BERRY PARKER DOESN'T CATCH CRUSHES

A 12-year-old swims against the tide of her friends, who are obsessed with crushes, while she navigates a shifting relationship with her mother.

Beryl “Berry” Parker has an unconventional relationship with her mother. She’s lived with her surgical nurse dad full-time since she was 3; her mother manages a “giant resort hotel” near South Lake Tahoe, many hours’ drive away. Berry spends three weeks every August getting reacquainted with her mother, all the while secretly hoping they can be reunited as a family. But this summer, Berry is dismayed to learn that her mom wants to follow a man she’s involved with to England, where he has a new job. Berry’s relationship with her best friend, Lia, feels distant—Lia is obsessed with their classmate Miguel, and she switched to French class without telling Berry. Now Berry, who only signed up for Latin because Lia wanted to take it, feels left behind. In fact, a lot of her friends are changing, and crushes seem to be the culprit. This emotionally intelligent novel will resonate with readers who have experienced shifting relationship dynamics. Berry is a compelling protagonist, and Davis portrays the arc of her growth authentically. The author cleverly uses colors to evoke artistic Berry’s different moods and her perceptions of how she and others are feeling (wearing a tangerine tank top, Berry expresses “fizzy warmth and happiness”). Berry and other central characters are Black.

An introspective, insightful look at the uncomfortable changes of early adolescence.