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Adults who Read YA: All Rights Reserved

  • Hooray for Books! 1555 King Street Alexandria, VA, 22314 United States (map)
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Join us the fourth Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. to explore the dynamic storytelling of young adult fiction. Books purchased for our book clubs are always 20% off. Please email Ellen Klein for more information and to join.

This month we are reading All Rights Reserved, by Gregory Scott Katsoulis,  a timely debut novel about what it means to speak out, even in silence.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Speth Jime is anxious to deliver her Last Day speech and celebrate her transition into adulthood. The moment she turns fifteen, Speth must pay for every word she speaks ("Sorry" is a flat ten dollars and a legal admission of guilt), for every nod ($0.99/sec), for every scream ($0.99/sec) and even every gesture of affection. She's been raised to know the consequences of falling into debt, and can't begin to imagine the pain of having her eyes shocked for speaking words that she's unable to afford. 

But when Speth's friend Beecher commits suicide rather than work off his family's crippling debt, she can't express her shock and dismay without breaking her Last Day contract and sending herfamily into Collection. Backed into a corner, Speth finds a loophole: rather than read her speech--rather than say anything at all--she closes her mouth and vows never to speak again. Speth's unexpected defiance of tradition sparks a media frenzy, inspiring others to follow in her footsteps, and threatens to destroy her, her family and the entire city around them.

Earlier Event: April 22
Reading Without Walls Kickoff Party
Later Event: April 28
Independent Bookstore Day