CANR
WORK TITLE: You Started It
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WEBSITE: https://www.jackiekhalilieh.com/
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COUNTRY: Canada
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PERSONAL
Married; children: two daughters.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Jackie Khalilieh is a Palestinian Canadian writer of young adult novels. She focuses on positive representations in her stories. In an interview in Young Adulting, Khalilieh talked with Hannah Luppe about her interest in writing for younger YA readers. She recalled: “Ninth grade was such a transformational year for me that even decades later, I still remember it with so much clarity and some fondness…. Many young adult novels feature 16-18-year-old main characters dealing with more mature themes and high-concept storylines, which is great, I love those stories too, but entering high school is such a big deal and I’m surprised there aren’t more books that show that experience on the page.” Khalilieh continued: “Another thing I love about writing a young YA character is that they’re still unpolished, you know? They don’t always have a filter. They can’t quite get a handle on their emotions yet. They feel things deeply and sometimes respond impulsively. And I wanted to show that. I wanted to show the rollercoaster of emotions.”
In the same Young Adulting interview, Khalilieh also discussed writing primary characters who are of Palestinian descent. She confessed: “I feel honoured to be able to write stories with Palestinian main characters, most of which are light-hearted, romantic and don’t centre trauma. I think there’s an expectation some readers have when they pick up books written by certain marginalized authors and when their preconceived notions don’t match what’s on the page, they may find themselves disappointed with the representation.” Khalilieh explained that “this is why it’s so important for publishers to not just publish one book a year by an Arab author and one book a year by an autistic author. Our experiences will not be monolithic.”
Something More is Khalilieh’s debut novel. Fifteen-year-old Palestinian Canadian Jessie Kassis is having a tough time navigating her first year of high school. She was hoping her parents would finally agree to let her wear a real bra instead of the training one she had been using. However, her life changes after she is diagnosed with autism. She does her best to hide any autistic trait that her classmates might notice. Jessie is also focused on her crush for Levi Walsh, who reminds her of Kurt Cobain. Unfortunately, Levi is difficult to read. While Jessie vents to her friends about her frustrations with him, she doubts any of them are really listening as they all have their own boy problems. Jessie is surprised after meeting Griffin Duffy that he seems to get her jokes and oddly specific references to 1990s media culture. He also tries to help her with Levi.
A contributor to Publishers Weekly called it “a thought-provoking and thoroughly entertaining debut that centers questions of identity via a fresh lens.” The same critic admitted that the book is “enhanced” with Khalilieh’s personal experiences. A Kirkus Reviews contributor insisted that “this is an enjoyable read that will have readers rooting for Jessie’s success.” The same reviewer labeled the novel “a coming-of-age debut with a refreshingly authentic protagonist.”
You Started It is Khalilieh’s second young adult rom-com novel. Jamie Taher-Foster is a biracial Palestinian Canadian teenager getting ready to start her senior year of high school. She recently broke up with her boyfriend, Ben Cameron, and has started to develop feelings for Axel Dahini, who she has been fake dating ever since accidentally crushing his bicycle. To deal with the anxiety she faces from boys, family, school, and IBS, she relies on medication and therapy. Axel and his Lebanese family are good for Jamie, as they help her come out of her shell and try new things in life.
Writing in School Library Journal, Shannon O’Connor remarked that it is “a sure delight for fans of authors like Tashie Bhuiyan and Farah Heron.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor said that “a love of words meets a passion for dance in this charming romance.” The same reviewer also took note of the “welcome inversion of negative stereotypes” surrounding Arab men.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2023, review of Something More; May 1, 2025, review of You Started It.
Publishers Weekly, May 1, 2023, review of Something More, p. 75.
School Library Journal, May 1, 2025, Shannon O’Connor, review of You Started It, p. 133; May 1, 2025, Shannon O’Connor, review of You Started It, p. 133.
ONLINE
Jackie Khalilieh website, https://www.jackiekhalilieh.com (November 16, 2025).
Young Adulting, https://youngadulting.ca/ (May 6, 2024), Hannah Luppe, “5 Questions for Jackie Khalilieh.”
JACKIE KHALILIEH is a Palestinian Canadian writer with a penchant for Samoyeds, to-do lists and staying up way too late. She is passionate about positive representation within her writing.
Something More, her debut YA novel, was shortlisted for the Ruth & Sylvia Schwartz Award, the Amy Mathers Teen Book Award, as well as the Snow Willow Award, and was selected for several Best of 2023 lists, including the New York Public Library and Audible Books Canada among others.
She resides just outside Toronto, Canada, with her husband and two daughters, continuing to complain nightly about having to cook dinner.
5 Questions for Jackie Khalilieh
Posted on May 6, 2024by youngadultingubc
Interview by Hannah Luppe
JACKIE KHALILIEH is a Palestinian-Canadian writer with a love of nineties pop culture, Dad jokes, and warm and fuzzy romance. Like many autistic females, she received her diagnosis as an adult. She is passionate about positive representation within her writing. She currently resides just outside Toronto, Canada with her husband and two daughters, complaining nightly about having to cook dinner. Something More is her debut YA novel.
Hi Jackie! Thanks so much for taking the time to answer some questions today. We are so excited to have you! Your debut novel Something More is a YA contemporary romance which follows a Palestinian-Canadian main character as she navigates her recent autism diagnosis as well as her first year of high school. What draws you to writing for younger audiences?
I knew writing a young YA would be a harder sell. Lower YA is kind of a tricky space. Finding the right audience to market it to, so I’ve heard, can be difficult. But I’ve also quite literally seen librarians and teachers begging for young YA books! Readers too!
Ninth grade was such a transformational year for me that even decades later, I still remember it with so much clarity and some fondness (my high school diaries help with that!). Many young adult novels feature 16-18-year-old main characters dealing with more mature themes and high-concept storylines, which is great, I love those stories too, but entering high school is such a big deal and I’m surprised there aren’t more books that show that experience on the page.
Another thing I love about writing a young YA character is that they’re still unpolished, you know? They don’t always have a filter. They can’t quite get a handle on their emotions yet. They feel things deeply and sometimes respond impulsively. And I wanted to show that. I wanted to show the rollercoaster of emotions. Add onto that a main character who has just recently been diagnosed as autistic, as well as her Palestinian-Canadian identity, I knew that Jessie and everything she represents was so needed in the young YA space.
I love romance—especially 90s rom coms—so when I read that Something More is a romance about a girl obsessed with the 90s, I was so excited! What was your process like when building Jessie’s character? Did you have any specific inspiration you drew from?
Something More is my most personal book and by default, that makes Jessie Kassis the character I’ve written that is most like me. And funny enough, we both went through a coming-of-age experience during the creation of this story. I’d received my autism diagnosis when I was already a couple drafts in (that means Jessie wasn’t technically autistic in those earlier versions but she would have definitely still read as autistic) and I was able to use the knowledge of my diagnosis to shift the story slightly and make it about a girl coming to terms with her autism diagnosis, as I came to terms with mine, in real time. Because I couldn’t set the story in the nineties when I was a teenager, I gave her the nineties as a special interest so that I could share some of the things I loved growing up. And yes, that was a bit self-serving lol. But lucky for me, the 90s were/are having a moment so a lot of readers have really enjoyed Jessie’s special interest. Most of the things Jessie is obsessed with, in terms of movies and music and tv shows, are the things I was obsessed with. I was also obsessed with collecting magazines and so I think it’s a really fun, sweet little Easter egg that her brother buys her magazines from the 90s. I didn’t intentionally write the book to feel like a 90s romcom, but alas, many people have told me that it does have similar vibes. I guess some things can’t be helped!
You have two more upcoming YA romances entitled You Started It and Everything Comes Back to You—congratulations! Can you tell us a bit about centering Palestinian joy in your work, and what you hope readers take away from your writing?
Thank-you! I’m really excited about my next two novels. There have definitely been moments along the way, especially earlier on, where I questioned if I would always “have to” write Palestinian main characters or autistic main characters, and if so, how could I differentiate their stories. Lucky for me, I have age and experience on my side and because of that, I have so many stories inside of me to tell.
You Started It will feature my first Arab male love interest which was influenced by watching my nephews go from babies to kids to teenagers. They helped change some of the internalized and problematic (if I’m being honest) views of Arab teen boys I’d developed in my own teen years. It’s a complex thing being a first-generation Palestinian daughter and I’ve had to come to terms with some unpleasant ideas that were formed by a few not so great experiences and interactions I’d had growing up. Add onto that, being raised at a time where Western media was (and still can be) ruthless towards Arab men. As for whether my main characters will always be Palestinian…yes and no. My main character in You Started It has a white father and Palestinian mother (like my daughters), and so she experiences some layered struggles regarding her identities. All that being said, this story has so much Palestinian and Arab joy on the page and I can’t wait to share it.
