The Free Verse Society

This deluxe paperback edition will feature gorgeous sprayed edges!

A tender hate-to-love YA romance about two teens who connect through their high school poetry club, where the power of the written word tears down the walls theyve built around their hearts.

No one in Delray knows Jae Aenyos storythat shes a teen mom who placed her baby for adoptionand she intends to keep it that way. After moving in with her uncle, Jae is looking for a fresh start. But an accidental run-in with the schools delinquent, Derek Patel, is not exactly what she had in mind. She soon finds a haven in the poetry clubat least, until Derek joins.

Derek Patel is desperately clinging to his old lifewhere his dad was alive, his mom was healthy, and they lived in an oceanfront estate instead of a run-down pink bungalow. Hell do anything to hide his problems from his friends, including breaking into his old house to keep up the charade that he still lives there. But the house now belongs to the schools lit teacher, who offers him the chance to join the poetry club as a penance.

As the newest members of the club, Jae and Derek are tasked with planning the end-of-semester poetry reading. While Derek is hell-bent on keeping his broken family a secret, Jae is desperate to prove to her uncle that shes more than a walking statisticwhich means guarding her heart against Derek, who her uncle thinks is no good.

A poignant exploration of love, loss, and the power of words to draw people together,The Free Verse Societyannounces the arrival of an important new voice in YA romance.

Perfect for readers who love Forced Proximity, Forbidden Love, Opposites Attract, Hate to Love, the Misunderstood Bad Boy, Opposite Sides of the Tracks, and Reading/Literature Club Bonding!

Delali Adjoawas born in Togo to Ghanaian parents but grew up in Canada, where she traded sunny cottons for wool tuques and snowsuits. She has been chasing warmer weather ever since. Delali writes fiction centered on identity, freedom, and family, and loves the American South for the stories it has buried. She is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and Georgetown University. Instagram: @DelaliWrites.

• Publisher: Peachtree Teen
• Publish Date: March 24, 2026
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• Type: Paperback
• EAN/UPC 9781682638781
• Dimensions: 8.0 X 5.3 X 0.6 inches | 0.7 pounds
• BISAC Categories: Teens & YA