Fierce Reads tour brings in YA writers

In the past 15 years, there has been a veritable explosion of dystopian stories in young adult fiction. Suzanne Collins’ “The Hunger Games” (2008), Veronica Roth’s “Divergent” (2011) and James Dashner’s “The Maze Runner” (2009) all kicked off blockbuster book and film series that scratched an itch for the dystopic.

But YA fiction isn’t all about a possible broken future. Many writers are doing other work that also needs to be highlighted, which is why Macmillan Children’s Publishing has put together a tour of four YA authors. The Fierce Reads tour combines experienced and debut authors whose work ranges from dystopian to romance and realism.

“Fierce Reads derived its name from the question, ‘What kind of books do we want to publish, and what kind of books will our readers want to read?’ The answer was simply: ‘Fierce,’ ” said Brittany Pearlman, associate publicist at Macmillan and coordinator of the tour. “The word evokes a sense of strength and charisma that we hope is represented in our YA titles. Whether that strength is physical, emotional or some other element depends entirely on the book.”

Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures will host the Fierce Reads tour at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall in Oakland. The tour will feature Anna Banks, Marissa Meyer, Emma Mills and Caleb Roehrig in conversation with each other. A book signing and giveaway will follow the event, which is free and open to the public as part of Allegheny Regional Asset District’s RADical Days.

Ms. Meyer is author of The New York Times bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, a five-book fantasy series that retells classic fairy tales such as “Cinderella,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” and “Rapunzel” by casting them in futuristic societies. The series begins with “Cinder,” a book that reimagines Cinderella as a cyborg in the futuristic city New Beijing. “Cinder,” “Scarlet” and “Cress” were drafted during National Novel Writing Month aka NaNoWriMo, which encourages anyone who has ever dreamed of writing a novel to write 50,000 words in the month of November.

Ms. Meyer’s first standalone novel, “Heartless,” will be published in November and tells the back story of Wonderland’s Queen of Hearts. In the book, a young woman’s passion for baking and a dream for an independent life is crushed by parental and social expectations; readers will understand how that person evolves into the ruthless Queen who proclaims, “Off with their heads!”

Ms. Banks is Fierce Reads’ second author who writes fantasy fiction. She is author of The New York Times best-selling Serena Legacy series, which includes “Of Poseidon” (2012), “Of Triton” (2013) and “Of Neptune” (2014). Her newest, “Nemesis,” is about a princess with a special gift who leaves her kingdom to escape her father’s intention to involve her in an upcoming war. The novel is clearly concerned with the environment, as well as the contrast between slavery and autonomy.

Ms. Mills’ debut novel, “First & Then” (2015), combines football and romance; her latest, “This Adventure Ends,” is about a quirky group of high school friends on an adventure to find a lost painting. In “This Adventure Ends,” the protagonist’s father is a famous romance novelist who is experiencing a horrible case of writer’s block. He has his own adventure wherein he rediscovers his purpose and voice as a writer. Until last month, Ms. Mills was co-host of the edutainment YouTube channel, How to Adult, which covered topics such as how to change a tire, sign a lease or choose a career path.

Mr. Roehrig, a former actor and television producer, is the author of the thriller “Last Seen Leaving.” He is the tour’s first-time author. “Last Seen Leaving,” which received a starred review from Kirkus, has been compared to Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl” because its plot centers around a wealthy couple’s daughter who goes missing. Mr. Roehrig’s novel offers much more than just suspense: It focuses on a boy who must admit to parents and friends that he is gay.

The Fierce Reads tour will give YA fans a chance to see well-known YA writers who have penned captivating fiction that mulls over some of the most pressing concerns of adolescents today.