Trained in comparative literature and the author of three novels, Ashley Hope Pérez is interested in the ethical implications of how we tell, read, mediate, and interpret narratives. Her most recent research explores how selected works of twentieth-century Latin American fiction disrupt readers’ attempts to make sense of narrated cruelty. In addition to studying Spanish-language, bilingual, and Latina/o literary production in the U.S, she is preparing work on the legacy of children’s writing by major Latin American authors. As a literacy advocate, she seeks to foster meaningful reading and writing experiences, especially among Latina/o children and teenagers. Her writing on young adult literature reframes recent discussions of “dark” and “edgy” fiction to emphasize how real readers negotiate encounters with challenging stylistic and thematic elements.

Novels