An afternoon with Andrea Beck: Below the Surface

"As the new girl at Oak Park High, Emily quickly learns that small towns come with big judgments. When a student mysteriously vanishes, suddenly whispers turn into accusations - and Emily finds herself at the center of it all."
Join us in The Hague for an hour with Andrea Beck, a The Hague resident, as she introduces her debut young adult novel, . Inspired by a real event, this gripping story explores friendship, jealousy, and the dark undercurrents of a small town where appearances can be deceiving.
Andrea will share insights into her writing process, how the story originated, and read a short passage from the book before answering questions from the audience. Copies of the book will be available for purchase, and Andrea will be signing books after the reading.
About the book:
As the new girl at Oak Park High, Emily quickly learns that small towns come with big judgments. When a student mysteriously vanishes, suddenly whispers turn into accusations — and Emily finds herself at the center of it all.
When her high school’s art program is cut, Emily Libert and her parents relocate to the seemingly idyllic town of Oak Park. Struggling to fit in, she bonds with fellow outsiders Agata and Oliver, who help her navigate the town’s rigid social circles. As Emily’s art flourishes and her connection with Oliver deepens, she begins to believe Oak Park might be the right move after all.
But beneath the town’s picturesque surface, tensions simmer. Matt and Lexy, the school’s golden couple, resent Oliver’s rising athletic success — and his growing relationship with Emily. When jealousy and rivalry reach a boiling point at a party fueled by alcohol and reckless accusations, one student disappears without a trace.
As fear grips the town, the locals are quick to turn on the newcomers, desperate to place blame. Now, Emily and her friends must fight to save themselves before it’s too late. How far will both sides go to protect themselves? As the truth begins to unravel, one question lingers: What if, deep down, Emily’s not as innocent as she believes?
About the author:
Andrea Beck is a writer and high school English teacher from Vancouver, Canada. Her flexible career has taken her across North America and Europe. Now based in the Netherlands, she has completed her first young adult novel, Below the Surface, and is currently working on a women's novel and a memoir exploring the rediscovery of courage.
Please note that the event will be held upstairs and therefore is unfortunately not wheelchair accessible.

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Host or Publisher The American Book Center - ABC