Louder Than Words

by Ashley Woodfolk and Lexi Underwood

This amazing collaboration brings together two inspirational Black artists, NYT bestselling author Ashley Woodfolk and actress Lexi Underwood, for a story about the transformative power of art as protest and its capacity to change the world.

When Jordyn Jones transfers to Edgewood High, it’s her opportunity to forget everything that happened at her old school. To forget what she and her friends did. To forget who she used to be. That was a different person ― this is a fresh start. Now she’s someone new, someone better.

Except it’s the very first day of school, and somehow everyone already seems to know who she is. But Jordyn soon finds a group of friends, and she even starts talking to Izaiah, a soccer star who shares her love of art. Life is good. That’s until an anonymous podcast called Tomcat Tea begins revealing humiliating secrets about Edgewood students, ruining their reputations and in some cases their futures. Jordyn and her friends know they have to do something―and this is Jordyn’s chance to prove to herself that she’s changed.

Jordyn’s plan to take down the podcast throws her into the spotlight, and as the momentum builds, so do the risks―because Jordyn has a secret of her own, one that could ruin everything . . . and that a mysterious harasser online is threatening to expose.

With riveting prose, New York Times bestselling author Ashley Woodfolk and acclaimed actress Lexi Underwood balance an insightful depiction of the power of art as protest with asking some of the biggest questions facing teenagers today―in an era where mistakes can be picked over endlessly online, who is worthy of forgiveness? Can someone ever really change?

Ages 12 and up
Hardcover | 336 pages | Scholastic Press | 2024

Ashley Woodfolk has loved reading and writing for as long as she can remember. She graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and works in children’s book publishing. She writes from a sunny Brooklyn apartment, where she lives with her cute husband and her cuter dog. The Beauty That Remains is her debut novel.

Lexi Underwood is an actress, singer, filmmaker, and changemaker. She is best known for her roles in Little Fires Everywhere, Cruel Summer, The First Lady, and Sneakerella. In 2018, she founded her production company, Ultimate Dreamer Productions, and made her directorial debut with the docu-short We the Voices of Gen-Z. Lexi is committed to using her voice to give back and raise awareness on issues that impact girls and all youth, both locally and globally. Lexi is originally from the greater Washington, DC, area and currently resides in Los Angeles. You can find her online @LexiUnderwood.