THE OTHER SIDE OF SILENCE

A new #ownvoices YA - THE OTHER SIDE OF SILENCE by Steven Salvatore blends the sharp voice and social relevance of SYMPTOMS OF BEING HUMAN with the fun and fearless vibes of DUMPLIN'.

Carey Parker wants one thing: To be Mariah, Whitney, Beyoncé, Gaga. There's only one problem: the world sees them as a boy, and someone who presents as a boy can't be a world-class diva, not according to the neck-bearded bully who mocks their non-binary identity at every turn. Though Carey has the support of their mother and ailing grandmother, Mr. Kelly, an openly out teacher, and a quirky pair of BFFs, it's hard for them to find their voice when the rest of the world doesn't seem to hear them.

When Carey meets Cris, an openly bisexual boy who understands Carey in ways nobody has before, Carey finds the confidence to rise above the pain of their grandmother's spiraling dementia and enduring scars from a past assault, and summons the courage to audition for the school musical. and lands the starring role of Elphaba! But when Carey's tormentor and a homophobic teacher get wind of the "non-traditional" casting, Carey and the school musical director, Mr. Kelly are ousted from the show. It's up to Carey and their friends to save the musical, defend Carey's right to the role, and fight against the injustices from the closed-minded school administration... and they'll need to rally the rest of the school to do it.

Steven is a queer writer with an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School, where he studied under acclaimed writers like David Levithan and thesis advisor Jill Santopolo. His writing has appeared on HyperReality, Tipsy Lit, Teen Writer's Bloc, and been linked to on BBC News, Backlot, and Adam Lambert's official website. A favorite article is "Sam Smith and the Gay Male Body Archetype" which went viral, reaching nearly half a million unique views. He is currently a full-time Assistant Professor of Composition and the Director of the Writing Center at The College of New Rochelle.