The Girl Who...

BY andreina cordani

little, brown

2021

Query Letter

I'm seeking representation for my YA crime novel, The Girl Who. At seven years old, Leah Stoke witnessed the deaths of her mother and sister at the hands of a troubled gang member. Her case hit the headlines and her bravery made her a national sweetheart.

Ten years on, she's hiding a secret about their deaths and is trapped between the need to grow up and move on and the desire for revenge. When her infuriating, theatrical stepsister arrives in her life it forces her to make a choice.

My background is in journalism, I've worked as Features Director for that’s life!, Cosmopolitan, Easy Living and Good Housekeeping. I have also been Books Editor for Cosmo and Good Housekeeping and currently review books for national newspapers and magazines.

I cut my teeth on real life features and insights from my job have fed into the story – including media treatment of young victims and the rise of YouTubers. In my work I have also encountered many families who tried to make sense of a tragedy by setting up a charity. It's an amazing thing to do but, as Leah finds, it can also make it harder to let go of grief.

I hope that Leah and Ellie's voices will appeal as I'd love the opportunity to work with you. My sample material is pasted below: Chapter One is narrated by Ellie the stepsister, Leah's voice kicks in in Chapter Two with a contrasting darker tone. If you have any questions at all please don't hesitate to drop me an email or call me on ***.

About

Age Range

Young Adult

Genre

Thriller

Word Count

65,000

Book Link

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Girl-Who-Andreina-Cordani/dp/0349003521/

Agent

Lina Langlee

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Query Stats

Number of Queries Sent

15-25

Number of Full Requests Received

3

Number of Offers of Representation

1

Number of Months Spent Querying This Novel

12 months

Years Spent Writing Before Getting an Offer

20

Number of Manuscripts Queried Before This One

1

Publication Status of The Book Queried

Published (Big 5)

Years Spent Writing Before This Book was Published

I started my first novel in 2006 and worked on The Girl Who... for 10 years in my spare time.