Finding Jupiter

Following her father’s death on the day she was born, Jupiter Moon Ray Evans, newly 17, has always lived with the constant reminder that her birthday is never just about her. Nevertheless, she’s excited to spend her 17th birthday with Rhode Island boarding school roommate Bri, who’s visiting her in predominantly Black Whitehaven, Tenn. While celebrating at a roller rink, Ray meets and falls for Orion, who has sensory processing disorder. Orion finds solace in swimming, especially when navigating his family’s lingering grief over his little sister’s death 10 years prior causes sensory overload. Orion’s eager romantic pursuit dissolves Ray’s initial hesitance, letting their love of poetry and the arts bond them together. But as their tentative courtship unfurls through alternating perspectives and snippets of Ray’s poetry—which she compiles on loose pages of her tattered copy of The Great Gatsby—family secrets threaten their first chance at love. Via the teens’ open communication and their respective self-expression methods, Rowe’s emotionally layered debut is packed with introspective prose, emphatic characters, and undeniable romantic chemistry. Ages 13–17. Agent: Chelsea Eberly, Greenhouse Literary. (May)