Acclaimed Comic Artist Jose Pimienta Teams Up With Bestselling Author David Arnold For A Pacey, Apocalyptic YA Graphic Novel-Luminous Beings

Penguin Young Readers is thrilled to present David Arnold’s debut YA graphic novel LUMINOUS BEINGS (Viking Books for Young Readers; on sale: September 3, 2024) with acclaimed comic artist, Jose Pimienta (Twin Cities). LUMINOUS BEINGS follows a group of teens as they embark on a journey to film a post-apocalyptic docuemtary, leading them on a series of misadventures as they uncover surprising truths about themselves and the world around them.

Friends Ty and Burger are aspiring filmmakers who have known each other since before they could walk and now find themselves at the crossroads of post-high school life. They’ve agreed that after graduation, they’d take a gap year to strengthen their creative portfolios before applying to film school. But Ty has a secret that will ultimately shake the foundation of their friendship and force them both to wonder if growing up means letting go of the people they once were.

With heads full of bioluminescence and hearts full of fury, “squizzies” have one thing on their tiny rodent brains: global annihilation. Their reign of terror may be a thing of the past, but Ty and Burger are determined to chronicle the perseverance of the human race in the wake of the “squirrel-pocalypse.” With friends Miles and Fib, they go on an overnight excursion through rowdy nightclubs, once-familiar neighborhoods, perilous castles, and off-grid RVs, all the while, recording quiet lives of love and loss in a strange new world.

“In a dreamy palette of pink and lavender hues, Pimienta’s illustrations leap off the page in a feat of visual wizardry”(Kirkus Reviews) and is the perfect match to David’s diverse teen characters. Set over the course of a single day, LUMINOUS BEINGS explores the many facets of friendship and love, the heavy burden of a well-kept secret, the boundless tenacity of the human spirit, and, yes, the furriest of all zombified mammals. But don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world. Just the end of the squirrel.

David Arnold is the New York Times bestselling author of Mosquitoland, I Loved You in Another Life, The Electric Kingdom, Kids of Appetite, and The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik. He has won the Southern Book Prize and the Great Lakes Book Award and was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start for his debut. His books have been translated into over a dozen languages. He lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with his wife and son. Learn more at davidarnoldbooks.com and follow him on Instagram @iamdavidarnold.

Jose Pimienta was raised in Mexicali, Baja California, and now resides in Los Angeles, California, where they work on comics and storyboards for animation and film. Suncatcher was their debut author/illustrator graphic novel. Twin Cities is their first middle grade graphic novel. In their stories, they focus on the importance of Latinx culture and the experience of growing up on the border. Learn more at josepimienta.com and follow him on Instagram @joepi.

Author Profile

Al Mega

I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!