by Tayari Jones
First published 2002
Tasha watches her parents' marriage crumble while nursing her first crush. Her world feels unstable enough without the news reports of missing children that dominate Atlanta in 1979. Across town, Rodney desperately seeks friendship at school while trying to win approval from his violent father at home. Meanwhile, Octavia must stand up to the popular clique that terrorizes her daily. All three fifth graders move through a city gripped by fear as the Atlanta child murders unfold around them. Their separate struggles with family, friendship, and growing up become more urgent against this backdrop of community terror. Each child must find courage to face their personal battles while their neighborhood becomes increasingly dangerous. The story captures how ordinary childhood challenges take on new weight when safety itself becomes uncertain.
Genres: coming-of-age, contemporary, family-drama, african-american-historical-fiction
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family
Setting: Atlanta
Period: 1979
272 pages · Hardcover · Warner Books
Content warnings: child-death, violence