Now is the perfect time to support authors of color. Especially within the YA genre, there are all kinds of authors out there who are working hard to write great stories powered by their own experiences. The best way to support these authors is by reading their books, reviewing them on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, and other sites, and talking about them. Here are some of my favorite authors of color right now as well as some great books written by them:
1. Neal Shusterman
Neal Shusterman has been my favorite author since I was in middle school. He mostly writes science fiction and fantasy, and sometimes realistic fiction. My favorite series by him is the Unwind dystology, which is a series about a world in which problem children can be “unwound,” and their organs transplanted into the bodies of different donors. His most recent project is the Arc of a Scythe series, which might even be taking over Unwind’s spot in my heart. This series takes place in a world where humanity has overcome death and disease. In order to control the population, though, certain people are deemed as “scythes” who must kill a certain quota of people each year.
2. Rin Chupeco
Rin Chupeco writes horror and fantasy— and wonderful things happen when she combines the two genres. Right now I’m following her The Bone Witch series, which is about necromancy, elemental magic, and cool monsters. The third and final book in that series will be published in March, and she has two other fantasy novels in the works— The Never Tilting World and Wicked As You Wish, which, just by their titles, sound cool as heck.
3. Ibi Zoboi
Ibi Zoboi made her YA debut with American Street, which is about a girl named Fabiola Toussaint who must learn to navigate Detroit alone after her mother is detained by U.S. immigration. The book is largely inspired by Zoboi’s own experiences as an immigrant. She also recently published Pride, which is a modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice. It takes place in New York and features all characters of color.