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ENTRY TYPE: new
WORK TITLE: As You Wish
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WEBSITE: https://www.nashaejones.com/
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COUNTRY: United States
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RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; children: one daughter, one son.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, educator, and book reviewer. Powhatan High School, Powhatan, VA, English teacher.
WRITINGS
Contributor of fiction and nonfiction to periodicals and magazines, including Huffington Post, McSweeney’s, Yahoo Voices, and October Hill.
SIDELIGHTS
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, December 1, 2024, Ashley Leffel, review of As You Wish, p. 128.
Kirkus Reviews, November 15, 2023, review of Courtesy of Cupid; November 1, 2024, review of As You Wish.
Publishers Weekly, October 16, 2023, review of Courtesy of Cupid, p. 60.
ONLINE
From the Mixed-Up Files, https://fromthemixedupfiles.com/ (April 26, 2025), author interview.
Nashae Jones website, https://www.nashaejones.com (April 26, 2025).
Richmond, https://richmondmagazine.com/ (February 12, 2024), Paula Peters Chambers, “Cupid’s Arrow.”
Smack Dab in the Middle, https://smack-dab-in-the-middle.blogspot.com/ (January 14, 2025), author interview.
Writer’s Digest, https://www.writersdigest.com/ (January 4, 2024), Robert Lee Brewer, “Nashae Jones: Writing What My Younger Self Wanted to Read.”
YA Books Central, https://yabookscentral.com/ (January 3, 2024), Cherokee Crum, author interview.
Nashae Jones is a kid lit writer, because at an early age she learned what the magic of books could do for a developing mind. She always dreamed of creating worlds that would stay for a reader long after they put down their books. Nashae is also an educator and book reviewer (kid books, of course). She lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, son, escape artist husky, and two black cats that Nashae is convinced are reincarnations of Pinky and the Brain.
Author Bio
Nashae Jones is a freelance writer and an educator. Her fiction and nonfiction pieces have appeared in publications such as HuffPost, McSweeney’s, Yahoo Voices, and October Hill Magazine, among others. She lives in Virginia with her husband, two kids, two cats, and one dog. She is passionate about diversity initiatives, especially in children’s literature.
Name: Nashae Jones
Pronouns: she / her / hers
nashae.jones@ gmail.com
Website: www.nashaejones.com
Instagram: @nashae.jones
Agent: Chloe Seager, Madeleine Milburn, chloe [at] madeleinemilburn.comContact: nashae.jones [at] gmail.com
Contributor
Nashae Jones
Guest Writer
Nashae Jones is a writer and an educator who lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and son. She is signed with Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency and she is currently working on her debut children’s novel. You can find her on Twitter at @jones_nashae.
Nashae Jones: Writing What My Younger Self Wanted to Read
Author Nashae Jones discusses what inspired her new middle-grade rom-com, Courtesy of Cupid.
Robert Lee BrewerJan 4, 2024
Nashae Jones is a freelance writer and an educator. Her fiction and nonfiction pieces have appeared in publications such as HuffPost, McSweeney’s, Yahoo Voices, and October Hill Magazine, among others. She lives in Virginia with her husband, two kids, two cats, and one dog. She is passionate about diversity initiatives, especially in children’s literature. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Nashae Jones
Nashae Jones
Terrance Jones
In this post, Nashae discusses what inspired her new middle-grade rom-com, Courtesy of Cupid, her hope for readers, and more!
Name: Nashae Jones
Literary agent: Chloe Seager
Book title: Courtesy of Cupid
Publisher: Simon and Schuster (Aladdin)
Release date: January 2, 2024
Genre/category: Middle-grade rom-com
Elevator pitch: In this middle-grade rom-com sprinkled with a dash of magic a girl uses her newfound ability to make people fall in love to sabotage her rival.
Courtesy of Cupid | Nashae Jones
Bookshop | Amazon
[WD uses affiliate links.]
What prompted you to write this book?
When I was in middle school, I was a pretty avid reader, but there was a sizeable gap between the books I loved in elementary school—The Boxcar Children, Nancy Drew, and Matilda—and the books that I would come to love as an adult. At 12, I wasn’t ready for Stephen King, but I also felt like I grew out of my Madeleine L’Engle phase.
