In Praise of Untidy Endings

By Amy Fitzgerald, Editorial Director, Carolrhoda

One question I consider when I’m deciding whether I want to publish a book is “Does it have a satisfying resolution?” Satisfying can have many different meanings, but in general I want readers to walk away from a book feeling that they had a complete experience—that they weren’t left hanging or cheated out of the climactic moments they anticipated.

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New YA Featuring 9/11 Conspiracy Theory Exposes the Complicated Nature of Truth

Truthers YA Conspiracy Book by Geoffrey Girard author note

The latest YA novel from Carolrhoda Lab explores the meaning of truth in a time when alternative views and versions of events are the norm.

Truthers, by Geoffrey Girard, follows 17-year-old Katie Wallace, who was only a year old when terrorists struck American soil on 9/11. But now her dad has landed in a mental institution after claiming that the attacks were part of a government conspiracy. Katie is drawn into the strange world of conspiracy theorists. What is fact and what is fiction? Katie no longer knows what to believe.

Publishers Weekly gave the title a starred review:

“A fast-paced nail-biter with a resourceful heroine, packed with surprises that force readers to question every revelation and take nothing at face value.”—Publishers Weekly

In an author’s note at the end of the book, Girard shares why he felt compelled to write about this tragic event sixteen years after it happened. Read More