PRO CONNECT
Sage Steadman was awarded a master’s degree in social work from the University of Utah. While pursuing her passion for writing, she worked as a licensed mental health therapist. She published her debut novel, "Snowflake Obsidian: Memoir of a Cutter," in 2010 under her pen name, The Hippie, and re-released the second edition under her real name. The novel has been deemed an “idyllic” read, filled with love, humor, romance and heart. She is also the co-author of the gritty and inspiring historical fiction novel, "Upon Destiny’s Song," alongside classical guitarist, Mike Ericksen. She is also the author of the YA novels, "The Waking Dream," and "Ann, Not Annie." Sage is heralded as a talented writer who tackles her novels with a witty, raw and honest approach. She currently lives near Salt Lake City, Utah with her family.
“In Steadman’s (The Waking Dream, 2016, etc.) third YA novel, a high school nobody encounters the harsh reality of what it means to become somebody.”
– Kirkus Reviews
In Steadman’s (The Waking Dream, 2016, etc.) third YA novel, a high school nobody encounters the harsh reality of what it means to become somebody.
Annie Julia Grey (who doesn’t like to be called “Annie,” preferring “Ann”) is a high school student who spends a lot of time in detention with her troublemaking best friend, Lisa. A year ago, Ann’s father died in an accident, her mother became an alcoholic, and her brother, William, left for college with no intention of ever coming back home. Ann often finds herself alone, saddled with responsibilities her mother used to shoulder: cooking, cleaning, and caring for her younger brother, Tommy. At school, she pines for Jacob Waters, who also happens to be “the hottest senior in school.” Meanwhile, her eccentric (and handsome) classmate Danny Feller, who readers later learn is the book’s narrator, has feelings for her. After a few passed notes, Ann and Danny discover their mutual interest in Henry David Thoreau’s Walden—a book that William once owned. Ann desperately combs through the book “in hopes of discovering why he never came home.” However, as soon as Ann starts to fall for Danny, Jacob breaks up with his own girlfriend and—much to Ann’s surprise—begins aggressively pursuing her. Almost overnight, she goes from feeling invisible to becoming a member of the “Totally Fabulous and Popular clique,” otherwise known as the “T.F.P.” The book is an immersive experience, and it reads very much like a novel-length note from a friend in one’s class—complete with hand-drawn comic strips interspersed throughout. Not unlike a note written by a teenager, the prose is prone to hyperbole, and there are places in which the teenage voice feels exaggerated: “At this particular moment, Ann Julia Grey was in denial about Danny Feller’s obvious magnificence. (Tragic sigh.)” Overall, however, Steadman captures the mania of teenage friendships and first loves as aptly as she captures the confusion of adolescent grief.
A read that honors the devastation of loss and self-discovery from a distinctively adolescent perspective.
Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-9970565-6-3
Page count: 294pp
Publisher: Mmhmm Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2018
Favorite author
Markus Zusak, John Green, Lois Lowry, Nick Hornby, Margaret Mitchell, Erin Morgenstern
Favorite book
I Am The Messenger, An Abundance of Katherines, The Giver, Slam, Gone With The Wind, The Night Circus
Favorite line from a book
"You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone's soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows what they might do because of it, because of your words." - Erin Morgenstern, "The Night Circus
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