REGGIE AND DELILAH'S YEAR OF FALLING

The lead singer of a punk band and a D&D Dungeon Master find love and find themselves in Bryant’s latest teen romance.

Hoping to come off as a cool girl at her new school, Delilah Cole, a biracial Black 16-year-old, just goes with the flow…and ends up as the lead singer of her friends’ punk band, Fun Gi, despite not having any musical experience at all. Black 17-year-old Reggie Hubbard plays Dungeons & Dragons weekly with his friends and writes online essays critiquing colonialism and racism in the game under a pseudonym to protect his identity. When Reggie sees Delilah perform with her band on New Year’s Eve, he’s instantly smitten and works up the courage to talk to her. Charmed by his nerdiness, Delilah immediately takes a liking to Reggie, but their meet-cute is interrupted when band mate Charlie finds them and Reggie assumes Charlie is her boyfriend. They part ways only to run into each other on Valentine’s Day. Reggie and Delilah’s relationship is measured in chance meetings on various holidays, including St. Patrick’s Day, Juneteenth, and even National Catfish Day. Bryant’s adorable, introspective, authentic story alternates perspectives between two insecure teens struggling to be true to themselves: Delilah wishes she were more like seemingly self-assured Reggie, while Reggie worries about what will happen when Delilah realizes his confidence is just a front to impress her.

A darling ballad for the shy and nerdy yearning to belong.