Everything Comes Back to You explores another side of being a first-generation Palestinian daughter, one that is a bit heavier. This story will have more mature themes and storylines as well as a very intense love story. The main character in this book is also autistic, but she’s quite different from Jessie because she received her diagnosis at a younger age. That means you won’t see her processing her diagnosis or hiding it in the story. It’s just part of who she is.
I feel honoured to be able to write stories with Palestinian main characters, most of which are light-hearted, romantic and don’t centre trauma. I think there’s an expectation some readers have when they pick up books written by certain marginalized authors and when their preconceived notions don’t match what’s on the page, they may find themselves disappointed with the representation. As someone who reads diversely, I’ve also learned that not everything is for me. I can enjoy a book without having to feel deeply connected to the characters or situations. I can read a book and not understand why characters react the way they do or disagree with their actions. I can see that our life experiences shape how we view the world. This is why it’s so important for publishers to not just publish one book a year by an Arab author and one book a year by an autistic author. Our experiences will not be monolithic. There is a lot of diversity amongst works written by authors of colour or marginalized authors and it is so important to give a taste of the spectrum of our experiences by publishing multiple voices.
If you could give one piece of advice to emerging writers trying to navigate the publishing industry, what would it be?
Let yourself dream. Don’t let a few (or a hundred) no’s stop you from pursuing your goals.
I know it’s easy for me to say this on the other side of publication, but there was something really magical about the time I was drafting Something More. I didn’t know anything about the publishing industry and because of that I had big dreams and I think that made it more fun. It helped me get to the finish line, which was really the only goal I had when I started. Finish a first draft.
Then I started to look into what it would mean to “get published” and that’s when the not so fun parts started to trickle in. Learning to write a query letter. Researching agents. Writing a synopsis. Querying. Rejections!
But there were also amazing moments like discovering how much magic happens in revisions. How the more I wrote, the more I surprised myself with how much my writing was improving. Meeting other writers with similar goals. Finding critique partners you click with. Getting positive feedback on your work and learning how to take in and use criticism. The hope of what if? Hoping and believing that every no was bringing me one step closer to my yes!
Personally, I think my lack of industry knowledge benefited me. If I’d known the stats and chances and all the negativity that surrounds traditional publishing, especially in YA, especially as an autistic author of colour, I may not have persevered. So a little bit of delusion got me pretty far!
How would you describe your writing process?
I can say with one hundred percent certainty after having completed seven manuscripts, and currently working on my eighth, that I have no writing process.
Every single book has had its own unique process.
Sometimes I pants (which means writing without a plan). Sometimes I outline (whether that’s loosely or intricately). Sometimes it’s a hybrid of the two. The only real consistent things I do is draft fast and revise about a million times. So Jackie, why not take your time drafting so that your revision process is lighter? Makes sense but when I’m drafting, it’s often an out of body experience and my focus is all about getting the moving images out of my head and onto the page. My fingers struggle to keep up with the story in my head and there’s no time for me to stop and outline or revise as I go.
Something that does work for me is reverse outlining (I think that’s what it’s called). Once I have a completed draft and I’ve gone through it a couple of times, I’ll refer to the Save the Cat! Writes a Novel’s beat sheet to make sure I’ve hit most of the story beats and that, you know, my story has a plot.
Knock on wood, ideas come to me pretty organically. Music and song lyrics have been known to inspire some story ideas.
The seeds of You Started It were planted after I listened to Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album SOUR which many view as a break up album, but it’s also fun. Which is how I’d describe my book. Everything Comes Back to You started as an adult romance which was extremely influenced by Taylor Swift’s FOLKLORE. I wrote the adult version of that book in three weeks! 87,000 words! It just poured out of me. But there was something that wasn’t working. Eventually, I got the idea to turn it into a YA which meant I could keep the characters and the vibes, but change the story. Another story idea came to me one night while I was chopping vegetables for dinner. “Style” by Taylor Swift came on and instantly this image of a girl looking out her bedroom window to see headlights on her street inspired a scene which led to the creation The Slam Book (not yet sold, but a story I’m super proud of).
