Tomi Adeyemi is in yet another airport, headed to Houston for the next stop on her book tour.
Its been a few weeks since her novelChildren of Blood and Bonedebuted at No.
And once we submitted it, every publisher in New York wanted it.
Credit: Shanna Fisher for EW
The film version ofChildren, from the producers ofTwilightandThe Maze Runner, is currently in active development.
Adeyemi, now 24, is remarkably young to be experiencing such success.
And yet she brims with wisdom.
Shanna Fisher for EW
But Adeyemi looks back on it now for a more sobering reason.
Her first attempt at a novel, written during her junior year, didnt go anywhere.
It took Adeyemi a few painful years to move on an invaluable education that rivaled her Harvard curriculum.
I feel very lucky that my first book got rejected, she reflects.
I would be so much worse of a writer had someone said yes.
She put it into practice forChildren of Blood and Bone.
Its emotionally textured by sharp commentary on racial issues ranging from police brutality to colorism.
you’re free to see the rigor of its authors methods on every page.
The world-building is meticulous, its boundaries precise.
This is how Adeyemi operates thoroughly.
And its why her book is such an earth shaker.
Adeyemi is living proof that greatness doesnt come easily.
My brain was exploding trying to decipher it, Jacobson recalls.
Once I figured out how to read her document I was flabbergasted.
Adds Machinist: So many of these YA books feel half-baked Tomis feels fully realized.
Despite Adeyemis success, what shines through most clearly is her gratitude.
She expresses amazement that her book continues to top the New York Times best-seller list.
At first she seriously feared its placement was the result of a Russian hack.
Theyre playing beer-pong games, Adeyemi says.
She laughs, then pauses, as if shes taking in the scene again for the first time.
