Amaris Manning checked one thing off her bucket list before she graduated in May -writing and publishing a book. We, pEOPLE tells the story of a diverse group of teens going through everyday struggles.

Meagan, the protagonist, is faced with her best friend moving away. A new family moves into her friend’s house, and Meagan is not happy at first about the new neighbors. The theme of the 239-page book, however, is that “despite hard times, people can be united, regardless of race, gender, religion, or orientation.”