Alex (Pucksandpaperbacks) | We Deserve Monuments
Log in or Sign up
We Deserve Monuments
Jas Hammonds
Save to Your Books
100% of affiliate revenue supports Alex (Pucksandpaperbacks)
“An absolute must read.” —Buzzfeed.
“A gripping portrayal of the South's inherent racism and a love story for queer Black girls.” —Teen Vogue.
Family secrets, a swoon-worthy romance, and a slow-burn mystery collide in We Deserve Monuments, a YA debut from Jas Hammonds that explores how racial violence can ripple down through generations. What’s more important: Knowing the truth or keeping the peace?
Seventeen-year-old Avery Anderson is convinced her senior year is ruined when she's uprooted from her life in DC and forced into the hostile home of her terminally ill grandmother, Mama Letty. The tension between Avery’s mom and Mama Letty makes for a frosty arrival and unearths past drama they refuse to talk about. Every time Avery tries to look deeper, she’s turned away, leaving her desperate to learn the secrets that split her family in two.
While tempers flare in her avoidant family, Avery finds friendship in unexpected places: in Simone Cole, her captivating next-door neighbor, and Jade Oliver, daughter of the town’s most prominent family—whose mother’s murder remains unsolved.
As the three girls grow closer—Avery and Simone’s friendship blossoming into romance—the sharp-edged opinions of their small southern town begin to hint at something insidious underneath. The racist history of Bardell, Georgia is rooted in Avery’s family in ways she can’t even imagine. With Mama Letty's health dwindling every day, Avery must decide if digging for the truth is worth toppling the delicate relationships she's built in Bardell—or if some things are better left buried.
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2022.
Show more
Get the Bindery app
Posts about this title from Alex (Pucksandpaperbacks)
Alex (Pucksandpaperbacks)\ \ Alex (he/him/his)\ \ • Apr 1
April Book Club Theme - "Nature" (Recommendations & What I'm Reading)
8 books
Alex (Pucksandpaperbacks)\ \ Alex (he/him/his)\ \ • Oct 15 2025
38 books
4
Posts about this book from across Bindery
Alex (Pucksandpaperbacks)\ \ Alex (he/him/his)\ \ • Apr 1
\ \ Join for free or login](https://pucksandpaperbacks.binderybooks.com/item/Pd09IDH1xNAehkfQwRi0/)
April Book Club Theme - "Nature" (Recommendations & What I'm Reading)
8 books
Alex (Pucksandpaperbacks)\ \ Alex (he/him/his)\ \ • Oct 15 2025
\ \ Join for free or login](https://pucksandpaperbacks.binderybooks.com/item/vl9LCNPA61ICSv2qeqXB/)
38 books
4
Wanderland Reads\ \ Sayer\ \ • Aug 14 2025
Join for free
[I interrupt our regularly scheduled programming (Sex Ed 101) for this important message. Also I can do what I want here because it’s my blog!\ \ I was scrolling threads and I saw a thread by an author Taylor Grothe:\ \
“A gentle reminder that (many) YA books are written for teens’ enjoyment and consumption FIRST, so if you’re finding YA books “juvenile” or “unrelatable” you may want to try adult books instead! It’s okay to know your boundaries in reading—but don’t penalize YA books for not being what you wanted. Thank you for coming to this PSA!”\\
```\\
\\
I found this to be both deeply important and telling of where many folks reading YA books are at in their personal growth journeys. The essential element of "coming of age" that fuels so much of YA fiction is often overlooked as a juvenile theme and what many adult romances—particularly those written by white authors—tend to fall into patterns of thinking. They then miss the deeper potential of storytelling. Genres like fantasy, dark academia, science fiction, and even many contemporary stories recognize that "coming of age" isn’t confined to adolescence; it’s a lifelong process, a continual cycle of learning, unlearning, growth, and self-discovery.\\
\\
In YA, the "coming of age" trope is palpable because society rightly perceives this period as a time when youth are especially malleable and open to transformation. But what if we expanded that concept, especially through an anti-racist lens, and viewed it as an ongoing adult experience? What if, rather than thinking we've "arrived" at a certain age or stage once we've reached adulthood, we saw growth as a perpetual journey of self-awareness, accountability, and change?\\
\\