As a result, my love for reading waned in middle school. As I got older, both the young adult and middle-grade markets exploded, but there were still limited books for this liminal space between late middle grade and early young adult. And there’s even fewer of these books with BIPOC characters at the helm of the story. So, I set out to write a book that my younger self would’ve wanted to read.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
I came up with the original idea for Courtesy of Cupid in January 2022. So, it will be exactly two years from the time I got the idea to the time it is officially published. Although the manuscript itself has changed more times than I can count, the actual original idea and the heart of the book remained the same.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
Honestly, the whole publishing process has been a major learning experience for me. Publishing is drastically different than any idealized, romanticized version I had in my head. And for me, that makes the end result of getting to hold my book in my hands all the more satisfying.
Nashae Jones: Writing What My Younger Self Wanted to Read
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
Courtesy of Cupid was my second middle-grade book. My first book, which I had worked on for over a year, died on submission. One thing that surprised me about writing this book was how quickly I was able to write it. I was still mourning the loss of my original book, but for some reason I had a clearer picture of how to write Courtesy of Cupid. I think it was always meant to be my debut, even if I didn’t know it at the time.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I hope the readers will find joy inside the pages of my book. The world can be a dark place, and I want my readers to be able to escape into the pages of my book where they can laugh, swoon, and witness the power of Black girl magic.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Find a community that supports you. Writing, and subsequently publishing, is such a particular journey that it’s hard to communicate your experience to people outside of the writing community. Find a group of people to both commiserate and celebrate with. I will be forever grateful for my 2024 Debut Group for being this support system for me.
Cupid’s Arrow
Powhatan teacher Nashae Jones’ debut novel explores the challenges and beauty of the middle school years
by Paula Peters Chambers February 12, 2024
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Nashae Jones Author credit Terrance Jones.jpeg
Author Nashae Jones (Photo by Terrance Jones)
Nashae Jones — whose first book, “Courtesy of Cupid,” was published in January — is channeling her childhood in her writing for young adults.
“I want to be the reason a kid picks up a book and starts laughing,” she says.
The Powhatan High School AP English teacher remembers how she relied on books as a member of a military family that moved often.
“I was an introvert in a very loud family with a host of extroverts,” Jones says. “My way of getting away was reading. My closet was my hideaway spot where I could read and go into different worlds.”
In college at Old Dominion University, Jones studied English and creative writing. “I really thought I was going to be the next Joyce Carol Oates and write stunning Southern gothicism,” she says, laughing, “but everything I wrote was very happy.”
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COURTESY OF CUPID cover .jpg
YA romantic novel "Courtesy of Cupid" is available now. (Image courtesy Simon & Schuster)
“Courtesy of Cupid” is a retelling, of sorts, of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.” Erin, the 13-year-old protagonist, routinely spars with classmate Trevor, her academic nemesis. When Erin discovers she’s actually a daughter of Cupid, the Roman god of love, she thinks she’s found a way to put Trevor in his place once and for all.
Jones says she’s drawn to the YA genre because it didn’t exist for her as an early teen. “If you wanted something scary, we had ‘Goosebumps’ [by R.L. Stine], and then you went straight to Stephen King; there was no middle ground,” she says. “Now, with YA, there’s a lot of ‘adultification’ happening. There are kids who aren’t ready to read ‘The Hunger Games’ or upper-level romances. There are kids who want and need that bridge [to more mature themes]. ... I want to focus on experiences that are uniquely in that special space between childhood and adulthood."
Jones is also drawn to stories showing characters of different races and ethnicities, something that was lacking in the books she read as a child. “Growing up, I loved ‘Harriet the Spy,’ Nancy Drew and the Sweet Valley High series,” she says. “Those were girl-power books where girls were doing incredible things. But I didn’t see Black or brown girls [in those books].”
As a woman of color — her father is Black and Haitian, and her mother is Dominican — Jones says she thinks of Rudine Sims Bishop’s 2015 essay, “Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors,” in which Bishop writes that books can provide a way for readers to see their lives reflected in fictional characters. But, as Bishop writes, that wasn’t the case for many years for nonwhite readers.
Jones notes that the first books she read with Black protagonists — usually male — were centered around racial strife, slavery and even horror. “As a middle-class Black girl, I connected more to Nancy Drew, which was confusing to me,” she says. “As a kid, I found it hard to reconcile. Even though I liked those books, and even though they have a place, there should be a spectrum [of representation].”
