Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton (review)

When the lights of New York City go out, the romantic lives of a dozen teens take a few surprising turns in this delightful collection of interconnected stories of young love and city life by a powerhouse set of Black YA authors. With most of the transit system down, exes Kareem and Tammi have to make their way back home together after competing for the same internship; stuck on the subway, basketball player JJ spots his crush and contemplates making a move and coming out as bi; Nella is grateful for Joss' help in keeping the elderly residents of Althea House entertained in the blackout—and her assistance in getting Nella over a humiliating breakup. Lana might finally tell her childhood friend she loves him as they sneak through the closed stacks of the New York Public Library; on a school visit from Mississippi, Kayla's got to figure out her boyfriend problems and herself; and Grace is going to tell her ex-boyfriend off, just as soon as her very cute Ryde driver can get through traffic. The teens bump up against one another in different stories, and NYC landmarks and neighborhood quirks are seamlessly interwoven, making this an ode to the hustle and bustle of city life and the endless possibilities of human connection it offers. Readers see characters put front and center in one story only to become background in another, an effect that feels much like people-watching on a busy street, catching glimpses of peoples' stories, and yet the authors manage to convey enough backstory to give the teens depth and richness. There's plenty to smile, sigh, or swoon at here, and readers will happily keep the lights on to see these charming romances to the end.