Someday We’ll Find It

Seventeen-year-old Bliss has settled into her life in predominantly white rural Lakeville, Ill., after her mother took off five years ago to pursue a modeling career in Japan. When Mama suddenly returns, though, Bliss is convinced she’s “finally gonna have the mama I deserve.” Instead, her mother attempts to lure Bliss into becoming a mother/daughter modeling duo in Eastern Europe. Though Bliss once saw her family as a team, she now considers hot-headed boyfriend River, who has big plans for their future, her perfect match. Then she begins falling for newcomer Blake, her half-Chinese and presumed half-white summer job supervisor, who asks her questions like he cares about the answers. Bliss must choose between the life she’s always wanted, the one that’s been planned for her, and the one she makes for herself. While the novel’s conclusion feels familiar, Bliss’s struggles with self-worth, her desire to break free from external pressures, and the details of her everyday life—such as detasseling corn and learning to play Mama’s old ukulele—imbue Wilson’s romantic debut with a healthy dose of intimacy and drama. Ages 13–up. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary & Media. (Apr.)