Review: Blackout

When there is a blackout in New York City, six young city dwellers still manage to find a little light in their lives.

From six of the biggest names in young adult fiction comes a collection of intertwining stories celebrating family, connection and, above all, love. From the very opening page, you’ll be hook-line-and-sinkered!

The entire collection takes place over the course of an evening in various corners of the city. It’s Tammi’s first day in her summer internship; Nella is visiting her grandfather in a nursing home; Lana is saying goodbye to her best friend; two schoolmates are stuck on the subway; Kayla is caught in a love triangle on a bus; and Grace is distracted in an awkward taxi journey. They are all heading to the same destination: a block party in Brooklyn.

Every story is told by a different author, each bringing their own unique style to the table in a way that is refreshing and fitting to the characters they explore. For me, Tiffany D. Jackson and Nicola Yoon steal the show, but each story offers romance and charm in equal measures. My heart felt light as I raced through the pages.

Blackout revels in Black joy and teen love. The outcome is moving, thrilling and impossible to put down. This is the perfect YA summer romance, but would also brighten anyone’s evening as the colder months settle in — a must-read!

Sinéad Creedon