Blackout

by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Joyful and captivating, Blackout is a collection of interconnected stories of Black love that all take place when the lights go out during a midsummer blackout in New York City. This unique collaboration by authors Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk and Nicola Yoon is a love letter to both young Black people and the magical city of New York.

Six critically acclaimed, bestselling, and award-winning authors bring the glowing warmth and electricity of Black teens in love to this charming, hilarious, and heartwarming novel that shines a bright light through the dark.

A summer heatwave blankets New York City in darkness. But as the city is thrown into confusion, a different kind of electricity sparks…

A first meeting. 

Long-time friends. 

Bitter exes. 

And maybe the beginning of something new.

When the lights go out, people reveal hidden truths. Love blossoms, friendship transforms, and new possibilities take flight.

Beloved authors—Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon—celebrate the beauty of six couples and the unforgettable magic that can be found on a sweltering starry night in the city.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063088108
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/31/2022
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Dhonielle Clayton is the New York Times bestselling author of the Belles series and The Marvellers and the coauthor of The Rumor Game and the Tiny Pretty Things duology, which was made into a Netflix original series. She is COO of the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books and the owner of Cake Creative.

Tiffany D. Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of Allegedly, Monday's Not Coming, Let Me Hear a Rhyme, Grown, White Smoke, The Weight of Blood, and The Scammer. A Margaret A. Edwards Award and Coretta Scott King–John Steptoe New Talent Award winner, the Brooklyn native is splitting her time between the South and the borough she loves. You can visit her at writeinbk.com

Nic Stone is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the William C. Morris Award finalist Dear Martin, NAACP Image Award finalist Dear Justyce, Dear Manny, Chaos Theory, and Clean Getaway and the Shuri novel series with Marvel Comics. You can find her online at nicstone.info.

Angie Thomas is the author of the award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling Nic Blake and the Remarkables series, The Hate U Give, On the Come Up, and Concrete Rose as well as Find Your Voice: A Guided Journal for Writing Your Truth. She is also a coauthor of the bestselling collaborative novels Blackout and Whiteout. A former teen rapper who holds a BFA in creative writing, Angie divides her time between her native Mississippi, and Atlanta. You can find her online at angiethomas.com.

Ashley Woodfolk is the award-winning author of over ten books including the highly acclaimed novels The Beauty That Remains, When You Were Everything, and Nothing Burns As Bright As You. A publishing professional for over a decade, Ashley is now a full-time mom and writer who spends the majority of her time drinking coffee, running after her children, and making up stories she sometimes writes down. She lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

Nicola Yoon is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also a Star, both of which have been adapted into major motion pictures. She is a National Book Award finalist, a Michael L. Printz Honor Book recipient, and a Coretta Scott King New Talent Award winner. She's also co-publisher of Joy Revolution, a Random House young adult imprint focused on love stories starring people of color.

Editorial Reviews

"In Blackout, young Black love with all its insecurities, mistakes, emotion, honesty, and humanity makes for a lush read. Even amidst their fears, these characters are wonderfully respectful of each other's choices. You will root for them all to find their own right love at their own right time. And though it was written for young adults, Blackout is a must-read for all generations."

NPR

"Readers in search of joyful stories of young Black love will adore Blackout."

Bookpage (starred review)

"Six stories of romance from six Black young adult authors set this collaborative novel apart, with the tales, all set during a (fictional) summer blackout affecting all of New York City, intertwining as the characters make their way toward a block party in Brooklyn... An easy, entertaining summer read, with each author taking advantage of the premise to write into the underserved space of Black young adult rom-com."

Horn Book Magazine

"Rich with intersectional queer representation and light with banter, humor, and even philosophy, this beautiful collaboration hits different from your typical romance novel, ultimately evoking the warmth of greater connection, community, and belonging."

Booklist (starred review)

"There’s plenty to smile, sigh, or swoon at here, and readers will happily keep the lights on to see these charming romances to the end."

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

"Each author brings an unmistakable voice to the humorous, lighthearted storytelling, affirming that Black people are not a monolith. Every character and every chapter celebrates Black culture through language, fashion and individuality."

