{"product_id":"cant-take-that-away-9781547608669","title":"Can't Take That Away","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"A charming, inspired story about being true to who you are.\" - Phil Stamper, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Gravity of Us\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn empowering and emotional debut about a genderqueer teen who finds the courage to stand up and speak out for equality when they are discriminated against by their high school administration.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCarey Parker dreams of being a diva, and bringing the house down with song. They can hit every note of all the top pop and Broadway hits. But despite their talent, emotional scars from an incident with a homophobic classmate and their grandmother's spiraling dementia make it harder and harder for Carey to find their voice. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThen Carey meets Cris, a singer\/guitarist who makes Carey feel seen for the first time in their life. With the rush of a promising new romantic relationship, Carey finds the confidence to audition for the role of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, in the school musical, setting off a chain reaction of prejudice by Carey's tormentor and others in the school. It's up to Carey, Cris, and their friends to defend their rights--and they refuse to be silenced. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTold in alternating chapters with identifying pronouns, debut author Steven Salvatore's \u003ci\u003eCan't Take That Away\u003c\/i\u003e conducts a powerful, uplifting anthem, a swoony romance, and an affirmation of self-identity that will ignite the activist in all of us.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSteven Salvatore\u003c\/b\u003e is a chaos agent whose obsessions include exploring Italy, being Italian (Sicilian, \u003ci\u003enot \u003c\/i\u003eItalian-American!), and having and then dissecting existential crises. For twelve years, he was a studied, accomplished writing professor having held many positions within higher education spheres; though still teaching, he's now an academic advisor at Manhattanville University. He is also a book coach with an MFA in creative writing. He currently lives somewhere with his amazing husband Chris. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eAND THEY LIVED...\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNO PERFECT PLACES\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eWHEN LOVE GIVES YOU LEMONS\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e www.stevensalvatore.com\u003cbr\u003e@stevensalvatorebooks\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Bloomsbury YA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50671584739602,"sku":"9781547608669","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_9f3341eb-de3f-4169-bb53-7121c7122d8f.jpg?v=1745859844","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/cant-take-that-away-9781547608669","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}