First published 2006
Karé watches Free from across the schoolyard and knows he must have her. The young South African boy sees everything he is not in this girl who captivates him. He starts small at first, changing the way he dresses, the music he listens to, the words he uses. Each transformation brings him closer to what he thinks Free wants, but further from who he actually is. His friends notice the changes. His family sees a stranger at their dinner table. Karé pushes forward anyway, convinced that becoming someone else is the price of love. But when Free finally notices him, the encounter forces Karé to confront what he has given up in pursuit of her attention. The boy who wanted to win a girl's heart discovers he has lost something far more valuable in the process.
Genres: fiction, romance, coming-of-age, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, self-discovery
Setting: South Africa
Period: Contemporary
36 pages · Paperback · Hip Hop School House