A powerful YA novel to encourage dialogue and ignite change
The Only Way Out is a compelling young adult novel that delves into the harsh realities of bullying and mental health issues among high school students. This poignant tale, inspired by the tragic story of Amanda Todd, follows the lives of two best friends, Kaitlyn and Rebecca, as they navigate the unfamiliar waters of high school. Their journey takes a dark turn when Rebecca becomes the target of a relentless bully, leading to a series of events, both in the flesh and online, that cause Rebecca to keep shocking secrets from those around her. No one knows the depths of what she’s going through – not even her best friend.
One sunny afternoon in March, tragedy strikes and a horrible incident takes place, of which Kaitlyn is an unfortunate bystander. One thing leads to another and Rebecca’s secrets are revealed, leaving her loved ones to deal with the alarming discoveries.
Kaitlyn finds herself swallowed whole by feelings of sadness, anger, accountability and guilt as she battles with the mental and emotional repercussions of what has happened. Pummeling into a world of isolation, Kaitlyn’s painful silence continues – that is, until one day a remarkable transformative experience takes place. She is determinedly propelled into an inspiring new life chapter signified by speaking up, because now she knows this is the only way out.
Who is the author?
My name is Katie Kuperman and I am an author who writes with intent and purpose to make my readers feel, learn and do. Situated in Toronto, Canada, I live with my family and I am the owner and principal copywriter of Striking Content, a content writing and strategizing business. My life is rich with a breadth of experiences ranging from competitive sport and travel, to academics and entrepreneurship, to motherhood and the pursuit of dreams.
Passionate, driven and skilled, with an inquisitive attitude and a lifelong commitment to learning, I seek to craft stories that connect and resonate deeply with my audiences. It is my hope and vision that, through my writing, I may be the ink that dots the lives of others in a positive, meaningful and memorable way.
How Katie’s authorship journey began
For over a decade, I spent my days engulfed in my business, Striking Content, helping my clients bring their stories to life in the form of websites, blog posts, marketing pieces, whitepapers and even books. As time went on, I craved a story of my own.
Even once I untapped my strong desire to write a book, I hadn’t the foggiest idea what to write about. Until I came across a young teen’s heart-wrenching story. Her name was Amanda Todd and she moved me to tears on the elliptical at my gym during one of my daily workouts. And then I knew it – I knew exactly what I wanted to write about.
I began weaving a narrative about bullying and mental health, rooted in a strong message about the importance of talking openly and speaking up. This is the purpose behind my book because I believe communication lies at the heart of who we are, and in it, lies a tremendous power we all ought to tap into.
As it came time for me to publish my debut novel, I was compelled to dedicate the book to Amanda Todd. I sought out her mother, Carol Todd, who is a prominent voice in the antibullying space, to ask for permission and I was thrilled when she granted it. I’m also happy to say that I donate part of all proceeds to the Amanda Todd Legacy Society, which assists young people who struggle with bullying and mental health issues.
Why Katie wrote The Only Way Out
I wrote The Only Way Out to move my readers and make them really feel something. It is my goal to raise awareness about bullying and make that critical tie to mental health, because the two often go hand in hand. Through the story, I aim to drive home my key message: talking openly and speaking up are integral parts of living happy, healthy lives as young adults.
Her dreams for the book
It is my hope and my dream that young adults read my book and resonate with the story in deep and meaningful ways. Over the last couple of years, I have had the opportunity to be on several podcasts, featured on websites, highlighted in the media and an in-school guest speaker to thousands of students. Currently, my book is being read by over 300 high school students as part of an in-class novel study. I hope to grow this number, reaching more students worldwide and helping teachers open the doors to crucial conversations about important topics.
The accompanying workbook
After I wrote The Only Way Out and began receiving all kinds of positive feedback from educators about the potential for my novel to be used as a teaching resource, I thought to myself, hmm…what if I could create a second learning piece to complete the offering?
I then set out to develop Many Ways Up, an educational workbook on bullying and mental health for young adults. It goes with my novel and is loaded with all kinds of learning components, visual exercises and actionable tasks to help youth start making small yet meaningful changes in their everyday lives.
What the future holds
I’m going to keep writing and expanding my personal brand! I love what I do and I’m never going to stop wanting to move people with my words and make a positive impact on the world.
Next exciting project? I am currently rounding the bend on my first children’s book, written and illustrated by me. Yes, I’ve taught myself to be a graphic illustrator! I can draw, but let me tell you, I consider it quite a feat to have taught myself how to take pencil sketches and input them into the computer and then graphically and digitally design into final artwork. It’s been a challenge, but also loads of fun! Over the last few months, I’ve been calling this “my happy project.” We all need one of those in our lives, don’t we?
I can’t wait to share this story about an interesting character that gets a little muddy along their journey, but then uses courage, resourcefulness, grit and communication to get clean again.
To my potential readers
I have a promise to you: every book I produce has my whole heart and soul poured into it. I give it my all. I live it and breathe it day in and day out until it’s complete. And then it’s still a huge part of me beyond its publication date as I work hard to spread its message around the world.
Why does this matter? Because when we give something our all, that translates into an authentic result that brings quality, inspiration and meaning to our lives and the lives of those we share it with.
Come along on my journey and let’s communicate together.
BUY The Only Way Out
BUY Many Ways Up
