Tell Me Something Real

“A gorgeously written novel that doesn’t shy away from recognizing the hard limits of love.” – Tommy Wallach, New York Times bestselling author of We All Looked Up* “It’s rare to find such a large group of characters who are so well-developed as to be almost real, and the prose is eloquent and precise, every word chosen with care… this debut is hands-down one of a kind.” * Kirkus Reviews, starred review *“An intriguing tale of illness, love, loss, and betrayal that is sure to reel in teens looking for something with a little bit of darkness hidden in the pages” * School Library Journal *“The novel’s lyric prose and earnest treatment of grief, sacrifice, and recovery are sure to keep the pages turning.” * Booklist Online *“It’s transporting reading, with a powerfully evoked 1970s setting, and readers will eagerly sink into Devlin’s richly detailed writing, accompanying Vanessa on a journey marked by moments of deep connection and equally profound pain.” * Publishers Weekly *“Fully realized characters and lovely sentence-level writing make this an engaging debut novel.” * The Horn Book *

Calla Devlin is the author of William C. Morris Award finalist Tell Me Something Real. She’s also a Pushcart nominee and winner of the Best of Blood and Thunder Award whose stories have been included in numerous literary journals and in anthologies, including Because I Love Her: 34 Women Writers Reflect on the Mother-Daughter Bond, for which she was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Magazine.