First-Year Orientation

Sixteen acclaimed authors—including a National Book Award nominee, a New York Times best-selling novelist, and a beloved actress—join forces for a cross-genre YA anthology of linked short stories about the first days of college.

Jilly cannot believe her parents keep showing up at all of her orientation events. (Except, yes, she can totally believe that.) Isaac wants to be known as someone other than the kid who does magic and has an emotional support bunny. Lilly is stuck working at the college bookstore during orientation (but maybe new friends are closer than they appear). Hira, meanwhile, just wants to retire from ghost hunting once and for all, but a spirit in the library’s romance section has other ideas. For their sophomore effort, the contributing editors behind the critically acclaimed Battle of the Bands admit us to opening day at a fictional college, with a collection that makes an ideal high school graduation gift or “summer-before” read. This colorful array of stories spans genres and moods—from humorous to heartfelt to ghostly—tackling with sensitivity, humor, and warmth what it feels like to take those first shaky steps into adulthood.

With stories by:
Adi Alsaid * Anna Birch * Bryan Bliss * Gloria Chao * Jennifer Chen * Olivia A. Cole * Dana L. Davis * Kristina Forest * Lauren Gibaldi * Kathleen Glasgow * Sam Maggs * Farah Naz Rishi * Lance Rubin * Aminah Mae Safi * Eric Smith * Phil Stamper

Lauren Gibaldi is a public librarian and the author of The Night We Said Yes, Autofocus, and This Tiny Perfect World. She's also a contributing coeditor of the YA anthology Battle of the Bands. Lauren Gibaldi lives in Orlando, Florida, with her husband and daughters.

Eric Smith is a literary agent and the author of The Geek’s Guide to Dating, The Girl and the Grove, Don’t Read the Comments, and You Can Go Your Own Way. He is also a coauthor of Jagged Little Pill: The Novel and a contributing coeditor of Battle of the Bands. Eric Smith lives in Philadelphia with his wife and son.