Gina Augustini Best
Official Website of Author
Fifteen-year-old Emma Watters has been running since she watched her little sister die in their front yard six years ago. But no matter how fast or far she runs, she can’t outdistance what haunts her most—Casey would be alive if it were not for her.
Recently diagnosed with PTSD, Emma longs to reclaim a life worth living. If she has any hope of recovery, she’ll need to confront long-buried truths surrounding Casey’s death, as well as face their formidable mom, who harbors secrets of her own. Can Emma muster the courage it will take to reset her course? With help from a tough-talking track coach, her feisty grandma, new friends, and, yes, even her dead sister, she may stand a chance. In the process, Emma also might unearth the other girl who was buried the day Casey died—her truest self.
An empowering coming-of-age journey about healing and finding forgiveness. Available for purchase where books and audiobooks are sold online.
*** Content warning: Lion Girl touches on PTSD, suicide, grief, loss of sibling, and mental health issues.***
What Readers Say:
Lion Girl follows fifteen-year-old Emma as she confronts the suppressed truth surrounding her younger sister’s death while navigating panic attacks, family dysfunction, and the demands of joining a track team.... The mystery and athletic storylines sustain interest....Best writes in a direct, emotionally charged style that fits Emma’s anxious and often restless state of mind. — The BookLife Prize
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In Best’s YA novel, a family tragedy spirals into mental illness and dysfunction. …the novel focuses on the present problems facing the family while preserving the mystery of what happened to Casey, whom they called “Lion Girl.” …(R)ealistic dialogue…grounds the work even when younger characters grapple with adult problems. Other teen characters in Emma’s circle bring their own familial concerns to light, normalizing and creating a safe space for Emma to share hers with them. (The novel is)…one that pays admirable attention to heavy emotional issues.” — Kirkus Reviews
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"This isn't a fast-paced, twist-driven read, and it doesn't try to be. The story leans into emotional pacing, allowing tension to build slowly and deliberately, the atmosphere almost cinematic..... There's a constant pressure under the surface, tied to the unspoken truth no one wants to face, and when that silence finally swells, it hits with full force.... Lion Girl is a quiet storm—steady, immersive, and deeply affecting. It doesn't rely on shock value or dramatic reveals. Instead it focuses on something far more lasting: What it means to carry pain alone, and what it takes to finally set some of it down. Emma's story isn't just about loss—it's about what happens when no one helps you hold it, and what it looks like when someone finally does. This one lingers." —TheTxLitChic.com
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Lion Girl also available
where audiobooks sold
YA Mystery/Thriller with complex family dynamics
Best's debut offers a powerful exploration of family dynamics.... After Mireya's mother...is kidnapped at gunpoint from an ATM, the ensuing investigation exposes secrets from her past. Fast-paced and brimming with suspense, More Than Ivory will hook readers from the start. ...Mireya is determined to find her mother and bring her home alive, no matter the cost. Her tenacity and strength in the face of tragedy make her an easy protagonist to root for, but her fundamental humanness—the way she battles grief and guilt—renders her deeply relatable. —BookLife, by Publishers Weekly
*Longlisted in 'Reading The West' 36th Annual Book Awards (2026)
*Semifinalist in 2025 "The Best of Indie" Kindle Book Awards for YA Fiction
Seventeen-year-old Mireya Torres’s world is rocked after her mom’s violent abduction at an ATM one morning before school. With an urgent search underway, she finds herself entangled in secrets from her mother’s disturbing past—a shockingly dark world far removed from their ordinary lives—and faces the possibility that she never really knew the woman who raised her. A fast-paced, mystery-thriller for upper YA readers, More Than Ivory explores the complexities of family bonds, and the lengths people will go to protect the ones they love.
For Fans of Sadie and Monday's Not Coming
Fast-paced and suspenseful with lots of heart
"More Than Ivory is equal parts heart-wrenching and hopeful—a testament to resilience and the power of connection. Twisty and propulsive, this is a story that lingers long after the last page." —Heather Harper Ellett, award-winning author of Ain't Nobody Nobody
About Gina
Gina Augustini Best is a former award-winning journalist. Her writing frequently explores themes of unconditional love and complex families.
Despite stories that tackle realistic, and sometimes gritty issues, her works focus on hopeful and empowering messages. Gina writes to illuminate an increasingly jaded world, and to remind us of the power of love, even in the darkest moments.
She lives in the Dallas-area with her husband, daughter, two attention-seeking dogs, and one hands-off cat. She's known to make runs to the Gulf of Mexico any chance she gets.
Follow Gina on her author sites!