Aside from vibes and being able to visualize scenes, most of my stories start with the main character: what do I want her to be like? Sometimes it starts with an idea for a story and I ask myself who is the worst kind of person to be put in this situation, and then I write that person (because tension and conflict!).
I get really excited when I’m drafting and (maybe too impulsively) share snippets on Instagram stories and with critique partners because otherwise writing can feel really lonely. I also find drafting exhausting and because I often write without knowing what I’m going to write, I can only write in short spurts.
I’ve been taking my time with my current work in progress because it’s not up for option at this time. I’m just writing it for me.
And to be honest, I think that is ultimately what helps me persevere in this industry. You have to love the writing. You have to believe in your characters and in your stories. At every stage, there are going to be people telling you that you’re not the right fit. There may even be some who tell you you’re not good enough. That’s when the passion and heart for writing has to see you through. Validation from others is nice and I one hundred percent believe in working with critique partners and listening to editors when you’re revising (but only following the feedback that resonates!). Truly, the only real validation that matters is your own. If you don’t love it, if you’re not proud of it, then you can’t expect others to.
Hannah Luppe is currently completing her MA in Children’s Literature at UBC. She is the managing editor of Young Adulting Review.
KHALILIEH, Jackie. You Started It. 336p. Tundra. May 2025. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9781774884751.
Gr 9 Up--Khalilieh's sophomore YA rom-com is a heartfelt, delightful story about Jamie Taher-Foster, a biracial Palestinian Canadian high school senior navigating a recent breakup with her boyfriend Ben Cameron. She's started having feelings for Axel Dahini, the younger Lebanese boy she's been fake dating after running over his bicycle. Readers will have no trouble relating to Jamie's likable accident-prone, list-making nature and the way she isn't afraid to rely on coping strategies, such as therapy and medication, to manage her anxiety disorder and IBS. Khalilieh creates an excellent balance between the complicated family relationships Jamie has with her mother and absentee father and some lighter comic moments of going on dates with Axel around their hometown of Toronto. With his golden retriever energy and loving Arab family, Axel shows Jamie how to try new things and embrace her identity in ways she never has before. VERDICT Highly recommended for libraries diversifying their YA romance .collections with more stories that focus on managing identity, disability, and mental health anxieties in positive ways. A sure delight for fans of authors like Tashie Bhuiyan and Farah Heron.--Shannon O'Connor
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
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O'Connor, Shannon. "KHALILIEH, Jackie. You Started It." School Library Journal, vol. 71, no. 5, May 2025, pp. 133+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A846210276/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=0951dba5. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
Khalilieh, Jackie SOMETHING MORE Tundra Books (Teen None) $17.99 6, 6 ISBN: 9781774882139
Autistic Palestinian Canadian high school student Jessie navigates family, friendship, and love while trying to figure out: Who exactly is Jessie Kassis?
Though her family is Greek Orthodox, 15-year-old Jessie begins attending high school at Roman Catholic Holy Trinity, where she hopes to start over fresh with kids who don't know her. Since recently being diagnosed with autism, she's finally had an answer to why fitting in has always been hard. Meanwhile, Jessie tries everything she can to mask her autism and fulfill the goals she lists in the journal her psychologist suggests she keep, ones like making friends, kissing the cute 10th grader in her science class, and participating in the school musical. It's not long before Jessie struggles to keep it all together and fulfill the expectations of those around her, however, and it's ultimately up to her to find her place in the world without losing herself. As an autistic person herself, Khalilieh presents readers with a genuine protagonist. Jessie's identity as the daughter of Palestinian immigrants is woven into the novel through cultural elements and brief explorations of Palestinian issues. Her inner monologue is at times profoundly introspective while also displaying the gushing enthusiasm of an adolescent with a crush. This is an enjoyable read that will have readers rooting for Jessie's success in love and life.
