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Melinda Di Lorenzo has been writing professionally for more than a decade. In 2013 she won Harlequin's annual So You Think You Can Write contest, which came with a publishing contract and launched her successfully into the romance world. With a BA in English from Simon Fraser University and a passion for classic love stories that feature strong (albeit sometimes problematic) female leads battling the constraints of society, such as Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights, Melinda infuses her books with flawed characters in real, relatable situations. Bullied as a teen, Melinda sought refuge in books. She now wants to bring that refuge to others, and she draws on her experience as the parent of three teens to craft stories that reflect modern struggles without turning those struggles into stereotypes. She also supports young writers and makes an annual creative writing scholarship donation to École Salish Secondary. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Racing Hearts
by Melinda Di Lorenzo
(Orca $10.95) Ages 12+
Review by Beverly Cramp (BCBW 2023)
Being an unpopular, unfit girl at high school is difficult for Sienna but it got much worse when her best friend died in Melinda Di Lorenzo’s novel Racing Hearts. Overcome by grief, Sienna returns for the new school year. Readers are immediately plunged into Sienna’s vulnerable state of mind as she stands in line at the cafeteria: “My head is down. My eyes are on my tray. I’m doing my best not to look around,” says Sienna. “I don’t want to know if anyone is watching me. I don’t want to know if anyone is not watching me. That would be worse. The other kids pretending like they can’t see me. Like they don’t know who I am or what happened five months ago. Because five months ago is when Stacey died. No, says a voice in my head. That’s not quite right, is it? Five months ago is when Stacy killed herself.”
The only reason Sienna is back at school is because her father urged her to go. “He doesn’t want me to lie in my bed anymore,” says Sienna. “It scares him.”
It doesn’t get easier when a bully in the cafeteria tosses a tater tot at Sienna. Surprisingly another student, one of the high school jocks, Blake Romano, steps up and morally supports her. The same day a package arrives for Sienna for an amateur triathlon. As a joke, Stacey had signed them up for it before she died. With Blake’s offer to train with her, Sienna, who doesn’t even have a swimsuit let alone a bike, begins the long road to get ready. Eventually a romance builds between Sienna and Blake.
Di Lorenzo was bullied as a teen and draws on the experience to accurately depict Sienna’s struggles. Di Lorenzo also writes romance novels and that is reflected in her portrayal of the relationship between Sienna and Blake. Importantly, Di Lorenzo’s novel highlights how sports are for everyone, and that connecting and bonding with others is necessary for good health. 9781459836808
***
When confronted with wrong-doings and human harms such as global warming, young people often respond with stress and depression. Not so in Philip Symons’ “Secret Agents” series of YA books. Two sisters, a cousin and an international friend join forces to investigate social injustices—becoming secret agents in the process. In Secret Agents’ Dutch Treat (Self-published $19.95) the four teens are visiting their aunt in the Netherlands when they run into a gang that lures young women into prostitution. They set about turning the gang into the police but it’s a dangerous mission. Two previous self-published novels in the series include: Pender Harbour’s Secret Agents (2021) about exposing corporate misrepresentation concerning global warming facts; and Secret Agents Defang a Dragon (2020), in which the two sisters and cousin work to save democracy. Each book includes an appendix with information about real life instances that inspired the stories. 9780973492842
***
How to be found (arsenal pulp $19.95) by Emily Pohl-Weary is a YA novel about two inner-city teens and best friends, introvert Michie and extrovert Trissa. One day, Trissa disappears, leaving Michie on a desperate search in unfamiliar territory: the backrooms of luxury nightclubs, dark alleyways, and the online sex industry. While Michie searches, a serial killer is targeting girls in the city. Emily Pohl-Weary holds a PhD in Adult Education and Community Development from the UofT. For over a decade, she ran writing workshops for street-involved youth in Toronto. She currently teaches at UBC’s School of Creative Writing. 9781551529356
