Cold Girls: An In-Store Young Adult Writing Workshop with Maxine Rae

The Book Stall is delighted to partner with Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District to welcome Young Adult author Maxine Rae to the store for an after-school writing workshop on Wednesday, January 17 at 4:30 pm. Teen writers will have the opportunity to hear about Ms. Rae’s writing process and participate in author-led writing exercises. Ms. Rae will also discuss and sign her debut Young Adult novel, Cold Girls. After witnessing the death of her best friend and nearly dying herself, Rory is forced to confront the trauma and grief affecting every aspect of her life, despite the cold façade she uses to pretend everything is fine. This workshop is perfect for teens ages 14 to 18.

This event is free with registration. To register, please visit our website or CLICK HERE!

More About the Book: Eighteen-year-old Rory Quinn-Morelli doesn’t want to die, she wants refuge from reality: the reality where she survived a car crash eight months ago, and her best friend, Liv, didn’t. Yet her exasperating mother won’t believe the Xanax incident was an accident, and her therapist is making it increasingly hard to maintain the detached, impenetrable “cold girl” façade she adopted from Liv. After she unintentionally reconnects with Liv’s parents, Rory must decide, will she keep Liv’s and her secrets inside, or will she finally allow herself to break? And if she breaks, what will she unearth amid the pieces?

Kirkus Reviews, in a starred review, says, “A heart-wrenching story of friendship, grief, and identity…The heart of Liv and Rory’s story, the painstaking confrontation of loss, and the unconditional embrace of a parent’s love are deftly threaded through the pristine prose…. A vibrant and poignant must-read.”

More About the Author: Maxine Rae attended Tulane University where she studied under and received commendation from award-winning author Jesmyn Ward. While working on Cold Girls, Maxine received mentorship from celebrated author Charles Baxter. She later workshopped the manuscript in the selective Novel-In-a-Year program at StoryStudio Chicago, whose artistic director is the bestselling author, Rebecca Makkai. As a young, queer woman from the Chicago area, Maxine has written a debut molded by personal experience and emotional truth. When not writing or working, she enjoys dancing around to alternating ballet and disco music in her apartment and snuggling with her two cats. You can find her on Instagram at @maxinerae_author.