You're No Better: Andrew Joseph White in conversation with Trang Thanh Tran

This event takes place at the Decatur Library. This event is free and open to the public but registration is requested.

Charis and the Georgia Center for the Book welcome Andrew Joseph White in conversation with Trang Thanh Tran for a celebration of You're No Better, a profound portrait of a struggling teen trying to convince the world—and himself—that he's better than the serial killer who raised him.

Morgan Slaughter, a seventeen-year-old trans boy with autism, put his serial killer father in prison years ago. Despite that, everyone thinks Morgan will grow up to be just like his dad: including his volatile mother, the documentary crew following their family, and maybe himself.

Desperately, Morgan latches onto his father's final victim—the only one who was never identified—hoping that if he unravels the mystery, he'll finally prove he's better than the man who hurt him. But this puts Morgan in the crosshairs of classmate Felicity Keating, who knows the truth about Morgan's childhood—that he wasn't just a witness to his father's brutality, he was an accomplice. And if he doesn't let them help with his investigation? They'll tell everyone.

Forced to confront his past, Morgan's ugly but carefully controlled world unravels. The film crew is manipulative. His mother's temper spirals into malice, then violence. And Morgan and Felicity may be more tightly intertwined than either of them can stomach . . .

You're No Better is a gritty and unapologetic coming-of-age suspense about teens who grew up surrounded by cruelty and are clawing their way to adulthood the only way they know how.

If you pre-order the book, you can fill out this form to receive special merch! Readers who preorder and fill out the form will receive:

• A signed bookplate
• A letter from the author
• A collectible enamel pin
• An "evidence" zippered pouch

About the Author

Andrew Joseph White is the bestselling author of Hell Followed With Us, You Weren't Meant to Be Human, and more. Born and raised in the Shenandoah Valley, he received his MFA in Creative Writing from George Mason University, and lives in Virginia with his wife and their cranky cat.

About the Conversation Partner

Trang Thanh Tran is a New York Times and Indie bestselling author based in Atlanta. Their debut She Is a Haunting was a William C. Morris YA Debut Award finalist and won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a YA Novel. Their second book They Bloom at Night was winner of the Indies Choice Book Award for YA and nominated for a Lodestar Award and Locus Award. They adore all things strange and, of course, their geriatric cats. Find them on Instagram @nvtran_ and their website trangthanhtran.com.

About the venue:

• Doors open at 6:30pm ET.
• Masks are requested/encouraged, but not required.
• This event takes place in the auditorium of the Decatur Library. It is fully wheelchair accessible.
• There is free parking in the deck accessed via Cheryl Burnette Bikeway. Please note that all event attendees must enter through the doors off the upper/first floor level of the parking deck. You may no longer enter the building via the ground level or the Sycamore St. door. If you park on the ground level of the deck there is a staircase that takes you up to the first floor main entrance. If you need accessible parking please plan to park on the upper/first floor deck.
• All attendees must pass through security, which includes a metal detector and a visual inspection of your bag by a security officer. No weapons of any kind (including folding knives) are allowed in the library. Please plan to bring as few items as possible with you to help expedite the line. Once inside, you will follow directions down to the auditorium. Seating is first come, first served.

The event is free and open to all people, but we encourage and appreciate a donation of $5-20 in support of the work of Charis Circle, our programming non-profit. Charis Circle's mission is to foster sustainable feminist communities, work for social justice, and encourage the expression of diverse and marginalized voices. Donate via our website: www.chariscircle.org/donate.

Please contact us at info@chariscircle.org or 404-524-0304 if you would like ASL interpretation at this event.

By attending our event, you agree to our Code of Conduct: Our event seeks to provide a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), class, or technology choices. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Unsolicited sexual language and imagery are not appropriate. Anyone violating these rules will be expelled from this event and all future events at the discretion of the organizers. Please report all harassment to Charis staff immediately or email info@chariscircle.org.