Two musicians find their ways back to each other.
As a Black girl adopted by a White family, Dylan has always felt like an outsider in her small town. She feels like a piece of her is missing but thinks she will find her place when she is accepted into Juilliard’s music program. When her ex–best friend, who ghosted her six years ago, temporarily moves into the family basement—her practice room—for unknown reasons, Dylan’s perfectly planned senior year gets hijacked. Langston, who now goes by Legend, has become an R&B superstar, but lately he has been in the tabloids for all the wrong reasons—parties, fights, and a car accident. His mom now has a conservatorship and will only agree to his upcoming world tour if he proves to her that he has his life under control. Legend hopes that returning to Iowa and fixing things with Dylan will show that he has changed his ways. He wants them to complete their childhood bucket list, but between practicing the violin for three hours a day and not trusting him, Dylan struggles with taking a chance. Davis meaningfully explores the complexities around transracial adoption in ways specific to the Black community. Dylan’s friends are well developed and contribute to the storyline and growth of both main characters. The evolution of Dylan and Legend’s relationship is a nice, slow burn.
A textured story of going from friends to something more, complete with a happily-ever-after.
(Fiction. 14-18)