Jason Reynolds’s first young adult romance novel is coming later this year, Cosmopolitan reports.
Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books will publish Reynolds’ Twenty-Four Seconds From Now… in the fall. The press describes the novel as an “unfiltered and undeniably sweet stream of consciousness story of a teen boy about to experience a huge first.”
Reynolds is one of the country’s most celebrated authors of books for young readers. He won a Kirkus Prize for his 2016 novel, As Brave as You, and a Carnegie Medal for his 2019 novel-in-stories, Look Both Ways, which was also a National Book Award finalist. He has also received five Coretta Scott King Honors.
His new novel follows Neon, a teenager who meets a girl named Aria after being chased by a dog in a church parking lot. The two begin dating and then contemplate taking a big step in their relationship.
“And right this second?” the publisher writes. “Neon is locked in Aria’s bathroom, completely freaking out because twenty-four seconds from now he and Aria are about to…about to…Well, they won’t do anything if he can’t get out of his own head (all the advice, insecurities, and what ifs) and out of this bathroom!”
Reynolds announced his new book on Instagram, writing, “Black boys deserve love stories, too.”
Twenty-Four Seconds From Now… is slated for publication on Oct. 8.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
