In this queer YA retelling of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, stakes at Augustus Magnet School are cutthroat, scheming is creative, and loyalty is ever-changing.
Overnight, Bronwyn St. James goes from junior class queen to daughter of an imprisoned felon, and she lands in the care of her aunt and younger cousin Cass, a competitive cheerleader who Bronwyn barely knows. Life gets worse when her ex-best friend, the always-cool Jude Cuthbert, ostracizes Bronwyn from the queer social elite for dating a boy, Porter Kendrick.
Bronwyn and Jude are both running for student body president, and that means war. But after Bronwyn, Porter, and Cass share a video of Jude in a compromising position, Jude suddenly goes missing. No one has seen her for weeks and it might be all Bronwyn’s fault. Will Jude ever be found? Or will Bronwyn finally have to reckon with what she’s won—and what she’s lost?
Overnight, Bronwyn St. James goes from junior class queen to daughter of an imprisoned felon, and she lands in the care of her aunt and younger cousin Cass, a competitive cheerleader who Bronwyn barely knows. Life gets worse when her ex-best friend, the always-cool Jude Cuthbert, ostracizes Bronwyn from the queer social elite for dating a boy, Porter Kendrick.
Bronwyn and Jude are both running for student body president, and that means war. But after Bronwyn, Porter, and Cass share a video of Jude in a compromising position, Jude suddenly goes missing. No one has seen her for weeks and it might be all Bronwyn’s fault. Will Jude ever be found? Or will Bronwyn finally have to reckon with what she’s won—and what she’s lost?
Buy links:
https://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/books/take-her-down-by-lauren-emily-whalen-3819- (digital),
https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781636790893 (paperback)
https://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/books/take-her-down-by-lauren-emily-whalen-3819- (digital),
https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781636790893 (paperback)
Meet Lauren Emily Whalen
Lauren Emily Whalen is a freelance writer, amateur aerialist and professional performer. She’s the author of four books for young adults: Take Her Down and Two Winters with Bold Strokes Books, as well as the nonfiction book Dealing With Drama and her debut novel, Satellite. Lauren’s short stories for teens and adults have been published in BUST Magazine as well as in three anthologies, including the holiday ghost collection Link by Link. She lives in Chicago with her cat, Rosaline, and an apartment full of books. Say hello at laurenemilywrites.com.
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