Love Is a Revolution

Gr 7 Up--Nala Robertson has a three-pronged plan for the summer before her senior year. One--Find a new hairstyle. Two--Spend time with her cousin and best friend, Imani. Three--Find love. When she attends a talent show hosted by the community group that her cousin is involved in and meets the beautiful Tye Brown, it seems like Nala's summer is shaping up the way she intended. Who cares if she tells a few white lies to get the civically minded Tye to think more highly of her? But as the summer progresses and Nala's relationship with Tye deepens, she feels her cousin pulling away from her and starts to wonder how long she can keep up the ruse. This book explores many different forms of love: family, romantic, and self-love. Will Nala find the courage to love herself? The protagonist's subtle humor pulls readers in, and while she occasionally muses on what it might be like to be wanted by others, she never wallows in self-pity. Notably, Nala's self-image issues are not physical. She's big and beautiful and comfortable in her body. Instead, her concern lies with her accomplishments, or what she perceives as a lack thereof. The cast of Black characters shines; each character is well-developed and relatable, even when they're not particularly likable. VERDICT In a time where books about teen activists, including Watson's own Watch Us Rise, are plentiful and teens try to make the world a better place, this title sends the necessary message that sometimes it's okay if the person you save is yourself.--Mimi Powell, Lib. Systs. and Svcs., Kissimmee, FL

Through the misadventures of Black 17-year-old Nala Robertson, Watson (Ways to Make Sunshine) pens a love letter to community, family, and self-love. Tired of being compared to her overachieving "cousin-sister-friend" Imani, Nala, who is plus-size, just wants to be loved. But when Nala meets Tye at a function for Inspire Harlem--a community service organization where Tye and Imani are members--Nala fears Tye won't like her if she acts like herself. So she lies, getting her close enough to her dream boy that sparks fly. But the more time Nala spends with Tye, the more she wants him to love her for who she really is--just as soon as she figures out what that looks like. Watson excels at creating well-meaning teen characters laboring under peer pressure and parental expectations. Interspersed with Nala's heartfelt lists for living and resonant song lyrics by her favorite fictional musician, the messy complexity of Nala's internal life, including her deception and judgement of others, makes for a read that's simultaneously relatable and frustrating. While Nala's unwillingness to be authentic makes her relationship a hard sell, Nala herself has the makings of an appreciably flawed character blazing her own distinctive path, however many mistakes that takes. Ages 13-up. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary. (Feb.)