Nisha J. Tuli’s Letter to Librarians

In STORM BREAKER, Nisha J. Tuli writes a gripping dystopian romance filled with forbidden power, ruthless challenges, and a heroine who refuses to burn quietly. In her letter to librarians, she shares how the library was her second home growing up, and how libraries are spaces that must be cherished and protected.

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Dear Librarians,

I grew up at the library. It wasn’t just a place where I picked up books; it was also my second home, thanks to my mom, who worked as a librarian at various branches throughout our city. On Sundays, our dad would take my brother and me to visit her at work, where we’d check out as many books as we could carry.

She was a reader too (of course), and I found my love of reading because I was surrounded by library books for as long as I can remember. I even spent a few of my high school years working as a shelver, and the perks of having a mom working at the desk meant I always got my hands on the good stuff!

I remember being in my twenties, having just moved into my first apartment, and my boyfriend at the time came in and said, “You claim you’ve read all these books, but where are they on your shelves?” I offered him a disdainful look and replied, “I use the library.” Needless to say, that relationship was doomed.

When I became a mom myself, the library was one of the first places I took my kids, hoping to instill that same love of reading. So far, it seems to be working, as I can barely keep up with how many books they get through every month. My mom retired a few years ago, but she still loves visiting her old colleagues and picking up books for her grandchildren. She even reads with my youngest every night via video chat from the latest treasure she’s found for him.

When I set out to write STORM BREAKER, I wanted to channel everything I loved about dystopian YA from the early 2000s, but viewed through a 2026 lens. Enter New Manhattan, a thousand years in the future, where deadly storms, evolved from centuries of environmental destruction, now control every facet of life. The city is governed by four elite societies tasked with ensuring this new world never repeats the mistakes of the past.

Here, our heroine Poet Graves is about to enter Amery Academy, where her loyalties will be tested, her weaknesses exposed, and everyone must prove their worth. The only problem is she’s harboring a secret that could get her killed…or worse. It’s a fast-paced story with all the angst of being nineteen and finding your place in the world, while learning to question authority and everything you’ve been told.

Teens in 2026 are more aware than ever, thanks to an abundance of information at their fingertips. As their guardians, it’s up to us to help them determine facts from fiction, truth from misinformation—just like the people of New Manhattan.

Books and libraries have always been fundamental to finding and preserving knowledge. They are vital spaces that must be honored and protected, now, and in whatever future we might find ourselves in.

Thank you for being the keepers of truth.

Sincerely,

Nisha
Author of STORM BREAKER