Aaron H. Aceves

This Is Why They Hate Us

This fun, irreverent summer romp is Netflix’s Never Have I Ever meets What If It’s Us about a high school senior determined to get over his unrequited feelings for his best friend by getting under someone else.

Enrique “Quique” Luna has one goal this summer—get over his crush on Saleem Kanazi by pursuing his other romantic prospects. Never mind that he’s only out to his best friend, Fabiola. Never mind that he has absolutely zero game. And definitely forget the fact that good and kind and, not to mention, beautiful Saleem is leaving LA for the summer to meet a girl his parents are trying to set him up with.

Luckily, Quique’s prospects are each intriguing in their own ways. There’s stoner-jock Tyler Montana, who might be just as interested in Fabiola as he is in Quique; straitlaced senior class president, Ziggy Jackson; and Manny Zuniga, who keeps looking at Quique like he’s carne asada fresh off the grill. With all these choices, Quique is sure to forget about Saleem in no time.

But as the summer heats up and his deep-seated fears and anxieties boil over, Quique soon realizes that getting over one guy by getting under a bunch of others may not have been the best laid plan and living his truth can come at a high cost.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication Date: August 23, 2022
ISBN: 9781534485655

“Legit instant love for This Is Why They Hate Us. This remarkable debut is told in an unfiltered voice that’s hilariously chaotic and profound. I genuinely wish I could’ve read this queer Latine book as a teen, and I’m so happy it exists for this generation and beyond." –Adam Silvera, #1 New York Times bestselling author of They Both Die at the End

"Aaron H. Aceves' This Is Why They Hate Us is a debut novel written with humor and passion. This book is as bold and urgent as its title, and it introduces us to a fresh new queer perspective and protagonist." –Abdi Nazemian, author of Stonewall Honor book Like a Love Story

“This is Why They Hate Us is a lyrical story of queer longing, romance, and true friendship, which looks at the anxious pains of growing up with humor and heart.” –Ryan Douglass, New York Times bestselling author of The Taking of Jake Livingston

"It’s rare to find a book as achingly, tenderly honest as This Is Why They Hate Us, or a narrator as painfully relatable as Quique Luna. I’m so grateful this story is in the world." –Adib Khorram, award-winning author of Darius the Great Is Not Okay

Available for order:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | INDIEBOUND | BOOKSHOP

Aaron H. Aceves (he/him) is a bisexual, Mexican-American writer born and raised in East L.A. He graduated from Harvard College and received his MFA from Columbia University. His fiction has appeared in jmww, Epiphany, and them., among other places. He currently lives in Texas, where he serves as an Early Career Provost Fellow at UT Austin, and his debut novel, This Is Why They Hate Us, will be released May 24, 2022 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Find him on TikTok @aaronhaceves

www.aaronhaceves.com

Tags: YA, Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC