Twenty-four Seconds from Now … Jason Reynolds. 2024. Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books. 253 pages. [Source: ARC provided by the publisher courtesy of Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.] How many times do Black boys get to be the center of a love story? I don’t mean a coming of age novel with hints of dating among the minutiae of teen life. I mean a story that is completely focused on the evolution of a romantic relationship and its growth over time into new depths and discoveries. With Twenty-four Seconds from Now, Jason Reynolds has created an ode to the complexities of love with all its myriad questions, feelings, and fears, and centers a character that is too often ignored when considering how teens understand and engage around romantic relationships. What immediately stood out to me about this book is that it’s a love story told in reverse. It actually starts with the main character, seventeen year old Neon, psyching himself up for his first time with his girlfriend Aria. From wondering why nobody warned him about the sensory overload he’d experience to questioning if he lotioned his legs, Neon allows the reader an glimpse into the inner world of a…

Brooklyn. Tracy Brown. 2024. Griffin. 324 pages. [Source: ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]  So thankful to have been chosen to give a review of this book. I’ve been a fan of Tracy Brown and knowing this was her last piece of work made it extra special. Very “Coldest Winter Ever” – esque, I both loved and loathed Brooklyn. Life dealt her a bad time but she has a special knack for turning a bad hand into the worst possible scenario. The book had moments of intense momentum and other times it felt like it dragged – something I find consistent with Tracy Brown’s works. Thankfully, she endears you so strongly to the characters that you ride the wave with no objections. 5 stars.

Invisible Son. Kim Johnson. 2023. Random House. 416 pages. [Source: ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]  For so many, the months leading up to and at the height of Covid are this surreal period of time. It was inevitable that the days ran together and to some degree we lost the benefit of time reference. For me, Covid occurred alongside some major life moments that force exact time/date memorization…reading Invisible Son took me through the highs and lows of those emotions/days. Expertly written, I appreciate that Johnson dropped me down the rabbit hole of the little known history of the Albina area. Her ability to give enough that it captures your attention without taking away from her actual story is awe-inspiring. As always, her characters are real – far from perfect – but unapologetically relatable. On numerous occasions I thought I figured it out, but I never did and honestly the ending left my mouth hanging open. 5 stars. Recommended for every teen that now has a global pandemic as part of their memory. Published & currently available online and in your local stores – support the author and this book.

The House of Eve. Sadeqa Johnson. 2023. Simon & Schuster. 384 pages. [Source: Public library.] In her latest release, Sadeqa Johnson skillfully weaves together the lives of two women, seemingly worlds apart, whose paths eventually cross, leaving both forever changed. The resulting story is one that explores the lengths one will go to for acceptance and the pursuit of their happiness. It’s 1949. In Philadelphia, 15-year-old Ruby fights nonstop obstacles to obtain a prestigious scholarship that she knows are her only path out of poverty. In Washington, D.C., Eleanor is a focused undergraduate at Howard University who’s determined to make the most of her opportunity in a city far from home. Both find themselves in tempted by relationships that threaten to derail the carefully laid plans they’ve created for themselves. Ruby finds herself getting close to a neighborhood Jewish boy whose family isn’t as open-minded toward her as he is. Eleanor faces a similar situation, with a med student who comes from the “right” family with the “right” background, something she doesn’t share. For both, the book explores how they navigate their environments in their attempts to create stability and a sense of belong for themselves. Johnson has a way…

Promise Boys. Nick Brooks. 2023. Henry Holt & Co. 279 pages. [Source: ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.] The beloved principal of Urban Promise Prep is dead from a single gunshot to the head. Three suspects — his own students — are in custody. While police work to find a motive for who would murder a man working to save so many at risk boys, the three students are seeing the futures they’ve worked for crumbling in front of them. Promise Boys follows J.B., Ramon, and Trey as they try to prove their innocence. To outsiders, they each appear to have a compelling motive to hurt Principal Moore, who seems to have a penchant for humiliating them under the guise of discipline. J.B. is described as quiet and smart, but with a size that intimidates and strength that hurts. Ramon is an aspiring entrepreneur whose affiliation with a local gang constantly asks him to choose between the life he wants and the reality he’s in. Trey has already been labelled a troublemaker, but the profile he brings to the school’s basketball team is hard to ignore. Almost immediately, the community erupts into a…