If You Don’t Have Anything Nice to Say

When 17-year-old former National Spelling Bee champion Winter Halperin tweets about the latest winner—a 12-year-old African-American girl—she finds herself in the middle of a maelstrom. Not only is she vilified as a racist, but one of her best friends, Jason, an African-American, cuts off ties. Winter is stripped of everything that she believes is important: her championship title, her college acceptance, and her belief that she is a “good girl.” Determined to right the wrong, she enrolls in Revibe, a five-week boot camp that helps those who have made epic errors in judgment (and were crucified for it online) find a path to forgiveness. Sales (This Song Will Save Your Life) tackles a thoroughly modern problem, and she is careful to stay within the gray, neither condoning Winter’s explanation nor fully embracing the meaningless apology. A nuanced approach to how the internet encourages the dehumanization of users gives this novel its realistic tone and serves as a strong warning to teens (and their parents). Ages 12–up. Agent: Stephen Barbara, Inkwell Management. (May)