Under All the Lights

A songwriter wrestles with instant stardom and his bisexuality in this raw and propulsive novel for fans of If This Gets Out and Alice Oseman's I Was Born for This.
After one of his songs goes viral, Ollie Cheriet gets the opportunity of a lifetime: a cross-country tour, an album deal, and a chance to help his family with their financial struggles. The only problem? Ollie has major stage fright, a symptom of his anxiety disorder. As pressure from performing, social media rumors, and his romantic life rises, his mental health starts to spiral. So he's surprised at how grounded he feels when he collaborates with his wildly talented-and distractingly cute-touring partner, Jesse. Music has always helped Ollie through hard times, but he's going to have to be more vulnerable than he ever thought possible to find self-acceptance in the glow of the spotlight.
Featuring characters from Maya Ameyaw's acclaimed debut When It All Syncs Up, this story takes readers into the green room, immersing them in the vivid behind-the-scenes world of touring musicians.
• FOLLOW-UP TO ACCLAIMED DEBUT: When It All Syncs Up received starred reviews from Kirkus and SLJ. This book will take readers into one of the book's popular secondary character's POV while checking in with the characters from the previous book. The paperback edition of When It All Syncs Up is coming a month ahead for anyone who missed it the first time around.
• PAPERBACK ORIGINAL! A lower price point for teens
• MUSIC APPEAL: Exploration of fan culture and the impacts of social media on popular artists
• THOUGHTFUL DEPICTION OF DIFFICULT ISSUES: Nuanced exploration of mental health challenges (anxiety disorder), sexual assault recovery, bi identity, and internalized homophobia
• TOUCH OF ROMANCE: Light romance elements with a crush growing between Ollie and his touring partner as Ollie navigates a long-distance relationship-and his struggles with accepting his own queerness
• QUEER REPRESENTATION: Main character Ollie is bisexual
• FOR FANS OF: On the Come Up and If This Gets Out
• LEVELING INFO: Coming soon
"Under All the Lights is a compassionate and heartfelt story of survival. Ameyaw tackles difficult topics like sexual assault, homophobia, and the price of fame with nuance and a necessary tenderness. Readers will love returning to these characters, and will find healing in the pages."
"Ameyaw imbues what sounds like every teenager's dream-touring with your musical idol-with the kind of grounded, realistic emotion needed to make the story truly sing. In Under All the Lights, we stress, sweat, and crush right alongside Ollie."
"Bold and gentle, Under All the Lights is the best kind of encore. Ameyaw is finely attuned to her characters as Ollie is thrust out of his comfort zone into the spotlight."
"A triumphant and tender story filled with thoughtful characters whom you'll be rooting for throughout."
"Ameyaw creates an intensely beautiful exploration of the self and how the mind navigates the complexities of love, identity, trauma, and familial expectations."