Rising Troublemaker: The Book We All Needed at 17

As teenagers, while we were learning about isosceles triangles and the Pythagorean Theorem, folks weren’t being fully honest with us. We were being taught how to be amazing test takers, but nobody was telling us not to sign up for that credit card in college and ruin our credit for two decades. Folks never told me that when I start working, I am supposed to negotiate my salaries. Nobody told us that to be well-functioning human beings, our job was NOT to people-please our way into bent backs.

There are TOO many things that we didn’t learn as young people that we should have. We were too busy wishing we were grown, not knowing that being an adult is a whole scam. Maybe adults thought we were too young, or maybe the grown ups in our lives didn’t have the time because they were also blindsided by what they did not know.

If I knew then what I know now, my life would be so much easier. So, you know, I like to create the work that I wish I had. I like to create what would help ME. That’s why I wrote my 2nd book (and 2nd New York Times bestseller *flex*) Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual. And that is why I’ve now adapted it into RISING TROUBLEMAKER: The Fear-Fighter Manual for Teens!

I am thinking about my nieces and nephews and godkids. I’m thinking about all the young people I know and love. I’ll be dambed if they go into this world knowing about the mitochondria and whatever it does to the cells, but they don’t know how to ask for more, how to dream audaciously, how to build a squad, how to show up better for themselves and for the people around them.

They deserve to know what we didn’t get a chance to. I want this book to loan them the courage that the world tried to insult out of us at their age. I wrote this book for me when I was 17. You know, if I could go back and have her find out some things, those are some of the things I put in here. Many of us didn’t get the permission to be good disruptors. Many of us did not get the permission to use our voices. Many of us did not get that we can always draw lines and we deserve for them to be honored. This is the book I’m gonna give my niece who is about to graduate high school, to better prepare her for this world.

This book talks to them without talking down to them. I’m talking to them like the auntie that I am. My editor actually had some notes for me where she asked if I was using outdated language. And I was like, listen, I’m bringing FULL auntie energy, old slangs and all. I want this book to be their verbal mentor, and I’m excited for teenagers everywhere to get their hands on it.

RISING TROUBLEMAKER is out in time for graduation, on May 17, 2022. And you can preorder it right now, everywhere books are sold.

Listen, adulthood is a scam. Taxes are terrible necessities and you owe the world your truth. You owe the world your full self. And that’s what I hope kids get when they walk away from this book when they close these pages. I’m really proud of what I did here.

Parents, teachers, aunties, librarians. PREORDER IT RIGHT NOW! Drops on the world May 17, 2022!

P.S. We have a lot of programming coming around this book that will serve the brilliant young people in your life (scholarships, challenges, giveaways, general book info). Soooo, make sure you sign up for my newsletter, so you don’t miss out on that.

FAQs

Can my 12-year old read this or are they too young?

Yes, 12 year olds can read this! The sweet spot for this book is 12-21 year olds. 

Will there be an audiobook?

Absolutely, and I’m narrating it. It’s available for you to pre-order now too.

Is this book just for girls?

This book is for teens, period. Girls, boys, non-binary. I’m geeked for more girls to hear that they can be their WHOLE selves, without apology. And I actually would love for more people to buy books like this for teenage boys, because they aren’t prompted to do this sort of personal development often enough.