SEVEN MINUTES IN CANDYLAND

A business-savvy high school sophomore in suburban North Carolina tries to mend his parents’ broken marriage and woo his crush.

Sixteen-year-old Kalvin Shmelton is in high demand, thanks to the candygram service he runs out of a school utility closet. Kalvin’s side hustle is booming, but the profits aren’t about self-gain. His parents, psychologists who host Right the ’Ship, a couples therapy podcast and YouTube channel, are (ironically) on the brink of divorce. But Kalvin has a plan—he’ll put his earnings toward a family vacation in Hawaii, where he hopes his parents will fall in love again. When Sterling Glistern, Kalvin’s longtime crush, tearfully takes refuge in his closet headquarters, she opens up to him about her anxiety and insecurities. After his heart-to-heart with Sterling, Kalvin becomes known as the school’s unofficial mental health counselor, and he turns the candy closet into a makeshift therapist’s office. As Kalvin’s client list grows and his feelings for Sterling deepen, he learns that to be human is to be imperfect. Wasson’s debut features an empathetic protagonist who advocates for the destigmatization of mental health care. Kalvin’s need to solve the problems of his family and classmates—even at the expense of his own emotional struggles—will resonate with many readers. Kalvin and Sterling, who are Black, attend a predominantly white school and connect over their shared cultural identity.

An effervescent story of self-discovery that showcases the importance of finding strength in vulnerability.