The Competition

2019 In the Margins National Book Award Recommended Fiction

Themes of FRIENDSHIP and typical teenage behaviors are represented WELL. School Library Journal

A book that travels dark places with a little torch in the back pocket. You Own the Words

The best thing about this book was the DIVERSITY in the characters. They were from several different backgrounds; Chinese, Puerto Rican, Middle Eastern, Mixed Race and Caucasian. There was also diversity, in my opinion, in the male characters that the book portrayed in comparison to most books. Both of the main male characters were such understanding, sensitive, quietly confident and caring individuals. It is not typical in a YA, or books in general, for the majority of the male characters to be something other than extremely 'manly', overconfident and flirtatious, it was REFRESHING. Muse of Nyxmares

For Mary Sofia, The Penultimate writing competition is more than a chance at a free college education; she wants to show her younger siblings that they can all rise above their violent family history. For Raiden, the pressure to succeed comes from within, although he knows that family traditions play a part in his determination. For Camara, writing fiction is almost compulsive, but her own dark secret may be the best story she can ever tell. For Michael, swimming and writing fit his introverted personality perfectly, but meeting a smart and beautiful girl at The Penultimate makes stepping outside of his comfort zone easy. All four will compete against each other along with 96 other high school juniors for the chance of a lifetime: a full scholarship to a prestigious private college. Some students will do anything to win, but others may pay the price.

What are readers saying about The Competition?

Inspiring YA story!

Well-written with unexpected twists.

The young men in the story were well-drawn and refreshingly sensitive.

The author captured what it's like to be a writer -- especially the self-doubt which goes along with writing.

Compelling fun!

Special appreciation for the homeschooling shout out; I particularly loved those moments!

A beautiful story with complex characters.

A pleasure to read.

Great characters and a solid story.