Shelf Awareness

"In Blackout, young Black love with all its insecurities, mistakes, emotion, honesty, and humanity makes for a lush read. Even amidst their fears, these characters are wonderfully respectful of each other's choices. You will root for them all to find their own right love at their own right time. And though it was written for young adults, Blackout is a must-read for all generations." — NPR

"Young Black love glows throughout this collaboration by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon, which follows six couples through a summer blackout in New York City... As each teen makes their way home, this joyful collaboration brings a necessary elation to stories of Black love, queer love, and alternative forms of affection, all of which are all tenderly highlighted in these narratives." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"There’s plenty to smile, sigh, or swoon at here, and readers will happily keep the lights on to see these charming romances to the end." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

"Rich with intersectional queer representation and light with banter, humor, and even philosophy, this beautiful collaboration hits different from your typical romance novel, ultimately evoking the warmth of greater connection, community, and belonging." — Booklist (starred review)

"Readers in search of joyful stories of young Black love will adore Blackout." — Bookpage (starred review)

"Working together to deliver a fantastic mix of humor and romance, these authors offer something fun and lighthearted that is welcome during the continuing pandemic and that will bring joy long after it’s over." — Kirkus Reviews

"Each author brings an unmistakable voice to the humorous, lighthearted storytelling, affirming that Black people are not a monolith. Every character and every chapter celebrates Black culture through language, fashion and individuality." — Shelf Awareness

"Six stories of romance from six Black young adult authors set this collaborative novel apart, with the tales, all set during a (fictional) summer blackout affecting all of New York City, intertwining as the characters make their way toward a block party in Brooklyn... An easy, entertaining summer read, with each author taking advantage of the premise to write into the underserved space of Black young adult rom-com." — Horn Book Magazine

From the Publisher

An all-star cast of narrators and bestselling authors come together for a summery treat. Six interlocking short stories tell of young Black love during one night of a New York City blackout. Joniece Abbott-Pratt’s compelling voice transports listeners through the five acts of “The Long Walk,” Tiffany D. Jackson’s story, which interweaves between the others to chronicle two exes reconnecting on a long walk to a Brooklyn block party. Dion Graham gives a heartfelt performance as a character who is confessing a long-held crush in Nic Stone’s “Mask Off,” and the lively banter between Bahni Turpin and A.J. Beckles in Nicola Yoon’s story of hitting it off during a ride share is a delight. Each story sparkles with the excitement and joy of falling in love, and makes for excellent listening. E.E.C. 2022 Audies Winner © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2021 - AudioFile

An all-star cast of narrators and bestselling authors come together for a summery treat. Six interlocking short stories tell of young Black love during one night of a New York City blackout. Joniece Abbott-Pratt’s compelling voice transports listeners through the five acts of “The Long Walk,” Tiffany D. Jackson’s story, which interweaves between the others to chronicle two exes reconnecting on a long walk to a Brooklyn block party. Dion Graham gives a heartfelt performance as a character who is confessing a long-held crush in Nic Stone’s “Mask Off,” and the lively banter between Bahni Turpin and A.J. Beckles in Nicola Yoon’s story of hitting it off during a ride share is a delight. Each story sparkles with the excitement and joy of falling in love, and makes for excellent listening. E.E.C. 2022 Audies Winner © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2021 - AudioFile

2021-04-27
Six authors collaborate to create an interwoven story set during a blackout.

Unbearably hot temperatures in New York City cause a sudden blackout, simultaneously throwing plans into chaos and creating unexpected opportunities. Contributor Clayton, who is joined by YA superstars Jackson, Stone, Thomas, Woodfolk, and Yoon, was inspired by Covid-19 and the “metaphorical blackout” it has created for the world to initiate this project that embraces a wide spectrum of Blackness and sexuality. The characters’ final destination is a block party in Brooklyn with Jackson’s “The Long Walk,” a story about reconnecting exes told in five acts, serving as the overarching mechanism to connect the narratives. Stone and Woodfolk contribute queer love stories in “Mask Off” and “Made To Fit” respectively. Thomas’ “No Sleep ’Til Brooklyn” begins as a love triangle, progresses to a love quadrangle—and in the end is about self-love and discovery. Clayton’s story, “All the Great Love Stories…and Dust,” is set in the New York Public Library’s main branch and centers on best friends who may become something more. Yoon’s piece completes the novel with strangers finding love in a ride-share car in “Seymour and Grace.” Working together to deliver a fantastic mix of humor and romance, these authors offer something fun and lighthearted that is welcome during the continuing pandemic and that will bring joy long after it’s over.

A celebration of Black teen love and the magic of possibility. (Fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews