Author to speak May 5 at library

Teens and aspiring young adult authors are encouraged to attend a reading and lecture by young adult novelist Sara Zarr on Saturday, May 5, at 1 p.m. at the Salt Lake City Library, 210 E. 400 South.

Zarr, of Salt Lake City, has been named an "heir to Judy Blume" by the bibliophile blog Bookslut, and her debut novel, "Story of a Girl," has received positive reviews.

"Bookshelves of Doom" calls it an "extremely impressive first novel," and School Library Journal identifies it as "realistic fiction at its best."

"Story of a Girl" is set in Pacifica, Calif. (Zarr's next novel takes place in Salt Lake City), and focuses on Deanna, a girl working through a false reputation built from a teenage mistake. But at its core, the novel is about two kinds of family: the family one is born into and the family of friends one builds as they approach adulthood.

Zarr finds many literary opportunities present themselves when writing for young adults. "Adolescence is this great, horrible time that's right for any fictional possibility," she said. But she doesn't feel young adult novels must only appeal to teenagers.

She said she writes "for anyone who's been a teenager," and her novel is enjoyed by teens and those who can still remember the pressures of being an adolescent.

During her visit to the library, Zarr will read from "Story of a Girl" and talk about the writing life and the journey that brought her to the place of being a published author.

For more information about teen programs and authors visits, please call The Salt Lake City Library at 524-8200.