Thirteen-year-old Andi is struggling after the loss of her mother, an artist and free spirit who could nevertheless be self-absorbed. The aunt and uncle with whom she lives hope that attending an elite music camp will help her move forward, but Andi finds she can’t play her trumpet with the same passion as before.
At the camp, she meets Zora, the only other Black girl there. Zora is a camp veteran, but is finding her enthusiasm waning under the pressure from her parents to excel at flute and ignore her interest in dance.
While both must deal with microaggressions from other campers, including the assumption that they will be friends, they nevertheless connect, though dark-clothed, closed-off Andi and bossy, glitter-wearing Zora may not seem to have much in common. Yet each is hampered by other people’s expectations and assumptions, and they gradually help each other find the strength to resist, even as their friendship is deepening into something more.
Told in alternating prose sections of each girl’s voice, with interstitial verses from the perspective of the camp itself, this is a lyrical and moving story of transformation and identity. Highly recommended.
Content warning for self-harm (scratching, hitting).