In “Courtesy of Cupid,” protagonist Erin is Black, and Trevor is Asian American. Jones’ next book, tentatively titled “As You Wish,” gives a character from “Cupid” her own story that involves Ananse, a spider god from West African folklore. “It’s my fun homage to ‘Bedazzled,’” Jones says, referencing the 2000 romantic comedy film. Her focus on myths is deliberate.
“They’re archetypes,” she says. “It’s the idea that somebody ordinary can be extraordinary is appealing, especially for kids who are going through life changes. I know it appeals to me, even as an adult. I’m still hoping to find Narnia behind the wardrobe. We all want magic that takes you out of this world. The world hasn’t been a fun place.”
Interview with Nashae Jones, Author of AS YOU WISH
In As You Wish, thirteen-year-old Birdie’s plans for an awesome eighth grade are disrupted when the West African trickster god Anansi offers her three wishes, as part of a debt he owes her family. Naturally, nothing goes as expected, and Birdie is forced to reexamine her priorities, goals, and friendships, especially where her long-time best friend Deve is concerned…
MUF: Thanks for speaking with us, Nashae. This book is absolutely delightful. I’m a sucker for trickster figures, and Anansi is such a chaotic presence. What inspired this story?
NJ: Hi, I’m so excited to be doing this interview. I’ve been a huge fan of From the Mixed-Up Files for years now. I’ve always loved trickster characters, and Anansi is by far my favorite. In fact, the idea for the book started with Anansi and evolved from there.
MUF: You’ve also written Courtesy of Cupid, another story in which a mythological figure wreaks havoc on an unsuspecting mortal’s life. I’m sensing a pattern here. What about this theme appeals to you?
NJ: I have always been in awe of high-fantasy writers and their ability to weave together elements to create new, inventive worlds. But as an author, I like to write stories grounded in reality with just a touch of magic. I love weaving in the idea that magic is something fantastical and otherworldly, but not a crutch for my characters to use to fix their real-world problems.
MUF: On a related tangent, you’ve played around with several different mythologies. What other gods or pantheons would you like to explore, given a chance?
NJ: I love this question! I have a couple of different mythologies/folklores I want to take a go at including: the golem, Baba Yaga, and ciguapas (mermaids).
MUF: I understand that Courtesy of Cupid and As You Wish are loosely connected; do you want to write more in this setting, or try something unrelated in the future?
NJ: I think for right now, I really enjoy writing these type of middle grade books. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to continue to write more of these interconnected, magical stories.
MUF: Deve’s little sister Mishti is hearing impaired. Not only do Birdie and Deve use ASL to communicate with her, they use it as a secret way to talk to each other. What prompted you to include this in your story?
NJ: Growing up, I had a friend that was partially deaf, and I remember learning basic ASL signs so that we could communicate. It very much felt like we had our own secret language. I wanted to find a way to integrate that part of my childhood into the story.
MUF: Birdie’s mother struggles with anxiety, and her resultant overprotectiveness has a profound impact upon Birdie’s own everyday life. What do you hope readers will take away from this element of the story, especially in terms of the mother-daughter relationship?
NJ: Birdie’s mother’s anxiety is a catalyst to why many of the events unfold in the story. Birdie desperately wants to be normal, and she feels like her mom is a road block to achieving that goal. The middle school years are rough, and that can be especially so for mothers and daughters. While middle schoolers are trying to figure out who they are and where they belong, they have parents who are trying to adjust to their kids’ burgeoning need for independence. I hope readers will take away the fact that they aren’t alone in feeling this way about parental relationships—and that all relationships take work.
MUF: You make a point of noting that Birdie and her cousin Erin are Black in a small town where there aren’t that many people of color. Meanwhile, Deve and his family are Indian. Can you tell us more about your choice of characters and setting?
NJ: This was more of a personal choice. I live in a rural county where my family is one of the small number of Black families that live here. I wanted to write a story reflecting the town my children grew up and went to school in.
MUF: Your author bio says you’re passionate about diversity initiatives in children’s literature. Can you tell us more about that? Are you involved with any in particular, or any you’d like to recommend?
NJ: I’m a huge advocate for diversifying the children’s literary canon, so that we can include a variety of people and experiences for people to read about. Right now, the biggest initiative I am apart of is the Authors Against Book Bans. Book bans target BIPOC and LGBTQ+ stories, and they seek to silence the authors of these stories. I always recommend this coalition to any fellow authors or illustrators.
