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@nervesofsteel
It’s 2013 and Twitter’s a Wild West full of misogynistic trolls Minerva would love to take down. The first ninth grade correspondent on her school paper, she’s ready to serve up justice to bullies in her small town—chief among them Chaz, beloved basketball phenom. He pressures girls to join a Hot-or-Not tournament, and he’s doing a full-court press to recruit Minerva’s best friend, Diana.
When Minerva tracks tweets to the scene of Chaz’s tournament kegger, she discovers Diana on the fast track to his despicable “Final Four.” But the whole school seems all in since the number-one recruit can do no wrong. Should @nervesofsteel go NYT or TMZ with her reporting to protect a girl who’s beginning to feel like a lot more than a friend?
Coming of age in a digital age is harder than Hades, but Minerva’s a righteous nerd who will do whatever it takes so truth will out.
When Minerva tracks tweets to the scene of Chaz’s tournament kegger, she discovers Diana on the fast track to his despicable “Final Four.” But the whole school seems all in since the number-one recruit can do no wrong. Should @nervesofsteel go NYT or TMZ with her reporting to protect a girl who’s beginning to feel like a lot more than a friend?
Coming of age in a digital age is harder than Hades, but Minerva’s a righteous nerd who will do whatever it takes so truth will out.
- GenresYoung Adult
350 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 28, 2023
3 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
Lyn Fairchild Hawks
8 books38 followersLyn Fairchild Hawks is a North Carolina author who writes about gifted, weird, and wise activist youth. Her works span historical young adult fiction to middle grade novellas to short fiction. She's a recipient of the Norma Fox Mazer Award, an Elizabeth George Foundation grant, and was a James Jones First Novel Fellowship contest semifinalist. She's an MFA graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Art's program in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Her critical thesis, "Is YA Literary? The Search for an Abundant Canon," argues for high schools to open their canons to more young adult works.
In her other life, she's an education geek who loves teaching and Shakespeare.
In her other life, she's an education geek who loves teaching and Shakespeare.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
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November 15, 202311/15/23: Just got some great news: @nervesofsteel won First Place in the Middle Grade/Young Adult category for the Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards!
The announcement will appear in the March/April 2024 magazine.
7/12/23: Love this review from Jenny Ziegler, author of Worser!
I adored this story! Minerva is a modern-day hero. Is she flawed and awkward? Yes. Who isn't? But she's also smart, tenacious, intrepid, fiercely loyal, and irresistibly funny. Minerva's wishes are our wishes -- for the world to be fair and kind, and for people to be allowed to be their authentic selves with no apologies or punishment. This is a story that glows with hope and truth. #Minerva4Ever
-Jennifer Ziegler, author of How Not to Be Popular and Worser
3/18/23 The ebook preorder is live on Amazon!
You can also order ebooks at your other favorite retailers here.
3/07/23 ARCs in the mail!
Today ARCs start heading out into the world!
Sonny has scented this one with his approval.
Stay tuned for giveaway news, preorder news, and lots more.
1/31/23: COVER REVEAL, Y'ALL!
Minerva is so excited to make it out into the world this April!
I couldn't be more thrilled with this cover or the fabulous proofreading @nervesofsteel just received, and so we're busy getting this baby beautified and ready for her April debut!
More soon!
1/08/23
Book is off to the proofreader!
Today's quote:
"Someday I’ll bring the world coverage from the epicenters of earthquakes; I’ll be that fool on the beach with waves lashing her legs when the hurricane makes landfall. I’ll deliver breaking news that cracks the spine of The Man, The Boss, and every Fox News bully out there. @nervesofsteel is on it, and nothing gets past her pen.” – Minerva Mae Christopoulos
11/30/22
On page 111 of final edits before the book goes to copy edits!
Today's text to edit:
"Something cracks underfoot—the DVD case for Grease I’d pulled out last weekend for Diana’s benefit. She loves that damn film. On the cover, perfectly blonde Olivia Newton-John and perfectly brunette John Travolta reunite, cheek-to-cheek, crooning for ones they want. Di knew I hated it, so whenever I’d suggest something old school/ black and white for our movie nights, she’d look at me real serious and say, “But is it as good as Grease?” And we’d both crack up.
Now I see a fake lovers’ embrace because Olivia and John, they know it’s just a fantasy that bad girls finish first.
I grab the case and throw it in the trash."
And here's a sketch I sent the cover designer about the face of @NervesofSteel. I love seeing the concepts the designer sends back. Who knows what this might become?
The announcement will appear in the March/April 2024 magazine.
7/12/23: Love this review from Jenny Ziegler, author of Worser!
I adored this story! Minerva is a modern-day hero. Is she flawed and awkward? Yes. Who isn't? But she's also smart, tenacious, intrepid, fiercely loyal, and irresistibly funny. Minerva's wishes are our wishes -- for the world to be fair and kind, and for people to be allowed to be their authentic selves with no apologies or punishment. This is a story that glows with hope and truth. #Minerva4Ever
-Jennifer Ziegler, author of How Not to Be Popular and Worser
3/18/23 The ebook preorder is live on Amazon!
You can also order ebooks at your other favorite retailers here.
3/07/23 ARCs in the mail!
Today ARCs start heading out into the world!
Sonny has scented this one with his approval.
Stay tuned for giveaway news, preorder news, and lots more.
1/31/23: COVER REVEAL, Y'ALL!
Minerva is so excited to make it out into the world this April!
I couldn't be more thrilled with this cover or the fabulous proofreading @nervesofsteel just received, and so we're busy getting this baby beautified and ready for her April debut!
More soon!
1/08/23
Book is off to the proofreader!
Today's quote:
"Someday I’ll bring the world coverage from the epicenters of earthquakes; I’ll be that fool on the beach with waves lashing her legs when the hurricane makes landfall. I’ll deliver breaking news that cracks the spine of The Man, The Boss, and every Fox News bully out there. @nervesofsteel is on it, and nothing gets past her pen.” – Minerva Mae Christopoulos
11/30/22
On page 111 of final edits before the book goes to copy edits!
Today's text to edit:
"Something cracks underfoot—the DVD case for Grease I’d pulled out last weekend for Diana’s benefit. She loves that damn film. On the cover, perfectly blonde Olivia Newton-John and perfectly brunette John Travolta reunite, cheek-to-cheek, crooning for ones they want. Di knew I hated it, so whenever I’d suggest something old school/ black and white for our movie nights, she’d look at me real serious and say, “But is it as good as Grease?” And we’d both crack up.
Now I see a fake lovers’ embrace because Olivia and John, they know it’s just a fantasy that bad girls finish first.
I grab the case and throw it in the trash."
And here's a sketch I sent the cover designer about the face of @NervesofSteel. I love seeing the concepts the designer sends back. Who knows what this might become?
March 23, 2024
Very gripping story about an aspiring journalist who gets in over her head when her friend is assaulted and bullied at a party. Minerva’s humorous voice is full of laugh out loud moments, even as the story goes to dark places, reminding us of the challenges that today’s kids face in dealing with social media. Funny, thoughtful, inspiring, and captivating.
August 26, 2023
When new releases from both Joan Jett and The Cure were on FM and cassette and when cordless landline phones had a three-way calling feature. I was a 9th grader. Minerva is schooling me on tools (Twitter). terms (first-years), and temperament for teens in a year that I likely would've feared high school. As I put aside my I'm-glad-I'm-not-in-her-shoes sympathy, it is a thrill to read how she plays the cards she has been dealt.
After reading @nervesofsteel, I next read Katie Mack's The end of everything (astrophysically speaking). Connecting the story of a teenager's wrecked life to the theoretical astrophysicist's observations, I'm seeing Jamesborough HS as a not-so-isolated system.
Minerva defies social rules to attempt to restore her bestie. Because these rules are as entrenched as laws of physics, Fairchild Hawks' character absorbs the heat that results from attempting to create order from disorder.
The actions of both rescuing friends and taking revenge makes @nervesofsteel a really great story. I encourage other readers to discover themes that give big-picture perspective. After all, for some, like Minerva, surviving high school can seem like avoiding cosmic death.
After reading @nervesofsteel, I next read Katie Mack's The end of everything (astrophysically speaking). Connecting the story of a teenager's wrecked life to the theoretical astrophysicist's observations, I'm seeing Jamesborough HS as a not-so-isolated system.
Minerva defies social rules to attempt to restore her bestie. Because these rules are as entrenched as laws of physics, Fairchild Hawks' character absorbs the heat that results from attempting to create order from disorder.
The actions of both rescuing friends and taking revenge makes @nervesofsteel a really great story. I encourage other readers to discover themes that give big-picture perspective. After all, for some, like Minerva, surviving high school can seem like avoiding cosmic death.
June 19, 2023
While I’ve known Lyn long enough to know she is an accomplished academic author, I ventured into @nervesofsteel with permission from my teenage self to engage with eager curiosity.
@nervesofsteel is a witty and honest look into what teenagers are faced with today. This is not your high school of yore; it’s a raw look at how actions have consequences, injustices can and must be openly addressed, and why experiences at this age can profoundly change who we are.
I expected to be inspired and informed (check, check) and I was reminded that my own high school years were laden with strife, without the resources to be nearly as bold as Minerva. Times have changed, with AI, social media, and all the ways people choose to express themselves, simple solutions such as the written word, delivered with assured aplomb, has not been forgotten.
@nervesofsteel is a witty and honest look into what teenagers are faced with today. This is not your high school of yore; it’s a raw look at how actions have consequences, injustices can and must be openly addressed, and why experiences at this age can profoundly change who we are.
I expected to be inspired and informed (check, check) and I was reminded that my own high school years were laden with strife, without the resources to be nearly as bold as Minerva. Times have changed, with AI, social media, and all the ways people choose to express themselves, simple solutions such as the written word, delivered with assured aplomb, has not been forgotten.
April 3, 2023
As someone who was in high school in 2013 and who witnessed all kinds of bullying on social media during that time just like Minerva, it was truly a healing experience to read @nervesofsteel! The author does a beautiful job of describing all of the complex, uncomfortable, and thrilling feelings one has as they are exploring and discovering their sexuality. Each character in the book was unique and authentic, not to mention I was instantly hooked by the plot. This book was so hard to put down and I enjoyed every minute of this read!
May 8, 2023
When Minerva Mae becomes the first ninth-grader on her school paper, she feels she’s one step closer to her dream of becoming the next Christiane Amanpour. She’s smart, brave, and has a great bullshit detector that allows her to see beyond the popularity contests happening at her school and on social media. So when her best friend Diana gets noticed by Chaz, the school’s basketball star, Minerva’s immediately suspicious of his intentions. The problem is, Diana likes the attention she’s getting, which makes it hard for Minerva to warn her that Chaz may be using her in a game of no consent.
Nerves of Steel is a great story with a strong, albeit flawed, protagonist. Even though Minerva’s instincts are good, she’s sometimes her own worst enemy. Part of the pleasure of reading this novel is seeing how she investigates both the toxic culture at her school and her own flaws and blind spots. By the end, she not only becomes a better reporter, but a better person as well. A gripping, relevant read.
Nerves of Steel is a great story with a strong, albeit flawed, protagonist. Even though Minerva’s instincts are good, she’s sometimes her own worst enemy. Part of the pleasure of reading this novel is seeing how she investigates both the toxic culture at her school and her own flaws and blind spots. By the end, she not only becomes a better reporter, but a better person as well. A gripping, relevant read.
May 1, 2023
I truly enjoyed this coming of age novel about a ninth grader, Minerva, who is starting high school and figuring out her identity and her place in this community that is new to her. As a secondary school English teacher, I know this book will be incredibly relatable for my students on so many different levels. Even though it is set in the fall of 2013, it has realistic characters and familiar dilemmas such as confounding peer dynamics and unabating social media. YA fans will enjoy the sassy, resourceful, genuine, sometimes blundering Minerva as well as her friends. The writing is both accessible and stimulating and I found myself not wanting to put down this book! Teachers and book clubs alike will appreciate the 50+ discussion questions Fairchild Hawks provides at the end of the novel that will help people explore the seemingly timeless moral quandaries that arise in this text. This is a must read!
March 14, 2024
My teenaged daughter originally bought and read @nervesofsteel, but my wife, my college-aged daughter, and I have all now read the book as well. I speak for all four us in saying that the book is great! This is a good look at the high school ecosystem, with the main character, Minerva, overcoming adversity from all sides, as she follows her passions. The story is well-told, and the character dialogue is genuine. As my daughter said, "It is a page-turner!"
April 21, 2023
In brief, I could not stop reading this tale of an all-in high school student whose analysis of the world around her so mirrored my own experiences trying to use my new-found critical thinking and analysis to "think" my way through the challenges of older adolescence-- sexuality, friendships, and violence included.
June 7, 2023
This beautifully written novel follows Minerva, a passionate first-year high school student and journalist, as she takes today's conflicts head on.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews