Congratulations to Austin SCBWI member Laekan Zea Kemp on the publication of her YA novel, Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet! It launched on April 6th from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
Set in a tight-knit Chicanx community in Austin, the novel tells the story of Penelope Prado (aspiring pastry chef) and Xander Amaro (who works at Penelope’s father’s restaurant) as they navigate first love, family expectations, and the challenges of finding where you belong—all while the restaurant and Xander’s immigrant status come under threat.
Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet has been widely praised. It is an Amazon Editors’ Pick and has garnered starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly and Kirkus.