MUF: I see that you teach AP English in high school. What do your students think about your publications? Are they helpful when it comes to capturing authentic teenage voices and experiences?
NJ: My students love my stories. They’re very supportive, and they love the fact that a fictionalized version of their town is being centered in my stories. My experience as a teacher brings with it a wealth of insight into the teenage psyche and behaviors, and they are always informing my writing.
MUF: Not to spoil anything, but I saw that Courtesy of Cupid was inspired by Pride and Prejudice, while As You Wish was inspired by the movie Bedazzled. What other influences would you like to share with us?
MJ: Courtesy of Cupid is also lightly influenced by the 90s TV show Sabrina the Teenage Witch. I really liked the concept of a teenager with new powers who messes things up sometimes. With As You Wish, one of my favorite things I got to include as sort of an Easter egg was the title itself. As You Wish is based on the famous line from The Princess Bride.
MUF: If Anansi popped into your life and offered you a wish, would you accept? If so, what would you wish for, knowing his talent for chaos? Or would you run away, very quickly?
NJ: I would love to say I would turn my nose up at Anansi, but I don’t think my curiosity would let me turn him down. Haha. I think that I would wish for a lifetime supply of warm chocolate chip cookies. Surely, he couldn’t mess that up…
MUF: What’s next for you as an author?
NJ: Right now, I’m working on some books in the young adult age group. I’m hoping to share more information soon.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Nashae Jones is a freelance writer and an educator. Her fiction and nonfiction pieces have appeared in publications such as HuffPost, McSweeney’s, Yahoo Voices, and October Hill Magazine, among others. She lives in Virginia with her husband, two kids, two cats, and one dog. She is passionate about diversity initiatives, especially in children’s literature.
Website: www.nashaejones.com
Instagram: @nashae.jones
Posted by Holly Schindler January 14, 2025
Interview with Nashae Jones, Author of As You Wish
Welcome to Smack Dab, Nashae. Please tell us a bit about As You Wish.
I’m so excited to do this interview with Smack Dab. Thank you for having me. As You Wish is a middle grade romance about a girl who after a fight with her best friend, makes misguided wishes to the West African trickster god, Anansi. It’s a story that centers around friendship, family, and acceptance and of course a touch of magic.
I love the way you incorporate the idea of “be careful what you wish for” throughout. Where did the initial spark of inspiration come from? How did you come to explore it through Birdie’s perspective?
I think the “be careful what you wish for” trope has been one of my favorite tropes from the time I was kid. One of my earliest encounters with the trope was when I read the Goosebumps book Be Careful What You Wish For, and I remember being absolutely fascinated with the concept of the duality of wishes, and how magic was never an adequate solution for your problems. So, I think it's always been a concept that’s been rattling around my head. It’s always been a trope I wanted to explore.
It was a lot of fun getting to write about using a magical solution from the point-of-view of a middle school girl because we get to see some very middle school type of wishes along with some more poignant, heartfelt requests.
What inspired you to incorporate the Anansi stories from Ghanaian folklore into a contemporary middle grade novel?
I adored reading trickster tales when I was younger. I was always interested in the intersection between slapstick humor and moral lessons. Anansi is one of my favorite folkloric characters, so I wanted to revamp him and make him come alive for today’s generation of readers.
I love that you’ve written an MG rom-com. You see the rom-com genre in YA, but so rarely in MG—those very first romantic feelings are not as frequently explored in MG. What made you want to explore it? Why MG instead of YA?
I think that there’s a real need for upper middle grade books. In the past, there weren’t many options for kids who were in that transition phase where they’re ready to move on from younger middle grade books but who aren’t quite ready for young adult books. When my own daughter was eleven, she was hungry for age-appropriate romance, but there wasn’t a whole lot available to her. So, I really want to write something to fill that need.
Nancy/Anansi is both helper and trickster. How did you balance these aspects of her character?
One of my absolute favorite parts of writing As You Wish was writing a middle school version of a morally grey character. Traditionally, trickster characters are neither good nor evil, and I really wanted to shape Nancy into that mold. I tried to balance Nancy’s mischievous and her innate desire for chaos with her underlying affection for Birdie.
