Confessions of a Candy Snatcher

A tween-made zine and the fallout surrounding a disrupted Halloween tradition force a Black 12-year-old to reckon with his actions in this lively work by debut author Sinclair and Taylor (Garvey’s Choice). Jonas and his friends have a holiday tradition of hustling younger kids out of their candy. But after something goes wrong on Halloween, Jonas begins receiving cryptic anonymous notes reading “I know it was you,” “watch your back,” and “tell or I will.” While Jonas searches for the perpetrator, his everyday life unravels around him: his parents navigate a contentious separation, and Jonas gets into fights with a classmate. The only thing keeping him afloat is his newly acquired pink typewriter, which he uses to help make a zine with Latinx friend Concepción, who challenges Jonas to use the publication to admit “the worst thing you ever did.” Taylor’s polished grayscale art features throughout, depicting stories and confessions from Jonas and Concepción’s zine. Twining the mystery behind Jonas’s fateful All Hallows’ Eve with grounded personal conflicts, Sinclair develops a uniquely rendered interpretation of a misunderstood tween seeking stability and a place to belong. Ages 10–14. (Aug.)

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