Exclusive: Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed team for activist novel Yes No Maybe So

Two of your YA faves are teaming up.

EW can exclusively announce that Becky Albertalli (Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, the basis for Love, Simon) has partnered up with Aisha Saeed (Amal Unbound) for a novel to publish early next year: Yes No Maybe So.

Yes No Maybe So is a story about love, local activism, and navigating cross-cultural relationships. Here’s the official synopsis: “Jamie Goldberg is cool with volunteering for his local state Senate candidate — as long as he’s behind the scenes. When it comes to speaking to strangers (or, let’s face it, speaking at all to almost anyone), Jamie’s a choke artist. There’s no way he’d ever knock on doors to ask people for their votes…until he meets Maya. Maya Rehman’s having the worst Ramadan ever. Her best friend is too busy to hang out, her summer trip is canceled, and now her parents are separating. Why her mother thinks the solution to her problems is political canvassing — with some awkward dude she hardly knows — is beyond her. Going door to door isn’t exactly glamorous, but maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world. After all, the polls are getting closer — and so are Maya and Jamie. Mastering local activism is one thing. Navigating the cross-cultural romance of the century is another thing entirely.”

The book is based on their experience campaigning for a U.S. House seat in the wake of Donald Trump‘s election victory. “We immediately threw ourselves into the campaign,” the two authors say in a personal letter obtained by EW. “Neither of us had knocked on doors for a political candidate before, and we were nervous — but it felt like something tangible we could do. The process was strange, sometimes tedious, and often thankless — but it was also empowering and rewarding. And it was the first time we truly grasped the power of local activism.”

They continue, “For us, these moments felt like the beginning of a story — one about love, resistance, and local activism. With Yes No Maybe So, our goal is to tell a story that never shies away from the complexities of our current reality, but nevertheless remains infused with joy and hope. We believe that activism and love can heal and connect us, even in the most difficult times.”

Yes No Maybe So publishes in February 2020, and is available for pre-order.

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