BOOKS:
Racing Hearts (Orca Soundings, 2023) $10.95 9781459836808
Counting Scars (Orca Book Publishers, 2022) $10.95 9781459833555
Normal Kids (Orca Book Publishers, 2024) $10.95 9781459838574
The Truth About Maura (Orca Book Publishers, 2026) $10.95 9781459843264
[BCBW 2026]
Racing Hearts
by Melinda Di Lorenzo
(Orca $10.95) Ages 12+
Review by Beverly Cramp (BCBW 2023)
Being an unpopular, unfit girl at high school is difficult for Sienna but it got much worse when her best friend died in Melinda Di Lorenzo’s novel Racing Hearts. Overcome by grief, Sienna returns for the new school year. Readers are immediately plunged into Sienna’s vulnerable state of mind as she stands in line at the cafeteria: “My head is down. My eyes are on my tray. I’m doing my best not to look around,” says Sienna. “I don’t want to know if anyone is watching me. I don’t want to know if anyone is not watching me. That would be worse. The other kids pretending like they can’t see me. Like they don’t know who I am or what happened five months ago. Because five months ago is when Stacey died. No, says a voice in my head. That’s not quite right, is it? Five months ago is when Stacy killed herself.”
The only reason Sienna is back at school is because her father urged her to go. “He doesn’t want me to lie in my bed anymore,” says Sienna. “It scares him.”
It doesn’t get easier when a bully in the cafeteria tosses a tater tot at Sienna. Surprisingly another student, one of the high school jocks, Blake Romano, steps up and morally supports her. The same day a package arrives for Sienna for an amateur triathlon. As a joke, Stacey had signed them up for it before she died. With Blake’s offer to train with her, Sienna, who doesn’t even have a swimsuit let alone a bike, begins the long road to get ready. Eventually a romance builds between Sienna and Blake.
Di Lorenzo was bullied as a teen and draws on the experience to accurately depict Sienna’s struggles. Di Lorenzo also writes romance novels and that is reflected in her portrayal of the relationship between Sienna and Blake. Importantly, Di Lorenzo’s novel highlights how sports are for everyone, and that connecting and bonding with others is necessary for good health. 9781459836808
***
When confronted with wrong-doings and human harms such as global warming, young people often respond with stress and depression. Not so in Philip Symons’ “Secret Agents” series of YA books. Two sisters, a cousin and an international friend join forces to investigate social injustices—becoming secret agents in the process. In Secret Agents’ Dutch Treat (Self-published $19.95) the four teens are visiting their aunt in the Netherlands when they run into a gang that lures young women into prostitution. They set about turning the gang into the police but it’s a dangerous mission. Two previous self-published novels in the series include: Pender Harbour’s Secret Agents (2021) about exposing corporate misrepresentation concerning global warming facts; and Secret Agents Defang a Dragon (2020), in which the two sisters and cousin work to save democracy. Each book includes an appendix with information about real life instances that inspired the stories. 9780973492842
***
How to be found (arsenal pulp $19.95) by Emily Pohl-Weary is a YA novel about two inner-city teens and best friends, introvert Michie and extrovert Trissa. One day, Trissa disappears, leaving Michie on a desperate search in unfamiliar territory: the backrooms of luxury nightclubs, dark alleyways, and the online sex industry. While Michie searches, a serial killer is targeting girls in the city. Emily Pohl-Weary holds a PhD in Adult Education and Community Development from the UofT. For over a decade, she ran writing workshops for street-involved youth in Toronto. She currently teaches at UBC’s School of Creative Writing. 9781551529356
BOOKS:
Racing Hearts (Orca Soundings, 2023) $10.95 9781459836808
Counting Scars (Orca Book Publishers, 2022) $10.95 9781459833555
Normal Kids (Orca Book Publishers, 2024) $10.95 9781459838574
The Truth About Maura (Orca Book Publishers, 2026) $10.95 9781459843264
[BCBW 2026]
