We Heart YA has never done a reveal before, but when I saw this cover, I immediately wanted to be the one to share it with the world. More than that, I wanted to introduce my friend Jasmine Warga, who was like an instant soulmate for me. She and I have had so many heartfelt & thought-provoking conversations -- about everything from pets to relationships, and from diversity in publishing, to writing your own truths.

Every time we hang out, I leave feeling refreshed and inspired. I am quite certain that anyone who spends time with Jasmine -- by reading her book -- will feel the same way.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Sixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death. With a mother who seems scared of her, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a father who has made her the town pariah, Aysel’s ready to turn her potential energy into nothingness.

There’s only one problem: she’s not sure she has the courage to do it alone. But once she discovers the website Smooth Passages and its section called Suicide Partners, Aysel’s convinced she’s found her solution. Better yet, a boy with the username FrozenRobot (aka Roman), who’s haunted by a family tragedy, is looking for a partner.

But as their suicide pact starts to become more concrete, Aysel begins to question whether she really wants to go through with it. Ultimately, Aysel must choose between wanting to die or trying to convince Roman to live so they can discover the potential of their energy together. Except that Roman may not be so easy to convince.

This is a gorgeously written and compulsively readable debut novel about the transformative power of love and acceptance.


ABOUT JASMINE

Jasmine Warga lives in a small town that is a few miles outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. She finds it exceedingly difficult to write about herself in the third person so she will keep this short. Her first novel, MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES, will be published by Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins in Winter 2015. She is currently at work on her second book. Before becoming an author, she briefly worked as a science teacher. You can find visit her online at: http://jasminewarga.com/

ABOUT AYSEL

••• She’s not big on favorites, but if pressed to pick a favorite song, she’d probably choose Mozart’s "Requiem Mass in D Minor."
••• Both of her parents are originally from Turkey, but she sadly doesn’t speak a word of Turkish.
••• She thinks John Berryman’s poems are lame, but she totally gets them. More than she would ever admit.
••• She’s convinced her potential energy is poisoned.
••• Her best childhood memory is one involving her father and this terrifies her.
••• She would probably like the cover of MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES, but she might be suspicious of the bursts of color. (Though as her spokesperson, Jasmine is going to step up and say: WE LOVE IT!)

ABOUT ROMAN (AKA "FROZENROBOT")

Redacted for spoilers. You’re just going to have to read the book!


ABOUT THE COVER

From Alison Donalty, Executive Art Director, HarperCollins Children's Books:

It is not often that an art director gets to work on a book with a title as visually rich as MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES. When that happens, I feel like I've hit the cover-design-possibilities jackpot!

After reading Jasmine’s manuscript, I knew I needed to find an artist who would bring all the texture and emotion of this story to life on the cover. That perfect artist was Jessica Musumeci. Jessica is the Creative Director at Seventeen, as well as a fine artist. She has a special flair for creating hand-drawn type that is expressive and gorgeous to look at.

Collaborating with Jess on the art was a blast! She zeroed in on all the illustrative possibilities inherent in the title and sent us many options for consideration. On creating the art for this book Jess said, "I really enjoyed working on this cover. I love mixing rich black ink with bright watercolor. The contrast creates this pretty kind of tension which encapsulates the story beautifully."

The final cover does just that. It is bold, fresh, and evocative -- the perfect complement to Jasmine’s story.

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO...


Isn't it gorgeous? You know you want it...

BOOKMARK, PRE-ORDER, WIN




BONUS: EXCERPT

“I just figured the whole world feels sorry for you.” I say. “You obviously aren’t looking for someone to do what everyone else already does.”

I’m getting higher and higher and I feel the swing set creak.

“Be careful,” he says.

“Why?” I’m not thinking about being careful. I’m thinking about one last push, of letting go, of flying, and of falling.

“You aren’t allowed to die without me,” he whispers.