We Can Be Heroes

Kyrie McCauley, author of the William C. Morris YA Debut Award winner If These Wings Could Fly, delivers a powerful contemporary YA novel about the lasting bonds of friendship and three girls fighting for each other in the aftermath of a school shooting. Perfect for fans of Laura Ruby and Mindy McGinnis.

Beck and Vivian never could stand each other, but they always tried their best for their mutual friend, Cassie. After the town moves on from Cassie’s murder too fast, Beck and Vivian finally find common ground: vengeance.

They memorialize Cassie by secretly painting murals of her around town, a message to the world that Cassie won’t be forgotten. But Beck and Vivian are keeping secrets, like the third passenger riding in Beck’s VW bus with them—Cassie’s ghost.

When their murals catch the attention of a podcaster covering Cassie’s case, they become the catalyst for a debate that Bell Firearms can no longer ignore. With law enforcement closing in on them, Beck and Vivian hurry to give Cassie the closure she needs—by delivering justice to those responsible for her death.

* Parade's Best YA Books of the Year * Rise: A Feminist Book Project Book of the Year * Banks Street Best Children's Books of the Year *

One ghost seeking closure. Two former rivals with a can of spray paint. One last chance to make things right.

• Paranormal Ghost Story: Cassie is dead, but she’s not gone. Riding along in Beck’s VW bus, her ghost is the secret third member of their quest for justice.
• Unlikely Allies: Beck and Vivian were never friends. Now, united by grief and a burning need for vengeance, they must learn to trust each other to take on an entire town.
• Vigilante Art: Armed with spray paint, the girls create secret murals of Cassie, sparking a movement that a powerful firearms company can no longer ignore.
• A Heartbreaking Story of Justice: This powerful YA novel tackles the lasting trauma of gun violence and dating violence with raw honesty and unwavering hope.