WHEN WE ALMOST CAME UNDONE

In 2020, a high school senior in Irvine, California, attempts to escape the realities of the Covid-19 pandemic, her sister’s health crisis, and a shifting relationship with her best friend.

Even though she had “zero intention of going to prom” and “wasn’t in any club or student council,” Tia is over her quarantined existence and numb to the pandemic and the numerous protests over the killing of George Floyd. She doesn’t understand how some people still have the energy to protest. Her relationship with her best friend, Drew, who’s bisexual, has become complicated by their unexpected kiss and his increased interest in activism; they had a fight during which he called her “apathetic” and she labeled him “a budget Malcolm X.” Her sister Mel, who struggles with mental health, is in an induced coma, worrying the whole family. Tia is granted a reprieve when her sister Alexis offers a weekend at her place in San Diego. There she meets Colby, a teen dog trainer, while walking Alexis’ dog, Poirot. The girls bond over their interest in each other and in training Poirot. This debut centers on a majority Black cast of characters who are lightly fleshed out. Readers will wish for deeper explorations of each relationship—particularly Tia and Colby’s romance, which feels rushed. Tia comes across as emotionally avoidant, which makes her feel remote and hard to connect with.

An interesting story examining the impact of trauma that doesn’t fully gel.