How did you decide which aspects of Birdie's life would change or stay constant across the different realities? How did you develop the different versions of Birdie across the various realities while maintaining her core character?
Constructing the alternate realities in an authentic way was probably one of the most difficult tasks for me when I was writing this book. I wanted to create realities that really drove home the point that using magic as a solution to your problems is not only inadvisable, but dangerous. When creating the different worlds, I focused on each one of her core relationships. I brainstormed ways that those relationships would change as a consequence of her wishes.
Social media plays a significant role in one of the alternate realities. What prompted you to examine its impact on teen identity and relationships?
It’s hard to talk about the modern-day teenage experience without incorporating social media. Many teens not only have to navigate the complexities of their identity in the real world, but also in the virtual realm. With Birdie erroneously tying peer acceptance to popularity, I thought it would be helpful to show the influence social media has on teenage relationships.
Sign language and Mishti's character play important roles in the story. What inspired you to include deaf representation?
I think all types of kids deserve to see themselves in books. With Mishti, I wanted to write a character who was deaf, but who wasn’t necessarily defined by being differently abled. It was important to me that Mishti was a fully fleshed out character that didn’t perpetuate stereotypes about deaf culture.
The revelation about Birdie's Uncle Ty's death comes fairly late in the story, but it serves as a crucial piece in understanding her mother's anxiety. How did you balance keeping this emotional backstory hidden until the right moment while still making the mother's overprotective behavior feel authentic throughout the book?
Birdie spends most of the story trying to find a way to be “normal”. A big part of what Birdie feels like makes her abnormal is her mother’s anxiety and how it spills over into an almost smothering overprotectiveness. I think it was necessary to keep Ty’s backstory hidden for a while, because the reader needed to grow along with Birdie to be able to truly be able to empathize with Birdie’s mom.
How did your experience as an educator influence how you wrote about middle school dynamics and relationships?
I think being a teacher has given me a unique insight into the middle school experience, and not just because I can translate phrases like skibbidi toilet. Ha! Because I’m a teacher, I’m able to get first-hand knowledge on how teens interact with each other and the adults in their lives. Surprisingly, I find that the way teens build and maintain relationships is timeless. Teens today go through some of the same triumphs and struggles that I went through decades ago.
The book deals with themes of identity and authenticity. What message did you want to convey to young readers about being true to themselves?
I wanted readers to know that being “normal” is subjective, and everyone, no matter how perfect is dealing with their own insecurities. So, it’s important to be the person who makes you happiest.
What’s next?
I am currently working on my young adult debut. I can’t wait to share it with the world.
Where can we find you?
I have a contact form on my website: www.nashaejones.com. I’m most active on Instagram at @nashae.jones.
Interview With Nashae Jones (Courtesy of Cupid)
January 3, 2024No Comments
Written by Cherokee Crum, Blog Manager and Staff Reviewer
Posted in Authors, Interviews, News & Updates
Today we are very excited to share an interview with Author Nashae Jones (Courtesy of Cupid)!
Meet the Author: Nashae Jones
Nashae Jones is a freelance writer and an educator. Her fiction and nonfiction pieces have appeared in publications such as HuffPost, McSweeney’s, Yahoo Voices, and October Hill Magazine, among others. She lives in Virginia with her husband, two kids, two cats, and one dog. She is passionate about diversity initiatives, especially in children’s literature.
Website * X * Instagram
About the Book: Courtesy of Cupid
Erin Johnson’s thirteenth birthday unfolds like any other day, from her mom’s quirky and embarrassing choice of outfit to racing her nemesis, Trevor Jin, to the best seat in class—front row, center. But her gifts this year include something very out of the ordinary: magical powers.
Erin discovers her mysterious father is actually the love god Cupid and she’s inherited his knack for romance. It’s not the most useful ability for an overachiever with lofty academic and extracurricular goals…or is it? Erin desperately wants to be elected president of the Multicultural Leadership Club, and as usual, Trevor is her fiercest competition. He’s never backed down from a challenge before, but if Erin makes him fall in love with her, maybe he’d drop out of the race and let her win.
With her magical pedigree, wrapping Trevor around her finger is a snap, and having him around all the time is a small price to pay for victory. But without their cutthroat rivalry bringing out the worst in each other, Erin realizes Trevor may not be as bad as she thought, and suddenly her first foray into love gets a lot more complicated…
Amazon * B&N * IndieBound
~Author Chat~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
I love folklore and mythology, and I also knew that I wanted to write a book that incorporated these things in a fun way. I’m also a huge fan of rom-coms, and I wanted to write something for an upper-middle grade audience that would incorporate both romance and mythology, and that’s how I landed on the idea of a protagonist that was Cupid’s daughter.
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
My favorite character in the book has to be Erin’s (the main character) mom. She’s a single mom who is also ghost writes romance novels. She clearly thinks she’s cool, and she thinks she knows what Erin wants, but it is very obvious that she doesn’t. As a mom of a preteen myself, I can relate to missing the mark on being “cool”.
YABC: If you could only write one genre for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
I know this isn’t really a genre, but if I could write humorous children books for the rest of my life, I would be content. I think humor is so important in books. It sparks joy, and gets some of the most reluctant readers to actually enjoy reading.
YABC: What can readers expect to find in your books?
Readers can expect two things when they read my books. The first one is humor. Laughter is truly medicinal. I love reading something that makes me snort out loud. The second thing a reader can expect is romance, whether that’s first crushes or realizing rivals-to-more, I aim to write things that will make readers swoon.
YABC: What is your favorite snack when writing?
I have a horrible sweet tooth, so all of my favorite snacks involve a heaping amount of sugar. One of my favorite snacks to eat while I’m writing is cookies. Preferably sugar cookies, but honestly I’ll eat whatever cookies are in front of me.
YABC: If you were able to meet them, would you be friends with your main character?
Erin is a very high-achieving, academically focused teen. So, I’m almost certain if I knew her in middle school, we would not have hung out in the same circles. I was very much a day dreamer when I was in middle school. I would carry around a little notebook, and write down stories all day. I think that would’ve annoyed Erin. I wouldn’t have been ambitious enough for her.
YABC: What fandom would you write for if you had time?
If I could write for any fandom, if would have to be Superman, but with a rom-com slant to Lois and Clark.
YABC: What’s up next for you?
Right now, I am working on my second middle grade novel tentatively titled: As You Wish. This book is set in the same universe as Courtesy of Cupid, and it follows Birdie, Erin’s cousin. It is another middle-grade rom-com that incorporates the West African spider god, Anansi.
YABC: What is your favorite holiday or tradition and why?
I absolutely adore Christmas. I’m one of those people who starts counting for Christmas in July. I love everything about the holiday seasons. There’s something special about the joy and comradery that comes around Christmas time.
Title: Courtesy of Cupid
Author: Nashae Jones
Release Date: Jan. 2nd 2024
Publisher: Simon and Schuster (Aladdin)
Genre: Middle Grade Romance
Age Range: 10 and up
Courtesy of Cupid
Nashae Jones.Aladdin, $17.99 (288p) ISBN 978-1-6659-3988-1
A demigod's scheme to use newfound powers for her own gain backfires in Jones's wholesome, cozy love story. Eighth gradet Erin Johnson is ambitious: she's determined to cure colon cancer and become the first Black woman to receive a Nobel Prize for medicine. And her primary motivator is to spite rival Trevor Jin. Erin and Trevor, who is Korean, have been academically neck and neck since kindergarten, and this year the rwo are set to vie for the presidency of their school's Multicultural Leadership Club. Things take a turn for the weird when, the day after her 13th birthday, Erin notices odd sensations--and consequences--when she focuses too much of her attention on the strained relationships around her. When her romance author mother reveals that Erin's long-absent father is Cupid, the God of Love, Erin dismisses the idea. But growing evidence of her budding magical powers convinces her of the truth. She resolves to make Trevor fall in love with her, so he'll forfeit his presidential campaign, except it's Erin who begins falling for her longtime nemesis. Jones's enemies-to-lovers debut sparkles with charming rom-cam banter, and Erin's drive to succeed at all costs--and the myriad ethical dilemmas her determination lands her in--adds a delightfully refreshing quality to the sometimes familiar feeling tale. Ages 10-up. Agent: Chine Seager. Madeleine Milium Literary. (Jan.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Courtesy of Cupid." Publishers Weekly, vol. 270, no. 42, 16 Oct. 2023, pp. 60+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A771914102/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=62b97072. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
Jones, Nashae COURTESY OF CUPID Aladdin (Children's None) $17.99 1, 2 ISBN: 9781665939881
A hyperorganized tween's plans are derailed when her orchestrated love connections go awry.
