OUR SHOUTS ECHO

In Adia’s sophomore novel, a 16-year-old Black girl’s plan to build a fallout shelter to help manage her depression and complicated family life gets derailed.

Syracuse, New York, transplant Niarah Holloway is an antisocial, video game–playing, doomsday prepper who’s just trying to make it through the end of sophomore year at her new school in Los Angeles. Her lack of preparation for her end-of-year project leads to her impromptu presentation using items from her Every Day Carry survival kit—and the nickname “Doomsday Girl.” Niarah’s poor attendance also lands her in the office of the guidance counselor, where she learns she must complete the capstone assignment and gym requirement over the summer to avoid repeating 10th grade. Instead of pursuing her original summer plan to construct Camp Doom, her fortified bunker, she’s forced to enroll in Mexican American classmate Marco “Mac” Torres’ Color Outside wilderness group, which is anathema to “Indoor Kid” Niarah. Over the summer, conflict with her parents, challenges to her pessimistic mindset, and feelings for Mac shake Niarah up. The emotional tenor of the narrative will resonate with many readers: The author thoroughly examines depression and family trauma, while also weaving poignant moments, cute romantic encounters, and a generous helping of humor into this satisfying story that has appealing leads.

An engaging read that contains both the hard realities and beautiful aspects of teen life.