THIS NIGHT IS OURS

A teen finds herself at a crossroads while navigating family pressures and her own desires for her life.

Eighteen-year-old Brandy Bailey graduated from high school a few weeks ago, and now she must decide what to do next. Her dream is to attend art school; she has an online store and even sells sketches to friends. But it’s complicated: Brandy’s absent white father is a noted artist, but her mother, who’s Black, would prefer for her to become a nurse, like two generations of women before her. When Brandy is accepted into nursing school, her worst fears are realized, and she begins to spiral. On top of the turmoil over her future career, Brandy is drawn into a closer relationship with former classmate Ben Nolan, a white boy “whose voice and face and entire presence” made her “adrenaline spike every day.” Brandy faces the most stressful, anxiety-filled day of her life, but Ben—who also has big creative dreams—is ready to come along for the ride. Davis successfully takes on the challenge of telling a story that unfolds over the course of a single day. Each chapter opens with a time stamp, and there’s just enough exposition to set up the central characters; readers will be engaged as they experience Brandy’s monumental night of self-discovery set against the backdrop of the town carnival.

Quick pacing and clever writing make this an appealing coming-of-age story.