The Redemption of Daya Keane

by Gia Gordon

Overview

“Emotional and empowering, The Redemption of Daya Keane is full of the kind of heart and truth that vibrates off the page.” —Amber Smith, New York Times bestselling author of The Way I Used to Be

We Are Okay meets The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School in this heartfelt, queer coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of a small town’s evangelical megachurch culture.

The end of Daya Keane’s junior year in Escondido, Arizona, is anything but expected.

And it starts when her longtime swoon-worthy crush, Beckett Wild, actually talks to her at a party neither of them should’ve been at.

But as Daya’s best friends, Stella and B’Rad, are quick to point out, smart, cute, artistic Beckett is also the poster girl for the wildly popular youth group at Grace Redeemer, the megachurch Daya’s mom prays at and pushes her daughter to attend.

Amid the concert-worthy light shows, high-energy live band, and pastor preaching to love thy neighbor so long as thy neighbor “gets right with God” first, Daya struggles to find her place in a house of worship that doesn’t seem to create space for someone like her. Then again, she never planned to fall this hard for a girl like Beckett Wild.

Now Daya has to decide how far she’s willing to surrender to Beckett’s world of Grace Redeemer, and who she’s willing to become to be with her.

A fearless and profound tale ideal for readers of Jeff Zentner and Jennifer Dugan, The Redemption of Daya Keane gives an intimate and unforgettable look into a world that demands to be seen. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063318373
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/28/2024
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	13 Years

About the Author

Gia Gordon is a Texas-based author, youth activist, and former educator. She’s cofounder of the nonprofit Never Counted Out, which provides books to classrooms and community programs. When she’s not writing, Gia can be found at home with her partner and two kitties, out thrifting, or turning no-longer-wanted household goods into beautifully painted designs at Salvage Art. The Redemption of Daya Keane is her debut novel, and you can find her at giagordonwrites.com. 

Editorial Reviews

Emotional and empowering, The Redemption of Daya Keane is full of the kind of heart and truth that vibrates off the page. Gia Gordon captures the complexities of love, faith, and growing up queer in this pitch-perfect portrayal of a young woman learning to navigate the world on her own terms. You’ll be thinking about Daya and her unforgettable story long after you’ve finished!"
— Amber Smith, New York Times bestselling author of The Way I Used to Be

"The Redemption of Daya Keane is a glowing affirmation of staying true to your heart. The road might not always be easy, but Gia Gordon shows with witty and observant prose that staying true to yourself will never steer you wrong." — Jason June, New York Times best-selling author

"The Redemption of Daya Keane is a heartfelt and beautiful queer coming of age story. I fell in love with it with my whole heart. Gia Gordon took me to a world I’ll never forget, where I just wanted to hang out with Daya and her dazzling friends, B’Rad and Stella. Read it. Now." — Bill Konigsberg, Award-Winning Author of Openly Straight and The Music of What Happens

"With vibes of The Half of It and The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School, Gia Gordon presents an emotional and deeply relevant coming-of-age story about the power—and the cost—of embracing your truth." — Jonny Garza Villa, Stonewall Honor Author of Ander & Santi Were Here

"The complexity and relatability of Daya’s character as she struggles to stay true to herself while pursuing Beckett is immense... it's that relatability, combined with clear prose and an enjoyable story, that allows space for nuance in topics that are typically presented as clearcut for queer youth." — Booklist

From the Publisher

2024-04-05
When aspiring artist Daya Keane falls for “the most unavailable girl in school,” there’s nowhere to hide in her small, fundamentalist Christian Arizona town.

Beckett Wild, a vision of vibrantly dyed hair and promised purity, glows like the sun in the oppressive shadows of Grace Redeemer Church. In no universe can Daya imagine she has a chance with a “super-Christian, über-straight” girl, but their worlds collide at a house party where neither of them belongs. As a school project and pressure from her single mom to join the church push Daya into Beckett’s orbit, she discovers a side of her crush the rest of the world doesn’t see. Heartbreaking and hopeful all at once, this contemporary queer coming-of-age story treads deeply into heavy topics, particularly intertwined grief, abuse, and religious trauma. Even as Daya recognizes the wrongness of the discriminatory messages spread by her mother’s church, she reckons with feelings of guilt that she might be abandoning her mom the same way her dad abandoned them. Gordon’s debut captures the full tapestry of Daya’s emotions in prose rich with vivid imagery and metaphor. The resolution (neither a fairy tale nor a fiery car crash) chooses honesty over complete closure. Self-care and learning to release misplaced personal blame are significant aspects of Daya’s growth. All the central characters develop with realistic complexity. Daya and Beckett are cued white; the world around them contains racial diversity.

Raw and achingly truthful. (Fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews