The Assignment

In the vein of the classic The Wave and inspired by a real-life incident, this riveting novel explores discrimination and antisemitism and reveals their dangerous impact.

Free Little Library “Read in Color” Recommended Read
2021 A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year
2022 Sakura Medal Award Nominee
Sydney Taylor Book Award 2021 Notable for Young Adults
2021 Wisconsin State Reading Association Recommended Young Adult Novel
Nerdy Book Club Best YA Fiction Novel
YALSA/ALA 2021 Best Fiction for Young Adults Nominee
Milwaukee County Teen Honor Book

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Signed Copies from Boswell Books

Praise for The Assignment and Hello?

Wiemer handles a timely topic with sensitivity and courage, using a multitude of deftly-drawn voices to craft a riveting, important, and thought-provoking read. Unputdownable and unforgettable.

LEAH CYPESS

Author of Mistwood, a Kirkus Best Books for Teens

THE ASSIGNMENT grabs the reader from its very first pages and refuses to let go. This fast-paced, compelling story will inspire readers to stick to their principles and fight for what’s right. A timely and necessary read.

KIP WILSON

Author of White Rose, a School Library Journal Best YA book of 2019

THE ASSIGNMENT is riveting, completely realistic, and powerful. Readers won’t be able to resist putting themselves in the students’ shoes and thinking about when and where they themselves would draw the line, or if they would dare confront power at all. I recommend reading it in a single sitting—I did.

NANCY WERLIN

National Book Award Finalist author of The Rules of Survival and New York Times Bestselling author of Impossible Series

"Wise and nuanced." - About THE ASSIGNMENT

Thanhhà Lại

New York Times best-selling and National Book Award-winning author of Inside Out & Back Again and Butterfly Yellow

"Brave, breath-stealing, and bold." - About THE ASSIGNMENT

GAE POLISNER

Author of Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me

THE ASSIGNMENT is a beautiful story, as smart and timely as it is page-turning. It should be essential reading for both teens and adults.

LIZZY MASON

Author of The Art of Losing, a Goodreads Best YA Book of the Month

"A beautifully written and uniquely told story about love, loss, learning how to let go and finding hope again." - About HELLO?

JEN COOKE FISHER

Jenuine Cupcakes

"Heart-stopping, real, and a breath of fresh air, Liza Wiemer's debut is the kind of story that captivates and sticks with you long after you turn the last page. Poignant relationships between family and friends will grab your attention while stunning writing and authentic characters will leave you unable to stop reading until the very end. Hello? is an absolute must read." - About HELLO?

MEG CARISTI

Swoony Boys Podcast

"HELLO? is a captivating story about fractured families, authentic friendships, and the way lives connect, impact, and transform each other. This book is so originally crafted and beautifully executed it will stay with you for a long time." - About HELLO?

ANDYE EPPS

Reading Teen

"Liza Wiemer's words evoke the heart of the Door County, Wisconsin setting and allow the story’s honest portrayal of five teens to resonate far beyond. Through the intertwining formats and perspectives, elements of family, grief, faith, memories, friendship, love, fear, and hope seem destined to combine in a profound way. A remarkable YA debut." - About HELLO?

JILLIAN HEISE

NBCT, Heise Reads & Recommends

"In her YA debut, Liza Wiemer has officially launched herself on the map with grace. Hello? is a powerful and brilliantly woven story of love, loss, and human connection that makes you believe in the world again. It owned my heart from the first page to the last. One of the most original books EVER." - About HELLO?

HANNAH MCBRIDE

The Irish Banana

"Heartfelt and honest, Hello? will have you rooting for its characters until the very last page." - About HELLO?

HEATHER DEMETRIOS

Author of I’LL MEET YOU THERE and SOMETHING REAL

"A sensitive and deeply-drawn portrait of five teenagers whose lives intersect in ways both obvious and surprising. Liza Wiemer's characters are so real they leap off the page." - About HELLO?

LEAH CYPESS

Author of DEATH SWORN series

"In Hello?, Liza Wiemer beautifully weaves together a moving story told by authentic characters, tackling important subjects that will deeply touch the reader." - About HELLO?

