Blackout: A Novel

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

Overview

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:	9780063088092
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	06/22/2021
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	9,545
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.10(d)
Lexile:	HL650L (what's this?)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Dhonielle Clayton is the New York Times bestselling author of The Belles series and the coauthor of the Tiny Pretty Things duology, which was made into a Netflix original series. She is COO of the non-profit We Need Diverse Books, and the owner of CAKE Literary. 

Tiffany D. Jackson is the critically acclaimed author of Allegedly, Monday’s Not Coming, and Let Me Hear a Rhyme. A Walter Dean Myers Honor Book and Coretta Scott King–John Steptoe New Talent Award winner, she received her bachelor of arts in film from Howard University, earned her master of arts in media studies from the New School, and has over a decade in TV and film experience. The Brooklyn native still resides in the borough she loves. You can visit her at www.writeinbk.com.

Nic Stone is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the William C. Morris Award finalist Dear Martin, Dear Justyce, Odd One Out, Jackpot, and Clean Getaway, and the Shuri novel series with Marvel Comics.

Angie Thomas is the author of the award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling novels The Hate U Give, On the Come Up, and Concrete Rose, as well as Find Your Voice: A Guided Journal for Writing Your Truth. A former teen rapper who holds a BFA in creative writing, Angie was born, raised, and still resides in Mississippi. You can find her online at www.angiethomas.com.

Ashley Woodfolk worked in children’s book publishing before becoming an author full-time. Her novels include the highly acclaimed The Beauty that Remains and When You Were Everything.

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

★ 04/26/2021

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. In a primary story arc, Tammi Wright is about to start her first day as the summer office assistant at the Apollo Theater’s Harlem headquarters when she runs into ex-boyfriend Kareem Murphy, who, due to an admin- istrative error, is there for the same job. Just as they are about to find out who will receive the single opening, a blackout sweeps the city, causing chaos aboveground and under. As the two reluctantly walk together back to Bed-Stuy, where Kareem is set to DJ a party after dark, they navigate their history and their love for each other. Featured between each stage of their journey are connections—some gentle, some combative, all thrilling—that feature characters falling in or professing their love across the city’s landmarks. 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. Ages 13–up. Agents: (for Clayton) Molly Ker Hawn, the Bent Agency; (for Jackson) Natalie Lakosil, Bradford Literary; (for Stone) Mollie Glick, CAA; (for Thomas) the Bent Agency; (for Woodfolk) Beth Phelan, Gallt & Zacker; (for Yoon) Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (June)

Publishers Weekly

"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)

"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)

"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

★ 07/01/2021

Gr 9 Up—A New York City blackout sets the stage for romance and self-realization in this compilation of intertwining stories by well-known Black YA authors: Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon. Various friends and couples are on their way to a block party in Brooklyn when a blackout hits the city. Tammi is struggling as she and her ex-boyfriend Kareem arrive at an internship that they have each accepted, but there is only one spot. As they walk from Harlem to the party in Brooklyn, tales of their family and friends are interspersed as new relationships begin and others come to an end. Each story is told by a different writer, with Tammi and Kareem's story as the thread that binds them together. Hetero and queer couples are represented without "coming out" being the overall theme; the collection is ultimately about love and the journey to find it. Each of the authors is strong on their own, but together they are incredible. All characters are BIPOC. VERDICT A celebration of love in all its forms. A must-have for all young adult collections.—Ashley Leffel, Griffin M.S., Frisco, TX

School Library Journal

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

"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

"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)