House Party

Editor and contributor reynolds (It’s The End of the World and I’m in My Bathing Suit) brings together 10 authors, including Angeline Boulley, Ryan La Sala, and Randy Ribay, to deliver an exuberant novel about an intersectionally diverse group of teenagers enjoying their last house party before graduation. The 11 POVs alternate between class clown Jrue, written by reynolds; Lamar Giles’s wannabe rapper, Oscar; Christina Hammonds Reed’s popular girl Penny; and more as the teens attend classmate DeAndre Dixon’s end-of-year bash. Each character has a specific goal for the night: Jrue is hoping to kiss DeAndre’s ex-girlfriend Mia, while influencer Savoy and their friends stage a fashion show for social media, even as Savoy struggles to hide a secret relationship from the other partygoers. A page-turning mashup of prose and rapid-fire text message chains, interspersed with b&w comics pages by Jerry Craft, present an alluring tale that unfolds over a single night. Despite the large cast, this energizing collaboration hits every plot beat without pause, skillfully capturing the thrill and possibility of an all-out house party populated by teens on the brink of big life changes. Ages 12–up. (June)

Correction: The text of this review has been updated for clarity.