The Unlikelies

After 17-year-old Sadie Sullivan is brutally assaulted at a farmer’s market during an altercation with a drunk man, she’s left feeling shaken and isolated from her friends, despite being hailed as a hero. (The man had an infant and a shotgun in his car, and the entire “incident,” as Sadie thinks of it, was captured on video and has been circulated widely, naturally.) After this jarring beginning, Firestone (The Loose Ends List) offers a mix of humor, friendship building, and altruism as Sadie and four other teens form a band of vigilante do-gooders called the Unlikelies. Together they take on injustices and perform kind acts, sometimes as small as leaving nice comments on a website, and use an unexpected windfall of illegal diamonds to fund grander projects. Firestone touches lightly on racism (Sadie is of Iranian descent on her mother’s side) and dives deep into heroin addiction. It’s a memorable blend of the serious, madcap, and romantic that, while over the top in some regards, champions the Unlikelies’ values of kindness, bravery, and respect. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties. (June)