Penguin lands Susie Nadler’s 'compelling' YA debut

Penguin Random House Children’s UK has acquired Lies We Tell About the Stars by debut author Susie Nadler, a "compelling" YA novel that weaves mystery and romance in a near-future San Francisco. 

The book will be published under the Penguin imprint. Fiction publisher Ben Horslen acquired UK and Commonwealth Rights from Kim Ryan, senior director of subrights at Penguin Young Readers, on behalf of Molly Ker Hawn at the Bent Agency.

Lies We Tell About the Stars is pitched by the publisher as "an emotionally rich, lightly speculative novel that will be loved by fans of I’ll Give You the Sun and The Last Bookstore on Earth".

The novel follows 17-year-old Celeste as she searches for her best friend in the aftermath of a catastrophic earthquake and becomes increasingly convinced that he is still alive but has chosen to disappear. The rest of the nation, meanwhile, distracts itself from the disaster by obsessing over the first human mission to Mars.

Nadler said: "I’m beyond thrilled to be working with PRH UK to send Lies We Tell About the Stars to UK bookshelves! I can’t wait to share this story with readers and I hope it makes them stay up too late reading."

Horslen said: "I completely fell for this exceptionally well-crafted novel. The writing is clear and gripping, and readers will be held rapt as Susie expertly weaves mystery, romance and complex friendship strands into an emotionally rich read that will be irresistible to fans of David Arnold and Jandy Nelson."

Lies We Tell About the Stars will publish in March 2026.