Erin Johnson is an ambitious biracial Black girl who's obsessed with being the best academically and wants to follow in the footsteps of her hero, Marie Curie. Her goal for eighth grade is to be elected president of the Multicultural Leadership Club, finally beating archnemesis Trevor Jin, who's Korean American. Trevor's been a thorn in Erin's side ever since kindergarten and is constantly edging her out in every competition. Right after Erin's 13th birthday, her mother finally reveals her father's identity: Cupid, the God of Love, a redheaded white man, who wrote letters to help Erin prepare for the powers that will manifest now that she's 13. He even left her a Cupid manual. Erin's mom makes her promise not to use her powers until she understands them better, but while Erin believes romantic love is a trivial distraction, she realizes her matchmaking powers might give her the edge she needs. Her single-minded focus on achievement, however, leads to friendship troubles--and other unintended consequences. The humor and strong character development drive this tender story about different types of love and our inability to see the ways they affect our lives. The rivalry between Erin and Trevor and the complex relationships among the kids and adults will resonate with readers. Erin's first-person voice is enhanced by the wry observations in her footnotes, which appear throughout the novel.
A sweetly romantic coming-of-age story with fun, magical touches. (the Cupid Commandments) (Romance. 10-13)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Jones, Nashae: COURTESY OF CUPID." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Nov. 2023. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A772515425/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a76cbd1a. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
As You Wish. By Nashae Jones. Jan. 2025. 272p. Aladdin, $17.99 (9781665939911). Gr. 6-8.
When the trickster god of stories grants you three wishes, what's the worst that could happen? Birdie is on the lowest rung of the popularity ladder. While she has her best friends, Summer, Arlo, and Deve, she longs to be "normal." Cue her eighth-grade plan to find a boyfriend and gain the popularity she craves. When she tells Deve about this plan, it creates a rift in their friendship. All seems lost until new girl Nancy--Anansi, the Ghanaian trickster god of stories, in disguise--offers Birdie three wishes to get what she truly desires. Birdie quickly learns that no matter the wish, there are unexpected consequences. In this magic-flecked rom-com, it's clear the path that Birdie should take, but her humor and journey of self-discovery are what keep readers engaged. The diversity of the friend group (Birdie is Black, Deve is Indian, Summer and Arlo are an LGBTQIA+ couple who cue as white) naturally incorporates a variety of perspectives into the proceedings. This fun middle-grade offering reminds readers that what you wish for is sometimes already there.
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Leffel, Ashley. "As You Wish." Booklist, vol. 121, no. 7-8, Dec. 2024, p. 128. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A829740305/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9c9009aa. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
Jones, Nashae AS YOU WISH Aladdin (Children's None) $17.99 1, 7 ISBN: 9781665939911
A 13-year-old Ghanaian American girl's wish to go from weird to wonderful leads her through a web of relationship complications that she didn't bargain for.
Bernadette "Birdie" Johnson-Nkrumah is a rising eighth grader with a laundry list of restrictions imposed by her overprotective mother. Her mom even used to make her wear latex gloves to school, but Birdie's father and her best friend, Deve Banerjee, offer support that helps her cope and understand her mother's anxiety. While Deve is her "crunchy-peanut-butter friend" (crunchy is far superior to creamy, if you ask Birdie), she worries that she's dragging him down socially. At a pool party, the friends are shocked by the sudden glow-up of the formerly dorky Ava, who's now dating a basketball player. Birdie decides that finding a boyfriend for herself and a girlfriend for Deve will help them become popular, too. But Birdie's desire to be "normal" causes a rift with Deve. Birdie is confused when Nancy, the new girl at school, claims that she's Anansi, the spider god of stories and knowledge, and that she owes Birdie three wishes. Birdie attempts to use them to heal her friendship with Deve, but each wish has unforeseen consequences. The appealing fantasy and humor elements drive the narrative, and the shifts and changes in Birdie and Deve's friendship over the course of the story are clever and satisfying.
A delightful exploration of friendship, mental health, and first love with a touch of magic.(Fantasy. 10-14)
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MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Jones, Nashae: AS YOU WISH." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Nov. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A813883744/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a3eb18d1. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.