Mentor Public Schools student Ayesha Faruki is officially a published author
By Mimi Vanderhaven
Author! Author! Not many eighth graders can say they are published authors and illustrators. Meet Ayesha Faruki, an impressive student at Memorial Middle School, who penned a 117,000-word fantasy and adventure novel that’s published on Amazon.
The talented 13-year-old first had the idea for Whisper (The Cities of the Lost) when she was 9 and wrote it when she was 11. She also created the cover and inside illustrations. The book came out in August and sales are already picking up. Although she hasn’t done any book signings yet, she says she’s available.
“I’ve always wanted to be a published author, even since I was little,” says Ayesha, who won third place at the state level for Power of the Pen. “I was always inspired by the things that I read to create new worlds in which I could immerse in.”
She says the plot of Whisper follows the lives of six kids who discover a new world after their sixth-grade camp trip goes awry. They navigate this magical world and learn they have a destiny to fulfill in the “cities of the lost.”
Ayesha reports she’s already busy working on the second book in the The Cities of the Lost series and hopes to be finished by this time next year.
“My goal is to publish all five The Cities of the Lost books by the time I graduate from high school,” she says.
The reviews for Whisper have been smashing. Here’s what one Amazon reviewer had to say: “Best fantasy book I have read after a long time. If you are a Harry Potter or Percy Jackson fan, you’ll love this novel. This 11-year-old girl enraptures her readers with a strong descriptive style, imagery and twists and turns that will hold the reader throughout.”
In addition to writing, Ayesha is interested in math, science, coding and, of course, reading.
“A few of my favorite authors are J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan,” she says. “I’ve taken a lot of inspiration from them and really admire their writing styles.”
The Mentor School system educates 7,400 students from pre-K to 12th grade in seven elementary schools, three middle schools, one high school and one school for students with autism.