As a white person committed to anti-racist work, I see this ongoing process of growth as vital. It’s not a finite task but a continuous effort — a lifelong "coming of age." In dismantling white supremacy and its insidious tendrils that influence everything from institutions to individual biases, we HAVE TO remain open to discovery. Recognizing our own inherent biases, unlearning harmful patterns, and actively divesting from whiteness is an active process that requires humility, introspection, and courage. AND ALSO, there is so much potential in learning more about ourselves as we expand our worldview, and are exposed to new language and terminology. I, at 40, am still doing the work of self-discovery as I read and learn what possibilities of identity are out there.\\
\\
This perspective starkly contrasts with a common misconception that stories for grown-ups should be "more serious" or "less juvenile." The truth is, the refusal to acknowledge that growth never stops is, in many ways, the hallmark of a stagnant mindset — ones that refuse to self-reflect, to change, or to learn anew. These are the same people who dismiss YA stories as juvenile because they see "coming of age" as a sign of immaturity, rather than an acknowledgment that such growth is ongoing and essential at every stage of life.\\
\\
In embracing the idea that adulthood is an ongoing "coming of age," we can start crafting and appreciating stories — whether romances, fantasy, sci-fi, or otherwise — that honor this evolution. These stories can reflect the process of unlearning ingrained biases, grappling with complex identities, and growing into more conscious, empathetic individuals.\\
\\
So, the next time we see adult stories that seem stagnant or superficial, perhaps it’s a sign of a broader cultural reluctance to confront the uncomfortable truths of ongoing growth. Let’s challenge that. Because real maturity — like true love — is a continuous process. It’s about evolving, expanding our understanding, and becoming better versions of ourselves.\\
\\
**Growth is never complete. Coming of age never ends. And there’s beauty in that.**\\
\\
I'm attaching a list of YA books, that tbh, are actually in my top tier, favorite books of all time. The MCs in these books go through incredibly relatable journeys of discovery in a multitude of ways. Also this is not an exhaustive list and I'd love to hear your suggestions in the comments. If you want a list of second coming of age books in adulthood, just scroll down!\\
\\
Join for free or login](https://wanderlandreads.binderybooks.com/item/oHzwcyanE507ByqM4J7Q/)
[Reframing "Coming of Age": Why Adult Romances Often Miss the Mark and How Growth Never Stops](https://wanderlandreads.binderybooks.com/item/oHzwcyanE507ByqM4J7Q/)
* * *
8 books
[Wanderland Reads\\
\\
Sayer\\
\\
• Apr 5 2025](https://wanderlandreads.binderybooks.com/)
Join for free
[Sapphic Books anyone?](https://wanderlandreads.binderybooks.com/item/7po4oOFRQwDdutRSjrdM/)
Happy Sapphic Sunday fam, I heard someone say “sapphic books” and I was summoned. (Do I need my own version of a bat signal?)
Also just fyi sapphic is inclusive of trans women, genderqueer, genderfluid and nonbinary individuals.
So like yeah, do you need a recommendation bc I’ve got you!!!
#sapphicsunday #queerbookstagrammer #sapphicbookstagram #sapphicromance #bookrecommendations #bookrecs #bookishlove
* * *
35 books
[Mareas\\
\\
Marines\\
\\
• Feb 1 2025](https://mareas.binderybooks.com/)
Join for free
[Happy Black History Month](https://mareas.binderybooks.com/item/nZ2IYMDziV2n6fzo2MfA/)
In 2025, celebrating Black History Month isn't just about honoring Black legacies—it's an act of defiance against an administration that seeks to erase Black voices, downplay our struggles as a direct consequence of white supremacy, and deny our progress.
* * *
5 books
27
[Ezeekat Press\\
\\
Jaysen\\
\\
• Feb 1 2023](https://ezeekat.binderybooks.com/)
Join for free
[I could think of no better day to share this one than the beginning of Black History Month. It’s a book I still think about daily. It’s one that’s going to resonate so much with so many different people and I hope you get a chance to check it out! #booktok #wedeservemonuments #sapphicbooks #books #bookreview #bookish #bookrecs](https://ezeekat.binderybooks.com/item/NzpHyJ2PqytCKv9kCM1c/)
I could think of no better day to share this one than the beginning of Black History Month. It’s a book I still think about daily. It’s one that’s going to resonate so much with so many different people and I hope you get a chance to check it out! #booktok #wedeservemonuments #sapphicbooks #books #bookreview #bookish #bookrecs
* * *
1 book
[Ezeekat Press\\
\\
Jaysen\\
\\
• Dec 28 2022](https://ezeekat.binderybooks.com/)
Join for free
[I already failed since filming this 😭! #booktok #books #bookworm #bookish #reading #readersoftiktok](https://ezeekat.binderybooks.com/item/cUNNzx1WIq9MOOCMYQyw/)
I already failed since filming this 😭! #booktok #books #bookworm #bookish #reading #readersoftiktok
* * *
6 books