I’m thrilled to announce that Brianna Peppins has been signed to kt literary! Brianna’s outstanding YA Contemporary novel, BRIARCLIFF PREP, can be described as a cross between the beloved TV sitcom, A Different World, and the #YouOkSis movement created by Feminista Jones to increase bystander intervention for harassment experienced by Black women:
Fourteen-year-old Avielle LeBeau is starting her freshman year at Briarcliff Preparatory School for Girls, one of the few remaining Historically Black Boarding Schools. She has dreams of fitting in with kids who look like her, continuing her family legacy and joining the school newspaper — and she desperately wants to catch the eye of a certain sophomore math whiz who attends Preston Academy across the street. But all of these wants become obsolete when Avi discovers a devastating secret about her big sister’s boyfriend.
Avi has two choices: she can keep this secret and pray it doesn’t blow up in their faces, or she can tell the truth, risking her sister’s reputation and possibly destroying the foundation of their relationship.
BRIARCLIFF PREP is a coming-of-age story set in a space where the expectations of gender and race collide, familial responsibilities are tested, and sisterhood may be a saving grace. BRIARCLIFF’s appeal is not limited to kidlit and young adult readers; HBCU alumni will find a comforting return to home in BRIARCLIFF PREP, and for those who attended PWIs — myself included — Avi’s story is a glimpse into the possibilities of an education and student life unconstrained by the demands of double-consciousness.
Brianna is a Spelman College graduate and a practicing Behavior Therapist for children, and her professional experience is evident in the way she deftly and realistically handles depictions of adolescent issues — particularly those affecting young Black students today. Keep up with Brianna’s new Booktube channel for book recommendations and reviews!
Welcome to kt, Brianna!
