Teenage Angel is staying with her uncle in Brooklyn after a violent incident with her (now) ex-boyfriend left her both physically and emotionally harmed. Angel’s voice is immediate and compelling, and her journey to self-affirmation moving and real, in this novel with a rich cast of secondary characters, most of who help lift Angel up even as they deal with struggles of their own. They include her Uncle Spence; Ms. G, a phenomenal teacher who encourages Angel and other young women in her class to express themselves and respect both themselves and one another; and new friends that include Kadijah and Kadijah’s brother, Sterling, with whom Angel senses a possible more-than-friend connection. All of them show Angel (Black) that contentment and even joy are possible in spite of challenges. When Ms. G. introduces Angel to the works of Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, Maya Angelou, and others, Angel connects to their literary characters and thinks deeply about their stories, seeing herself and aspects of her life reflected. Angel also finds an outlet in music, and she begins to express herself through playlists and carve out an identity as a DJ. Flashbacks gradually reveal what happened with her ex-boyfriend in this story that calls out violence and male entitlement but focuses on self-esteem, creativity, and healing. Brooklyn itself is a vibrant character in this novel that blends poetry and prose.  (Age 13 and older)

A teen girl hiding the scars of a past relationship finds home and healing in the words of strong Black writers. A beautiful sophomore novel from a critically acclaimed author and poet that explores how words have the power to shape and uplift our world even in the midst of pain.

"A true embodiment of the term Black Girl Magic.” –Booklist

When Darius told Angel he loved her, she believed him. But five weeks after the incident, Angel finds herself in Brooklyn, far from her family, from him, and from the California life she has known.

Angel feels out of sync with her new neighborhood. At school, she can’t shake the feeling everyone knows what happened—and that it was her fault. The only place that makes sense is Ms. G’s class. There, Angel’s classmates share their own stories of pain, joy, and fortitude. And as Angel becomes immersed in her revolutionary literature course, the words from Black writers like Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, and Zora NEale Hurston speak to her and begin to heal the wounds of her past.

This stunning novel weaves together prose, poems, and vignettes to tell the story of Angel, a young woman whose past was shaped by domestic violence but whose love of language and music and the gift of community grant her the chance to find herself again.