Tonight We Rule the World

(Paperback)

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Description

Owen Turner is a boy of too many words. For years, they all stayed inside his head and he barely spoke-until he met Lily. Lily, the girl who gave him his voice, helped him come out as bi, and settle into his ASD diagnosis. But everything unravels when someone reports Owen's biggest secret to the school: that he was sexually assaulted at a class event. As officials begin interviewing students to get to the bottom of things, rumors about an assault flood the school hallways. No one knows it happened to Owen, and he's afraid of what will happen if his name gets out.He's afraid that his classmates will call him a word he can't stand-"victim."He's afraid his father, a tough-as-nails military vet, will resort to extreme methods to hunt down the name of who did it.And he's afraid that when Lily finds out, she'll take their relationship to a dark, dangerous place to keep Owen quiet. Then, one day, Owen's fears all come true. And it'll take everything he's got to escape the explosion intact.

Reviews

"Stellar and haunting"
- Kirkus Magazine, starred review

"Equal parts heartfelt and heartbreaking [. . .] an unflinching exploration of love, betrayal, power, and trauma, and ultimately, what it means to speak your truth in a world that's never truly been willing to listen. A brilliant read."
- Stephanie Kuehn, Morris Award-winning author of Charm & Strange

"No one does heartbreak like Zack Smedley. In this story, he weaves an intimate human drama into a thriller of almost mythic power...with brilliant detail and care."
- Adam Sass, award-winning author of Surrender Your Sons

"Promoted by the publisher as 'Speak for boys, ' Smedley's second novel is troubling but deeply felt and extremely well written [...] the thoughtful presentation of such a rare topic in YA fiction is welcome."
- Booklist Magazine

"An achingly beautiful novel. Each character was meticulously realized to create a puzzle piece of a narrative that kept me guessing, wishing, and hoping for Owen's self-empowered journey to the very end. This is an incredibly important read."
- James Brandon, author of Ziggy, Stardust & Me

"An important, authentic, thought-provoking story . . . Owen is a character I'll remember for a long time."
- Bill Konigsberg, award-winning author of The Music of What Happens

"Unflinchingly honest and powerful. . .Smedley's authentic, thoughtful voice is essential to young readers."
- Julian Winters, award-winning author of How to Be Remy Cameron

"A painful and important look at toxic relationships, rape, power, and control."
- School Library Journal

Author Bio

Zack Smedley is the author of Deposing Nathan, which the New York Times said "is a superb story, told in an original and masterly way." As a member of the LGBT community, his goal is to give a voice to queer young adults, through gritty, morally complex narratives.