All the Things We Never Knew

A star-crossed teen romance that's really about family secrets and dealing with trauma and how all of that emotional baggage affects your relationships. There's also lots of basketball. Adult me thought much of the relationship on/off drama was cringey but it will be so relatable to the teen audience. I really appreciated the focus on healing from toxic relationships and working on a better sense of self rather than relying on a partner to fix you - that's a message that can't be relayed enough in YA - though I did wish that characters going to therapy would be shown, to normalize therapy for kids. Will definitely booktalk, this one has major appeal.

Techinically a 3.5/5 but this book deserves the added .5 because my heart!!!

This book had me in a rollercoaster of emotions. But I'm so happy to see more books about black love that doesn't center trauma. I mean yes these characters went through a lot between their relationship, their family, and life in general. The author takes the overdone white cishet insta love trope and made it her own and I love that. I definitely recommend this book to EVERYONE!!! please don't sleep on this book yall. 

TW: the death of parent, parents divorce, surgery, racism, ableism, and mention of attempted suicide.

Techinically a 3.5/5 but this book deserves the added .5 because my heart!!!

This book had me in a rollercoaster of emotions. But I'm so happy to see more books about black love that doesn't center trauma. I mean yes these characters went through a lot between their relationship, their family, and life in general. The author takes the overdone white cishet insta love trope and made it her own and I love that. I definitely recommend this book to EVERYONE!!! please don't sleep on this book yall. 

TW: the death of parent, parents divorce, surgery, racism, ableism, and mention of attempted suicide.