Books by Laura Pohl

The Last 8

by Laura Pohl

An LGBTQ YA "sci-fi romp" (Kirkus), The Last 8 is a thrilling high-stakes survival story about the last eight teenagers left on Earth after aliens attack, praised as "An extravaganza of nonstop action" (School Library Journal)
Extinction was just the beginning…
Clover Martinez has always been a survivor, which is the reason she isn't among the dead when aliens invade and destroy Earth as she knows it.
Clover is convinced she's the only one left until she hears a voice on the radio urging her to go to the former Area 51. When she arrives, she's greeted by a band of misfits who call themselves The Last Teenagers on Earth.
Only they aren't the ragtag group of heroes Clover was expecting. The seven strangers seem more interested in pretending the world didn't end than fighting back, and Clover starts to wonder if she was better off alone. But when she finds a hidden spaceship within the walls of the compound, she doesn't know what to believe…or who to trust.
The Last 8 is perfect for readers looking for: heart-pounding young adult survival books tween and teen LGBTQ books sci-fi Latinx teen books expert world-building and relatable, funny, diverse characters
Praise for The Last 8:
"The Walking Dead meets Alien in this expertly plotted debut. Teens will want to follow Clover on her next adventure!" ― Zoraida Cordova, author of the Brooklyn Brujas series
"The Last 8 is diverse and immersive science fiction...With its powerful world building and emotional twists, The Last 8 is a beautifully fresh take on the idea of an alien apocalypse." ― Foreword Reviews
"A sci-fi romp with ample intergalactic twists to keep readers satisfied." ― Kirkus Reviews
"This debut is, at times, both joyful and heartbreaking ... Pohl's characters are tough, funny, and brave as they manage to persevere despite the debilitating weight of grief." ― Booklist

The Wicked Remain (The Grimrose Girls, 2)

by Laura Pohl

At Grimrose Académie, the fairy-tale deaths continue. And unless the curse is broken, one of the girls could be next.
Nani, Yuki, Ella, and Rory have discovered the truth about the curse that's left a trail of dead bodies at Grimrose. But the four still know nothing of its origins, or how to stop the cycle of doomed fates.
And each girl harbors her own secret. One is learning why she was brought to the school. One struggles to keep her new and deadly power under control. One knows exactly how much time she has left.
And one, trying to escape her dark destiny, will come even closer to fulfilling it.
Can the girls change their own stories and break the curse? Or must one of them die to end it forever?
Perfect for fans of: Cinderella is Dead and GRIMM Dark Academia Fairytale Retellings LGBTQ Rep
Media Buzz for The Grimrose Girls: Buzzfeed called it "a book definitely worth picking up" One of Book Riot's Top New YA Paperbacks for Fall A Buzzfeed Top LGBTQ+ YA Book to Devour A Culturess Thrilling New YA Release Featured on Tor as a new Young Adult SFF A Barnes & Noble OUR MONTHLY PICK for November 2021!!
Praise for New York Times Bestseller The Grimrose Girls:
"Enthralling... Fans of empowering feminist fairy-tale retellings will love this." ―Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
"Darkly haunting and achingly romantic." ―Ashley Poston, national bestselling author of Geekerella
"Sink your teeth into this story and let it carry you through the woods." ―Roseanne A. Brown, New York Times bestselling author of A Song of Wraiths and Ruin

For the Rest of Us 13 Festive Holiday Stories to Celebrate All Seasons

by Sonora Reyes, Kosoko Jackson, Preeti Chhibber, Abdi Nazemian, Katherine Locke, Cory McCarthy, A. R. Capetta, Natasha Díaz, Dahlia Adler, Candace Buford, Laura Pohl, Karuna Riazi, Aditi Khorana, Kelly Loy Gilbert

Fourteen acclaimed authors showcase the beautiful and diverse ways holidays are observed in this festive anthology. Keep the celebrations going all year long with this captivating and joyful read!

From Lunar New Year to Solstice, Día de Los Muertos to Juneteenth, and all the incredible days in between, it's clear that Americans don't just have one holiday. Edited by the esteemed Dahlia Adler and authored by creators who have lived these festive experiences firsthand, this joyful collection of stories shows that there isn't one way to experience a holiday.

With stories by:

Dahlia Adler, Sydney Taylor Honor winner of Going Bicoastal

Candace Buford, author of Good as Gold

A. R. Capetta and Cory McCarthy, authors of the Once & Future series

Preeti Chhibber, author of Payal Mehta's Romance Revenge Plot

Natasha Díaz, award-winning author of Color Me In

Kelly Loy Gilbert, Stonewall Book Award winning author of Picture Us in the Light

Kosoko Jackson, USA Today bestselling author of The Forest Demands Its Due

Aditi Khorana, award-winning author of Mirror in the Sky

Katherine Locke, award-winning author of This Rebel Heart

Abdi Nazemian, Stonewall Book Award-winning author of Only This Beautiful Moment

Laura Pohl, New York Times bestselling author of The Grimrose Girls

Sonora Reyes, Pura Belpré Honor winner of The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School

Karuna Riazi, contributor to The Grimoire of Grim Fates

Writing in Color Fourteen Writers on the Lessons We've Learned

by Chloe Gong, Adiba Jaigirdar, Kat Zhang, Julie C Dao, Joan He, Kosoko Jackson, Cindy Pon, Yamile Saied Méndez, Axie Oh, Julian Winters, Darcie Little Badger, Laura Pohl, Karuna Riazi, Gail D. Villanueva

Rethink the way you approach writing in this “honest, useful craft book that all fledgling writers need” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) from fourteen diverse authors that demystifies craft and authorship based on their experiences as writers of color—perfect for fans of Fresh Ink and Our Stories, Our Voices.

So, you’re thinking of writing a book. Or, maybe you’ve written one, and are wondering what to do with it. What does it take to publish a novel, or even a short story? If you’re a writer of color, these questions might multiply; after all, there’s a lot of writing advice out there, and it can be hard to know how much of it really applies to your own experiences. If any of this sounds like you, you’re in the right place: this collection of essays, written exclusively by authors of color, is here to encourage and empower writers of all ages and backgrounds to find their voice as they put pen to page.

Perhaps you’re just getting started. Here you’ll find a whole toolkit of advice from bestselling and award-winning authors for focusing on an idea, landing on a point of view, and learning which rules were meant to be broken. Or perhaps you have questions about everything beyond the first draft: what is it really like being a published author? These writers demystify the process, sharing personal stories as they forged their own path to publication, and specifically from their perspectives as author of color.

Every writer has a different journey. Maybe yours has already started. Or maybe it begins right here.

Contributors include: Julie C. Dao, Chloe Gong, Joan He, Kosoko Jackson, Adiba Jaigirdar, Darcie Little Badger, Yamile Saied Méndez, Axie Oh, Laura Pohl, Cindy Pon, Karuna Riazi, Gail D. Villanueva, Julian Winters, and Kat Zhang.