Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman

A striking debut novel about a college freshman grappling with the challenges of attending an elite university with a disturbing racist history, which may not be as distant as it seems.
A searing debut." -Entertainment Weekly Savannah Howard thought everyone followed the same checklist to get into Wooddale University:

Take the hardest classes

Get perfect grades

Give up a social life to score a full ride to a top school

But now that she's on campus, it's clear there's a different rule book. Take student body president, campus royalty, and racist jerk Lucas Cunningham. It's no secret money bought his acceptance letter. And he's not the only one. Savannah tries to keep to head down, but when the statue of the university's first Black president is vandalized, how can she look away? Someone has to put a stop to the injustice. But will telling the truth about Wooddale's racist past cost Savannah her own future? First-time novelist Kristen R. Lee delivers a page-turning, thought-provoking story that exposes racism and hypocrisy on college campuses, and champions those who refuse to let it continue.

Author: Kristen R. Lee
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Published: 02/01/2022
Pages: 336
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.60w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9780593309155
Age Range: 14-17

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 12/01/2021
Booklist 02/01/2022 pg. 54
Publishers Weekly 02/07/2022
School Library Journal 05/01/2022 pg. 82

About the Author
Kristen R. Lee is a native of Memphis, Tennessee. After graduating from college, she began to write her experiences attending a predominantly white institution, which led to the first draft of Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman. She's worked as a mentor for foster youth and has interned in a school setting, where she counseled middle-school-aged children. Writing stories that reflect often-unheard voices is what she strives to do. Learn more about Kristen online at kristenleebooks.com.