(2) YA When Houston high school basketball star Rex ­Carrington blows his customary kiss to his late mother, similarly talented Carli mistakenly thinks it's meant for her--right before she passes out from a gallbladder attack. Rex rushes to her side, and from there, sparks fly on and off the court. The alternating narrations by Carli and Rex thrust readers into the intensity of first love, dreams of bright futures, and the hope of happily ever after. However, the romance has some bumps in the road as the realities of each of their lives encroach upon their relationship: Carli grapples with her parents' separation and her family's expectations about her future in basketball, while Rex struggles to connect with his emotionally distant father. This romance stands out because of its sensitive Black characters (Rex is allowed to cry), who revel in their naive teenage notions of love and experience all the volatility of adolescence.

Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

(4) YA African American Taja Brown struggles to live up to her parents' expectations of her. While they dismiss her brother's promiscuity, they invite Taja's boyfriend over for dinner and hand them both a purity pledge to sign. Despite some inconsistencies in Taja's characterization, the novel effectively captures the difficulties of growing up with conservative Christian values that social pressures (and cute boys) may challenge.

Reviewer: Michelle H. Martin