"Six critically acclaimed, bestselling, and award-winning authors bring the glowing warmth and electricity of Black teen love to this interlinked novel of charming, hilarious, and heartwarming stories that shine a bright light through the dark"-- - (Baker & Taylor)

Six critically acclaimed, best-selling and award-winning authors celebrate Black teen love in this interlinked novel of heartwarming and hilarious stories that shine a bright light through the dark. Simultaneous eBook. - (Baker & Taylor)

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.

Six couples find love in six interconnected stories set during one unforgettable night:

• Friends to Lovers: Two best friends get locked in the New York Public Library overnight and must finally confront the truth about their feelings.
• Second Chance Romance: A pair of exes have no choice but to walk from Harlem to Brooklyn together, forcing them to face why they broke up in the first place.
• LGBTQ+ Romance: From a chance encounter in a senior living facility to two boys trapped on a subway car, this collection celebrates Black queer love stories.
• Forced Proximity: From a tour bus to a Ryde share, sparks fly when strangers are thrown together by the city-wide blackout and find connection in the chaos.
• An All-Star Author Lineup: Six beloved, award-winning authors—Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon—team up for the first time.

Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* In this collection of interlinked shorts, the YA-author supergroup of Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Ashley Woodfolk, Angie Thomas, and Nicola Yoon takes the concept of a New York City–wide blackout and lights it up with six sweet, Black-teen summer romances. The conceit begins with "A Long Walk," Jackson's story of a recently split couple whose flame reignites over the course of an epic walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn. Crucially, this is broken up into five interstitial acts, anchoring readers and giving the book a solid through line. In between those segments, Stone's "Mask Off" explores the history of two young men whose long-simmering attraction comes to a head after they're trapped underground on a subway car; Woodfolk's "Made to Fit" sees two lesbians falling for each other while caring for retirement-home residents; Clayton's "All the Great Love Stories . . . and Dust" draws out the agonizing confession of love between two lifelong best friends; in "No Sleep 'til Brooklyn," Thomas' love triangle (turned quadrangle) becomes a journey toward self-love; and Yoon brings it home with a meet-cute between a girl and her "Ryde" driver. 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. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Each of these six powerhouse authors would draw a crowd on her own; together, watch out. Grades 8-12. Copyright 2021 Booklist Reviews.