Awards & Accolades

Our Verdict

  • Our Verdict
  • GET IT


  • Kirkus Reviews'
    Best Books Of 2019


  • Kirkus Prize
  • Kirkus Prize
    finalist


  • New York Times Bestseller

Next book

ON THE COME UP

A joyous experience awaits. Read it. Learn it. Love it.

Awards & Accolades

Our Verdict

  • Our Verdict
  • GET IT


  • Kirkus Reviews'
    Best Books Of 2019


  • Kirkus Prize
  • Kirkus Prize
    finalist


  • New York Times Bestseller

This honest and unflinching story of toil, tears, and triumph is a musical love letter that proves literary lightning does indeed strike twice.

Thomas’ (The Hate U Give, 2017) sophomore novel returns to Garden Heights, but while Brianna may live in Starr's old neighborhood, their experiences couldn't differ more. Raised by a widowed mother, a recovering drug addict, Bri attends an arts school while dreaming of becoming a famous rapper, as her father was before gang violence ended his life. Her struggles within the music industry and in school highlight the humiliations and injustices that remain an indelible part of the African American story while also showcasing rap’s undeniable lyrical power as a language through which to find strength. Bri's journey is deeply personal: small in scope and edgy in tone. When Bri raps, the prose sings on the page as she uses it to voice her frustration at being stigmatized as “hood” at school, her humiliation at being unable to pay the bills, and her yearning to succeed in the music world on her own merit. Most importantly, the novel gives voice to teens whose lives diverge from middle-class Americana. Bri wrestles with parent relationships and boy drama—and a trip to the food bank so they don’t starve during Christmas. The rawness of Bri's narrative demonstrates Thomas’ undeniable storytelling prowess as she tells truths that are neither pretty nor necessarily universally relatable.

A joyous experience awaits. Read it. Learn it. Love it. (Fiction. 13-adult)

Pub Date: Feb. 5, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-06-249856-4

Page Count: 464

Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2019

Next book

MY SALTY MARY

From the Lady Janies series

This swashbuckling tale anchored by historical details is a treasure.

A saucy, feminist take on “The Little Mermaid.”

This clever mashup includes actual 18th-century women pirates Mary Read and Anne Bonny, not to mention Blackbeard’s son, Tobias, legendary pirate Calico Jack, and a whole host of captains (Ahab! Crunch! Hook!). Woebegone mermaid Mary falls in love with a boy she rescues and becomes human to be with him. Alas, he turns out to be a narcissistic blowhard. After Mary jumps overboard, she’s rescued by pirates and pretends to be a boy in order to join their crew, which includes Tobias. Later, she runs into Calico Jack, her cousin who’s also Above, or in our world. He’s searching for his human father when he meets and is smitten with pugnacious Anne Bonny. At the AARP conference—the Admirable Association of Retired Pirates, that is—Mary, Jack, Anne, and Tobias learn that there’s to be a contest to determine the next Pirate King; whoever brings back the most treasure wins. Tobias knows where Blackbeard’s treasure is hidden. Meanwhile, Mary’s overbearing father, the Sea King, agrees to a bargain—either she becomes Pirate King or he takes her back home to Underwhere. This delightful farce contains seamless twists and gripping action, as well as some somber nods to harsh gender and racial inequalities. Tongue-in-cheek references, accessible writing, and dialogue that readers will connect with all create an immersive reading experience. The leads are white; Tobias is brown-skinned.

This swashbuckling tale anchored by historical details is a treasure. (authors' note) (Historical fantasy. 13-18)

Pub Date: Aug. 20, 2024

ISBN: 9780062930101

Page Count: 448

Publisher: HarperTeen

Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024

Next book

YOU'D BE HOME NOW

Necessary, important, honest, loving, and true.

A gut-wrenching look at how addiction affects a family and a town.

Emory Ward, 16, has long been invisible. Everyone in the town of Mill Haven knows her as the rich girl; her workaholic parents see her as their good child. Then Emory and her 17-year-old brother, Joey, are in a car accident in which a girl dies. Joey wasn’t driving, but he had nearly overdosed on heroin. When Joey returns from rehab, his parents make Emory his keeper and try to corral his addictions with a punitive list of rules. Emory rebels in secret, stealing small items and hooking up with hot neighbor Gage, but her drama class and the friends she gradually begins to be honest with help her reach her own truth. Glasgow, who has personal experience with substance abuse, bases this story on the classic play Our Town but with a twist: The characters learn to see and reach out to each other. The cast members, especially Emory and Joey, are exceptionally well drawn in both their struggles and their joys. Joey’s addiction is horrifying and dark, but it doesn’t define who he is. The portrayal of small-town life and its interconnectedness also rings true. Emory’s family is White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast, and an important adult mentor is gay. Glasgow mentions in her author’s note that over 20 million Americans struggle with substance abuse; she includes resources for teens seeking help.

Necessary, important, honest, loving, and true. (Fiction. 14-18)

Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-525-70804-9

Page Count: 400

Publisher: Delacorte

Review Posted Online: June 28, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021

Close Quickview