A coming-of-age debut with a refreshingly authentic protagonist. (playlist) (Fiction. 12-17)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Khalilieh, Jackie: SOMETHING MORE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Apr. 2023. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A743460681/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=1c8052f7. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
Something More
Jackie Khalilieh. Tundra, $17.99 (336p) ISBN 978-1-77488-213-9
Fifteen-year-old Palestinian Canadian Jessie Kassis thought her biggest freshman year hurdle would be persuading her strict parents to let her upgrade her training bra to a real one. But when she's diagnosed as autistic, she resolves to mask her autistic traits from her Holy Trinity high school peers. As she settles into classes, she meets and yearns to develop a romantic relationship with white schoolmate Levi Walsh, whose Kurt Cobain grunge aesthetic jives well with Jessie's 1990s pop culture obsession. Except that Levi's aloof personality makes it difficult for Jessie to interpret his intentions, and while her growing circle of friends provides her space to vent her frustrations, she feels as if her struggles go unheard amid her friends' own boy troubles. She soon encounters white classmate Griffin Duffy, who not only gets her '90s media references but offers to help her solve her Levi puzzle. While much of the plot covers familiar ground, Jessie's attempts to define herself within her school and home life are enhanced by Khalilieh's own experiences as an autistic Palestinian Canadian, imbuing Jessie's challenges with organic-feeling nuance and making for a fully realized protagonist. It's a thought-provoking and thoroughly entertaining debut that centers questions of identity via a fresh lens. Ages 12--up. Agent: Valerie Noble. Donaghy Literary Group. (June)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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"Something More." Publishers Weekly, vol. 270, no. 18, 1 May 2023, pp. 75+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A749619704/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=c6e0d299. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
Khalilieh, Jackie YOU STARTED IT Tundra Books (Teen None) $19.99 5, 20 ISBN: 9781774884751
A painful breakup and revenge plot lead to unexpected love.
Boy dumps girl. Girl strikes a bargain with boy's new neighbor (after she totals his bike). They'll fake date, making her ex-boyfriend jealous. The new boy will tell his parents he's with "a nice Arab girl," while he's actually filming the TikTok dance videos they're not keen on. Seventeen-year-old Jamie Taher-Foster, a Canadian girl who's white and Palestinian, deals with anxiety disorder and a litany of problems that stem from her parents' divorce by making plans, setting goals, and keeping lists. She's also fond of rattling off homographs. Lebanese Canadian Alexander "Axel" Dahini is spontaneous and has an online following--very much not Jamie's usual type. As Jamie and Axel hang out, they find ways to help each other become more comfortable with just being themselves. The enjoyable romance novel beats--meet-cutes, tiffs, and misunderstandings--are accompanied by fun social media content. Khalilieh explores heavier topics, including mental health and racism, in a deft manner that avoids heavy-handedness. Packed with intense moments, emotional drama, and lots of loving (and fraught) family moments, the book ultimately celebrates kindness and love. There's also a celebration of Palestinian heritage and a welcome inversion of negative stereotypes, especially about Arab men, as exemplified by characters such as Axel and Jamie's caring and supportive uncle, Amo Eli, who's gay.
A love of words meets a passion for dance in this charming romance. (content note, playlist)(Romance. 13-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Khalilieh, Jackie: YOU STARTED IT." Kirkus Reviews, 1 May 2025. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A837325558/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8c655760. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
KHALILIEH, Jackie. You Started It. 336p. Tundra. May 2025. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9781774884751.
Gr 9 Up--Khalilieh's sophomore YA rom-com is a heartfelt, delightful story about Jamie Taher-Foster, a biracial Palestinian Canadian high school senior navigating a recent breakup with her boyfriend Ben Cameron. She's started having feelings for Axel Dahini, the younger Lebanese boy she's been fake dating after running over his bicycle. Readers will have no trouble relating to Jamie's likable accident-prone, list-making nature and the way she isn't afraid to rely on coping strategies, such as therapy and medication, to manage her anxiety disorder and IBS. Khalilieh creates an excellent balance between the complicated family relationships Jamie has with her mother and absentee father and some lighter comic moments of going on dates with Axel around their hometown of Toronto. With his golden retriever energy and loving Arab family, Axel shows Jamie how to try new things and embrace her identity in ways she never has before. VERDICT Highly recommended for libraries diversifying their YA romance .collections with more stories that focus on managing identity, disability, and mental health anxieties in positive ways. A sure delight for fans of authors like Tashie Bhuiyan and Farah Heron.--Shannon O'Connor
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
O'Connor, Shannon. "KHALILIEH, Jackie. You Started It." School Library Journal, vol. 71, no. 5, May 2025, pp. 133+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A846210276/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=0951dba5. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.