Late to the Party

February 15, 2020
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. (Fiction. 14-18)

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February 17, 2020
Codi loves the comfort of hanging with her oldest friends, but she’s increasingly frustrated that they don’t seem to see that she’s changing—or at least wants to. In Atlanta, pals Codi, Maritza, and JaKory are all queer and have never kissed anyone. Now that they’re 17, Jakory and Maritza want more experiences and some romance in their lives, even though they don’t know how to make it happen. When Codi refuses to attend a party, they think she’s not interested in making changes. But she starts hanging out with a senior who’s struggling with his sexual identity, which leads her to a new circle and a girl she likes. She doesn’t know how to stay friends with both groups, and before she knows it, she’s lying to her old friends. Quindlen (Her Name in the Sky) deftly conveys both the awkwardness of outgrowing an old life without having a clue how to move toward a new one, and the difficult work of being true to oneself and honest with those one cares about. Ages 12–up. Agent: Marietta B. Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary.

March 1, 2020

Gr 8 Up-An introvert, 17-year-old Codi has always been comfortable spending time by herself painting, or ordering takeout and watching old movies with her best friends Maritza and JaKory. But the summer before senior year of high school, Codi starts to feel like she's outgrowing her longtime friends and that it's time to spread her wings. In doing so, she goes to parties, makes new friends, and experiments with booze and pot; she also makes good on her determination to explore her feelings for another girl. Although the plot is not groundbreaking, Quindlen convincingly portrays Codi and her contemporaries with credible dialogue and realistic settings. The novel's strengths lie in conveying the complex situations and often contradictory emotions teens experience; many of the characters are self-aware of their hypocrisy and the stifling effect it has on their ability to act in their own best interests. Codi is white and gay, and the novel is populated with a diverse group of friends-black, Latinx, straight, gay, and bisexual-many of whom have their own layered narratives. VERDICT Recommended for LGBTQ teens looking for relatable characters, as well as any teen in need of a quick, satisfying read.-Melissa Kazan, Horace Mann School, NY

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2020
Grades 9-12 Codi Teller is a teenager, but only in name. At 17 years old, Codi has yet to be a teenager in any of the ways you see on TV?sneaking out, partying, dating, rule-breaking kind of ways. When her two best friends, Maritza and JaKory, make plans to crash a party, Codi somehow finds herself interrupting a private moment between the host, Ricky, and another boy. Codi's accidental intrusion becomes the catalyst for a secret friendship that unlocks the forbidden world of teenagedom, where anything is possible, even romance with a beautiful girl. But Codi's secret comes with a growing stack of lies to her parents, her younger brother, and her two best friends. Heartfelt and fun, Quindlen's latest (Her Name in the Sky, 2014) brings together all the angst, excitement, and uncertainty of the teenage years in an LGBTQ+ friendly package. Fans of Becky Albertalli are sure to love this sometimes painfully relatable heroine and her journey of self-discovery. Codi Teller may be late to the party, but readers will be happy she showed up.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)