The Most Self-Promo Post Ever

What early readers are saying about MARI IN THE MARGINS

Illustration from Mari in the Margins

It’s Monday morning and I’m feeling a little bit silly because of this post, possibly the most self-promoting post ever. At least for me. But maybe not? I’ve published five books before and I promoted them all. So why does this time feel different? Maybe because this book feels different. I’m way more invested in this book, in both the time I put into it and the ME I put into it. There’s a part of me that wants to quietly put Mari in the Margins out into the world and just let it find its own way into the hands of readers, while I stand timidly in the shadows, barely brave enough to peek around the corner to see how readers respond.

In that way, I’m a lot like Mari, a poet and artist who wants to be noticed, but at the same time is afraid to let herself be vulnerable. To put herself out there.

But I have put myself out there, with this book more than anything else. After years of writing and revising, submitting and resubmitting, of having hopes raised and then crushed, and then raised again, Mari in the Margins is about to be a real published book. And people are starting to read it! The publisher has started to hear from advanced readers, who agreed to read the book ahead of its publication date so they can tell people what they think about it. And here’s what they’re saying:

Caroline Starr Rose, author of the verse novels MAY B. and Blue Birds:

“A celebration of family and creative expression. Marivel finds her voice and discovers herself through the transformative power of poetry.”

Summer Rachel Short, Author of The Legend of Greyhallow:

“Mari in the Margins is a heartwarming story that celebrates the chaos, noise, and love of a big family. Watching Mari find her place in the world was a joy!”

Ellie Terry, Author of the middle grade verse novel Forget Me Not:

“I wish I'd had this book when I was twelve! Mari's charming doodles are a delightful addition to her already charming poetry. Kids will relate to Mari's desire to step out of the margins and become her own self. An encouraging story that captures the joys, frustrations, and chaos of growing up in a big family.”

Emma Fox, Author of The Carver and the Queen (who wrote a review in the form of a Mari-inspired poem):

This review
is a friendship poem
for Marivel,
who thinks that no one sees her
—but—
that's only because
she goes so deeply into the heart of things
that she becomes a part of you
and you of her.

So…people like Mari so far. Not that I’m surprised or anything. How can you be surprised when someone likes something you’ve put your heart into?

If you’re interested in reading Mari in the Margins or purchasing it for a young reader in your life, it will be available for preorder from Bandersnatch Books on March 12! The book is set to release on May 14, 2024.