Girl Power!: A Panel on Powerful Women in Young Adult Literature featuring Jessica Spotswood, Nathan Kotecki, Meagan Spooner, and Alexandra Duncan

Sometimes the women in YA books can feel a little confined: they need a guy to rescue them, or if they're powerful, they must be evil. Fortunately, there are plenty of great female protagonists to read - girls and young women who don't wait for a man to save them, and who wield their power (personal and supernatural) unapologetically. This panel will discuss the evolution of empowered female protagonists in young adult literature using the examples of some exciting recent titles in the genre, and share in the fun of reading about "sisters who are doing it for themselves."

Meet the panel:

Alexandra Duncan - Author (based in Western NC) of the new YA novel Salvage, an American Booksellers Association Indies Introduce pick.

Nathan Kotecki - Author (based in Durham NC) of YA novels The Suburban Strange and Pull Down the Night

Meagan Spooner - Author (based in Asheville NC) of the YA Skylark Trilogy (Skylark, Shadowlark, third title TBA) and co-author with Amie Kaufman of the YA Starbound Trilogy (These Broken Stars, second and third titles TBA)

Jessica Spotswood - Author (based in Alexandria VA) of the YA Cahill Witch Chronicles (Born Wicked, Star Cursed, and the forthcoming Sisters' Fate)