by Jerry Craft
First published 2020
Drew Ellis has heard his grandmother's words his whole life: work twice as hard to be just as good. Now in eighth grade at the prestigious Riverdale Academy Day School, Drew discovers that even working ten times harder might not be enough. He watches his privileged classmates coast through opportunities that remain out of his reach. The situation grows more complicated when Drew starts to suspect his good friend Liam belongs to that privileged world. Drew wants to act like nothing has changed, but he finds himself pulling away from Liam. Their mutual friend Jordan tries to hold the group together, yet even Jordan struggles to bridge the growing gap between them. The mounting pressure forces Drew to confront difficult questions about friendship across racial and class lines. He must decide whether he can find a way to accept his friends for who they are while learning to accept himself.
Genres: coming-of-age, contemporary, social-issues, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Riverdale Academy Day School
Period: 8th Grade
249 pages · Paperback · Quill Tree Books