ELIZABETH EULBERG

Author of BETTER OFF FRIENDS and LONELY HEARTS CLUB

"A triumph of writing and humanity...the characters stayed with me long after I read the book." - About HELLO?

HUNTLEY FITZPATRICK

THE BOY MOST LIKELY TO, WHAT I THOUGHT WAS TRUE, and MY LIFE NEXT DOOR

"Liza Wiemer’s Hello? is a poignant tale of friendship, love, loss, and resilience. Told from multiple points of view, the richly drawn characters offer a powerful example of how connected we all truly are. This book will compel readers to consider the existence of destiny. Hello? grabbed me from the first page and pulled me right through to the gorgeous ending." - About HELLO?

KRISTINA MCBRIDE

Author of ONE MOMENT and THE TENSION OF OPPOSITES

"Brave, beautiful, and wholly original, this story about tantalizing connections and heartbreaking relationships will haunt you, fill you with hope, and leave you smiling." - About HELLO?

MARTINA BOONE

Author of COMPULSION and the HEIRS OF WATSON ISLAND series

" - About HELLO?Tendrils of destiny and healing weave together through this fearless exploration...of love, friendship, and family. Deeply moving!" - About HELLO?

TAMMARA WEBBER

NYTBS author of EASY and BREAKABLE

"During the 1960's, Carole King released an album entitled Tapestry – a masterful weaving of story and song. A half-century later, author Liza Wiemer has mirrored that blend by wonderfully stringing together several forms of narration, one specific to each of her characters. Hello? is a truly remarkable and memorable story communicated in a superbly envisioned way." - About HELLO?

PAUL VOLPONI

Award-winning author of THE FINAL FOUR, GAME SEVEN, and BLACK AND WHITE

"A uniquely written story about the beauty of human connections told through incredibly vivid characters. It's one contemporary YA fans shouldn't miss." - About HELLO?

KATHY COE

A Glass of Wine Book Reviews

"Through love and friendship, choice and fate, the mundane and the divine, Liza Wiemer expertly weaves together five incredibly relatable teen stories. As the characters struggle to reconcile the past and the present, readers take a journey of both heartbreak and hope. With it's authentic voice and lyrical writing style, Hello? is a strong addition to the genre of contemporary YA. I absolutely loved it!" - About HELLO?

HEIDI ZWEIFEL

YA Bibliophile and librarian, Milton School District

HELLO?

One HELLO? can change a life. One HELLO? can save a life.

Tricia: A girl struggling to find her way after her beloved grandma’s death.
Emerson: A guy who lives his life to fulfill promises, real and hypothetical.
Angie: A girl with secrets she can only express through poetry.
Brenda: An actress and screenplay writer afraid to confront her past.
Brian: A potter who sets aside his life for Tricia, to the detriment of both.

Linked and transformed by one phone call, Hello? weaves together these five Wisconsin teens’ stories into a compelling narrative of friendship and family, loss and love, heartbreak and healing, serendipity, and ultimately hope.

Told from all five viewpoints: narration (Tricia), narration (Emerson), free verse poetry (Angie), screenplay format (Brenda), narration and drawings (Brian).

Kindness. Compassion. Chain reaction.

LIZA WIEMER (Pronounced Leeza Weemer)

Liza married the guy who literally swept her off her feet at a Spyro Gyra concert. Their love story can be found on her “About” page. Besides being a die-hard Green Bay Packers fan, she is a readaholic, a romantic, and a lover of nature, crazy socks, and rooftops.

Unique “job” experiences: Liza spent a summer selling popcorn in a Koepsell’s popcorn wagon while listening to awesome music on the Summerfest grounds in Milwaukee. She also knows her way around a fender and a quarter panel and under the hood of a car. She spent a few years driving to accident scenes, scrapyards, hospitals, auto repair shops as a claims adjuster for an insurance company.

Hello? is her debut YA novel. Liza Wiemer’s second YA novel, The Assignment, is being published by Delacorte Press, August 25, 2020. She also has had two adult non-fiction books published, as well as stories and articles in various publications. A graduate of UW-Madison with a degree in Education, Liza is also the mother of two young adult sons.

Find Liza:

Liza Wiemer

Author of The Assignment and Hello?