Love Is a Revolution by Renée Watson (review)

It's the summer before senior year, and Nala hopes to fill it with romance and good times. At an Inspire Harlem event she meets handsome Tye, and sparks fly; however, Tye, like Nala's "cousin-sister-friend" Imani, is a devoted young activist, and Nala feels like she has to pretend to be one too in order to keep Tye's attention. The closer they get, the more Nala's deceptions pile up, threatening to destroy not only her relationship with Tye but also with Imani. The ever-gifted Watson skillfully portrays Nala's anxiety about being the odd one out in a social group and her (at times legitimate) frustration with the intense, seemingly respiteless earnestness of the Inspire Harlem cohort. There's both exploration and subtle depiction of the complex family situation, with Nala living with her welcoming aunt and uncle, a situation that affects Nala and Imani's family dynamic and adds another reason for Nala to bury herself to fit in. Nala's narration is skillfully tuned to make her lies understandable, her unfairness to Imani evident, and her own underappreciated value (she is much more supportive of and connected to extended family than Imani) clear. Nala's behavior may initially elicit easy judgment, but readers who come to disapprove will stay to understand.