Monica Zepeda is the author of Boys of the Beast, her debut YA novel from Tu Books (an imprint of Lee & Low).
THE ROUTE. 1,700 miles from Portland, Oregon, to Albuquerque, New Mexico.
THE BEAST. Grandma Lupe’s 1988 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe.
THE BOYS. Three strangers who also happen to be cousins: Matt. Evangelical Christian. Earnest. Film nerd. Carrying a dream to make movies—despite the future his father has planned for him. Ethan. Jewish. Gay. Sci-fi nerd. Carrying a phone that contains his entire relationship with Levi—unless they finally get to meet IRL on this trip. Oscar. Stoner. Smartass. Too cool to be a nerd. Carrying a letter that haunts him—no matter how hard he tries to escape it.
THE END …… just might be a new beginning.
Awards & Accolades
- New Visions Award Winner
- International Latino Book Award Gold Medal Winner for Young Adult – English
- Paterson Prize for Books for Young People – Young Adult Winner
- Best Children’s Books of the Year by Bank Street College of Education
You can order her book at bookshop.org, indiebound, Barnes & Nobel, and Amazon.
Audiobook
This smart and fearless road-trip novel in three voices is available on Audible, audiobooks.com, and other audiobook services. Perfect for fans of David Levithan, Benjamin Alire Saenz, or Meg Medina.
Check with your local library to see if it’s available on Libby or Hoopla.
Book Trailer
About Monica Zepeda
In addition to her novel writing, Monica is a screenwriter. She was selected as an ABC Television/Disney Writing Fellow and was a finalist at the Austin Film Festival.
An independent feature film she wrote, Collusions, won Best Picture at the IFS Film Festival. Collusions is available for viewing on most VOD platforms.
Monica has worked as a bookseller, a librarian, and a researcher of miracles. She also enjoys making crafty things, collecting cupcake recipes, and traveling.