BREAKOUT

A tropical storm threatens to expose and destroy fragile alliances among a group of six Black teens in this latest collaboration from the powerhouse YA authors behind Blackout (2021) and Whiteout (2022).

The close-knit bonds holding together the Six—wealthy friends Noelle Clarke, Sydney Davis, Dwayne Harris, River Reynolds, Quintin McCallum IV, and Keisha White—were tested when Keisha tragically died during spring break last year. Noelle’s decision to speak with a reporter strained the group’s dynamics even more. The anniversary of Keisha’s death prompts the teens—“still the most powerful kids at Thurgood Marshall Academy”—to accept an invitation to a resort on a private island in the Florida Keys from their newest member, Anthony Brooks. But their luxurious getaway is derailed when a serious storm cuts off the power and any connection to the mainland. Tensions ratchet even higher when a dead body turns up. Soon, the Six’s hidden crushes and secrets start bubbling to the surface. The authors’ cohesive narrative moves backward and forward in time as the story rotates among multiple perspectives, including those of the leads and staff at the resort. The large number of characters at times detracts from the story’s flow, but the relationships among the central cast members contain enough connections to keep readers engaged.