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LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD • A powerful, genre-bending mosaic of fiction and poetry that celebrates the humanity, grace, and resilience of teenage New Yorkers riding out the pandemic—from the award-winning author of Chlorine Sky
“A gorgeous, tender testament to the generation of young people who shouldered the pandemic.”—New York Times bestselling author Brendan Kiely
A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
We found out what true longing looked like. Longing for crushes to crush back the week after next. Longing for hugs. Longing for connection.
As New York goes into lockdown and neighborhoods begin to feel the brunt of the pandemic, the city’s teens persevere with love and hope amidst all the fear and loss: Malachi writes an Armageddon short story inspired by his new reality. Tariq helps their ailing grandmother survive quarantine. Zamira struggles with depression and loneliness after losing her parents. Mohamed tries to help keep his community spirit alive.
Mahogany L. Browne’s unforgettable, interconnected short stories and poems remind us to breathe as these New York City teens discover their will to survive, their determination to dream, and their joy.
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"? "The book boasts memorable characters and beautiful writing—especially the poems. It is singularly relevant in its unsparing examination of the plague and its impact on young lives."
— Booklist, starred review
★ "Heavy, important, powerful and evergreen; remembers kids during the time when the world stopped.
— Kirkus Reviews, starred review★ "An emotionally impactful read.
— Publishers Weekly, starred review★ "The book boasts memorable characters and beautiful writing—especially the poems. It is singularly relevant in its unsparing examination of the plague and its impact on young lives.
— Booklist, starred review[An] intriguing and heartbreaking collection of stories and poems.
— The Bulletin★ "An essential purchase to explore grief associated with the pandemic; give to fans of Elizabeth Acevedo and Elisabet Velasquez.
— School Library Journal, starred reviewBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Ron Butler is a Los Angeles–based actor, Earphones Award–winning audiobook narrator, and voice artist with over a hundred film and television credits. Most kids will recognize him from the three seasons he spent on Nickelodeon’s True Jackson, VP. He works regularly as a commercial and animation voice-over artist and has voiced a wide variety of audiobooks. He is a member of the Atlantic Theater Company and an Independent Filmmaker Project Award winner for his work in the HBO film Everyday People.
Andrea Emmes is an actress and audiobook narrator. She started as a SAG-AFTRA equity actor and has been performing for over twenty years on stage, TV, and film. She is an Audible Approved Narrator known as “the Girl with a Thousand Voices,” her wide range of character voices and dynamic, emotionally invested performances has reviewers and listeners alike commenting on how she effortlessly pulls listeners in, has versatility and charisma, and is quite suited for young adult literature. She has won the LA Music Award for Best Contemporary Christian Artist for her 2008 debut release album I’m On My Way.” She earned an AA in fine arts and a BS in art and design.
January LaVoy, winner of numerous awards for narration, was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine in 2019. She is an American actress best known for her character Noelle Ortiz on the ABC daytime drama One Life to Live. In addition to working extensively in narration and television, including roles on Law & Order and All My Children, she has worked on and off Broadway as well as in regional theater.
Suehyla El-Attar Young is an actress and writer based in Atlanta, Georgia. She dabbled in radio for a bit, working with several well-known stations as a morning news personality and DJ. Eventually, she returned to acting, on stage and in film. She has nurtured both crafts of acting and writing, working with local companies such as Theatre du Reve, Synchronicity Theatre, the Alliance Theatre Company, and Horizon Theatre Company as dramaturge, actress, and playwright on several projects.
Ron Butler is a Los Angeles–based actor, Earphones Award–winning audiobook narrator, and voice artist with over a hundred film and television credits. Most kids will recognize him from the three seasons he spent on Nickelodeon’s True Jackson, VP. He works regularly as a commercial and animation voice-over artist and has voiced a wide variety of audiobooks. He is a member of the Atlantic Theater Company and an Independent Filmmaker Project Award winner for his work in the HBO film Everyday People.
Mark Bramhall has won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration, more than thirty AudioFile Earphones Awards, and has repeatedly been named by AudioFile magazine and Publishers Weekly among their “Best Voices of the Year.” He is also an award-winning actor whose acting credits include off-Broadway, regional, and many Los Angeles venues as well as television, animation, and feature films. He has taught and directed at the American Academy of Dramatic Art.