LATE TO THE PARTY

A girl who can capture someone’s essence in a painting struggles with finding her own.

Atlanta senior Codi and her friends, Maritza and JaKory, are restless and feel like they’ve missed out on the full teenage experience—living boldly and taking risks. When Maritza comes up with a plan to crash a neighborhood party, Codi bails only to rescue her friends when they drink too much to drive home safely. Heading to the party, Codi stumbles upon two boys making out in the bushes—one of whom is the host, Ricky. Codi begins hanging out with Ricky’s cool friends and neglecting her own, believing she can only grow in a new social circle. Through this new set of friends, Codi meets her crush, Lydia. But when the summer takes a dive, the very people she neglected are the ones she wants the most. Artistic, shy Codi unfortunately comes off as ungrateful and inconsiderate toward her younger brother and best friends while Maritza and JaKory fall flat and read like a convenient plot device for Codi’s angst. Despite this, the story is redeemed by the feel-good moments between Codi and Ricky’s friends, its portrayal of teens navigating romantic relationships for the first time, and insights about becoming comfortable within yourself. Codi and Lydia are assumed to be white; Maritza is Panamanian American; JaKory and Ricky are black.

A suitable angst-y summer read.