Starred Review In this collection of interlinked shorts, the YA-author supergroup of Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Ashley Woodfolk, Angie Thomas, and Nicola Yoon takes the concept of a New York City wide blackout and lights it up with six sweet, Black-teen summer romances. The conceit begins with "A Long Walk," Jackson's story of a recently split couple whose flame reignites over the course of an epic walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn. Crucially, this is broken up into five interstitial acts, anchoring readers and giving the book a solid through line. In between those segments, Stone's "Mask Off" explores the history of two young men whose long-simmering attraction comes to a head after they're trapped underground on a subway car; Woodfolk's "Made to Fit" sees two lesbians falling for each other while caring for retirement-home residents; Clayton's "All the Great Love Stories . . . and Dust" draws out the agonizing confession of love between two lifelong best friends; in "No Sleep 'til Brooklyn," Thomas' love triangle (turned quadrangle) becomes a journey toward self-love; and Yoon brings it home with a meet-cute between a girl and her "Ryde" driver. Rich with intersectional queer representation and light with banter, humor, and even philosophy, this beautiful collaboration hits different from your typical romance novel, ultimately evoking the warmth of greater connection, community, and belonging. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Each of these six powerhouse authors would draw a crowd on her own; together, watch out.

Gr 9 Up-A New York City blackout sets the stage for romance and self-realization in this compilation of intertwining stories by well-known Black YA authors: Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon. Various friends and couples are on their way to a block party in Brooklyn when a blackout hits the city. Tammi is struggling as she and her ex-boyfriend Kareem arrive at an internship that they have each accepted, but there is only one spot. As they walk from Harlem to the party in Brooklyn, tales of their family and friends are interspersed as new relationships begin and others come to an end. Each story is told by a different writer, with Tammi and Kareem's story as the thread that binds them together. Hetero and queer couples are represented without "coming out" being the overall theme; the collection is ultimately about love and the journey to find it. Each of the authors is strong on their own, but together they are incredible. All characters are BIPOC. VERDICT A celebration of love in all its forms. A must-have for all young adult collections. Ashley Leffel, Griffin M.S., Frisco, TX

Six stories of romance from six Black young adult authors set this collaborative novel apart, with the tales, all taking place during a (fictional) summer blackout affecting all of New York City, intertwining as the characters make their way toward a block party in Brooklyn. The stories center Black love in its many forms, with Black protagonists who are culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse and have varying sexualities. Topics include love at first sight in Woodfolk's "Made to Fit"; a chance meeting in a rideshare in Yoon's "Seymour and Grace"; a relationship autopsy in Jackson's "The Long Walk"; former friends reconnecting on a stuck subway train in Stone's "Mask Off"; best friends exploring the possibility of love in Clayton's "All the Great Love Stories...and Dust"; and lessons in self-love in Thomas's "No Sleep Til Brooklyn." A breezy, entertaining summer read, with each author taking advantage of the premise to write into the underserved space of Black young adult rom-com. Monique Harris

Six authors collaborate to create an interwoven story set during a blackout.Unbearably hot temperatures in New York City cause a sudden blackout, simultaneously throwing plans into chaos and creating unexpected opportunities. Contributor Clayton, who is joined by YA superstars Jackson, Stone, Thomas, Woodfolk, and Yoon, was inspired by Covid-19 and the "metaphorical blackout" it has created for the world to initiate this project that embraces a wide spectrum of Blackness and sexuality. The characters' final destination is a block party in Brooklyn with Jackson's "The Long Walk," a story about reconnecting exes told in five acts, serving as the overarching mechanism to connect the narratives. Stone and Woodfolk contribute queer love stories in "Mask Off" and "Made To Fit" respectively. Thomas' "No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn" begins as a love triangle, progresses to a love quadrangle-and in the end is about self-love and discovery. Clayton's story, "All the Great Love Stories…and Dust," is set in the New York Public Library's main branch and centers on best friends who may become something more. Yoon's piece completes the novel with strangers finding love in a ride-share car in "Seymour and Grace." Working together to deliver a fantastic mix of humor and romance, these authors offer something fun and lighthearted that is welcome during the continuing pandemic and that will bring joy long after it's over.A celebration of Black teen love and the magic of possibility. (Fiction. 14-18)

Young Black love glows throughout this collaboration by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon, which follows six couples through a summer blackout in New York City. In a primary story arc, Tammi Wright is about to start her first day as the summer office assistant at the Apollo Theater-s Harlem headquarters when she runs into ex-boyfriend Kareem Murphy, who, due to an admin-