Cover illustration: Cannaday Chapman
Cover design: Kaitlin Yang

The Breakfast Club meets Can’t Hardly Wait with an unforgettable ensemble cast in another swoony YA contemporary from award-winning author Julian Winters!

Seventeen-year-old Theo Wright has it all figured out. His plan (well, more like his dad’s plan) is a foolproof strategy that involves exceling at his magnet school, getting scouted by college recruiters, and going to Duke on athletic scholarship. But for now, all Theo wants is a perfect prom night. After his best friend Jay dares Theo to prompose to his crush at Chloe Campbell’s party, Theo’s ready to throw caution to the wind and take his chances.

But when the promposal goes epically wrong, Theo seeks refuge in an empty bedroom while the party rages on downstairs. Having an existential crisis about who he really is with and without his so-called best friend wasn’t on tonight’s agenda. Though, as the night goes on, Theo finds he’s not as alone as he thinks when, one by one, new classmates join him to avoid who they’re supposed be outside the bedroom door. Among them, a familiar acquaintance, a quiet outsider, an old friend, and a new flame . . .

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Order now from:

Penguin Random House
Little Shop of Stories (local indie)
Charis Books & More (local indie)
Brave + Kind (local indie)
Barnes & Noble
Amazon
Bookshop
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*** Also available as an e-Book ***

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Praise for As You Walk On By

★ “Creating an outstanding, intersectionally diverse supporting cast whose personalities glimmer with dynamic energy, Winters skillfully centers showing up for oneself and communicating honestly amid an infectious celebration of queer romantic gestures. “
—Publishers Weekly starred review (read full review here)

★ “Move over, Breakfast Club: this one has a lot to say.”
—Booklist starred review (read full review here)

“An authentically adolescent novel seriously concerned with friendship in honest, resonant ways.”
—Kirkus Reviews (read full review here)

“All five central characters experience complete story arcs that coalesce in a natural, satisfying way to tell a joyful story of friendship, support and standing up for the life you want. As You Walk On By will leave readers feeling a little less invisible—and a little more invincible.”
—BookPage (read full review here)

“Winters skillfully puts Black and brown adolescence under a microscope to uncover insightful expectations about masculinity, sexuality, and gender… Equal parts feel-good and radical honesty, this first purchase will easily appeal to fans of Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli.”
—School Library Journal

“Winters expertly captures the shifting loyalties, identities, and relationships of teens in the process of deciding who they are and who they want to be.”
—Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books

YALSA 2024 Best Fiction for Young Adults