Scientific Question – Can you outromance the most romance-obsessed girlfriend in the world?
Stephanie “Stevie” Williams has to answer this question – and fast. Her girlfriend Sola planned a special dinner to introduce Stevie to her family. Stevie screws up royally and turns the night into a disaster. Sola is heartbroken and has given Stevie a deadline to make things right. Stevie, a scientific, logic-driven person, calls on her network of friends to help her create a grand gesture to win Sola back. They all want to help but it won’t be easy. Each of them are in the midst of dealing with their own romantic issues. To make things more complicated, all the plans get tossed in the air because a snowstorm has hit their city of Atlanta, making it almost impossible to get anywhere.
As the teens’ stories are explored we get to enjoy favorite romance tropes, from “do I dare admit my feelings?,” to “can we get past this misunderstanding?,” to “is my ex is your ex?” Queer romances are front and center serving up plotlines that will appeal to many teens. All the teens are Black but they come from a variety of backgrounds including Nigerian, Muslim, Afro-Latino, and Jewish. Rather than shallow mentions, their assorted cultures are important to the narrative. Collectively their stories blend vulnerability, bravery and swoony affection in a way that feels honest. The teens are all relatable as young people trying to figure things out. Whiteout is written by the same lineup of award winning young adult authors that brought us Blackout. This time around Nicola Yoon, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Tiffany D. Jackson and Dhonielle Clayton only give clues to who wrote which storylines. In the end it doesn’t matter. The authors work cohesively to bring Stevie, Sola and their friends together in a warm embrace of romance.
Find Whiteout at your local bookstore.
A bullied teen, her unhinged parent, a prom and telekinesis. You may think you know where this horror novel is going but trust me, you do not.
This collection of stories celebrating Black romance comes from an all-star squad of young adult authors. Editor Dhonielle Clayton (The Belles), is joined in this delightful anthology by: Tiffany D. Jackson (Allegedly), Nic Stone (Dear Martin), Angie Thomas (The Hate You Give), Ashley Woodfolk (The Beauty That Remains) and Nicola Yoon (The Sun Is Also a Star).
Claudia and her best friend Monday do everything together. They keep each other’s secrets, and even have their own language. When Claudia comes back from spending the summer with her grandmother in Georgia she can’t wait to catch up with her friend. But Monday’s phone isn’t working, and when Claudia knocks on the door of Monday’s house, her mother screams that she’s not there and Claudia needs to leave. When the first day of school – then week, then month – go by and Monday still hasn’t shown up, Claudia is worried but she seems to be the only one. She can’t get a straight answer from anyone, just excuses and deflections. Even when she sees Monday’s older sister she can’t get any information. After being told so many stories – Monday is being homeschooled, is at her father’s, is with an aunt – Claudia slowly comes to understand what really happened; the painful, horrifying truth about her best friend and about herself.
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