for something outside their usual choices, as they will surely find it here."—BCCB