{"product_id":"fireblooms-hardcover","title":"Fireblooms - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eAlexandra Villasante\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn absorbing speculative Queer romance, set in a town that uses technology to prevent hate speech and bullying. From the LAMBDA Award-winning author of \u003ci\u003eThe Grief Keeper.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhen seventeen-year-old Sebastian agrees to come to New Gault to care for his absent and abusive mother after her cancer diagnosis, he is not prepared for the strange new community that awaits him or the distressing state he finds his mother in. He tries to help, but despite being ill, her tongue is as sharp as ever, finding all Sebas's tender places. But he promised his Abuela he'd try to make this work. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eUnfortunately trying also means attending TECH, New Gault's high school. His first day, he's assigned to enthusiastic TECH student ambassador, Lu, who introduces him to all TECH can offer--a safe space, free from bullying. But all this safety and technology comes with a catch--not only do you have to watch what you say, but you have to stay within a strict word limit. Sebas declines. To him New Gault feels more like the \u003ci\u003eStepford Wives \u003c\/i\u003ethan freedom. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFor Lu, who suffers from anxiety and has a history of being bullied, TECH is a lifeline somewhere they can be safe. They can't understand why Sebas would refuse. When Sebas rejects TECH, it feels as if he's rejecting Lu. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBut when Sebas learns if he doesn't accept the TECH phone and abide by the rules, his mother will be denied cancer treatment, he changes his tune. Slowly, Lu and Sebas form a friendship that morphs into something more, but the closer they get, the more Sebas challenges Lu's beliefs about TECH and what it means to be safe. Meanwhile, Sebas contemplates how to forgive his dying mother for being no mother at all. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis thought-provoking, tender love story examines what we're willing to give up to feel safe as two broken teens navigate emotional trauma and discover what blooms may come from the ashes.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlexandra Villasante's Young Adult novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Grief Keeper, \u003c\/i\u003e won the 2020 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Children's Literature\/Young Adult Fiction and was a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection. Alex is a contributor to several Young Adult short story anthologies and is a co-founder of the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival and the Latinx Storytellers Conference. When she's not writing or painting, Alex works for the Highlights Foundation. You can visit Alex at www.alexandravillasante.com\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 304\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.1 x 8.4 x 5.5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e September 30, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43157009039423,"sku":"9780525514053","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0105\/8226\/1823\/files\/RFPjUrxVBY9780525514053.webp?v=1776977245","url":"https:\/\/dhlswag.com\/products\/fireblooms-hardcover","provider":"BBB","version":"1.0","type":"link"}