"Strong characterisation and warm emotional depth mark out this uplifting YA debut." GuardianWhat if Romeo & Juliet took place in Memphis in 2022?Ray has no time for romance. She's queen of the roller rink, she writes found poetry, and she's got her eyes set on her own independent future. Besides, she's seen what loving someone too much - and losing them - can do to a person.Orion, on the other hand, would like to be smooth with the girls. Just once. He looks like the jock his father wants him to be, but really he's a hopeless romantic.When he spots Ray at the rink, it feels like the stars have aligned. But now it seems like something in their families' past will stand in their way, and cross their stars forever... An honest, unpredictable, funny and heartbreaking dual-POV love story to fall head over heels for.
Sparks fly when Orion and Ray meet for the first time at a roller rink in Memphis. But these star-crossed souls have a past filled with secrets that threaten to tear them apart before their love story even begins. Found poetry, grief, and fate collide in this powerful debut. Ray: Just once I'd like my birthday to be about me, and not the day my father died. I want to be Ray Jr., the tall girl from Memphis with the poetry beats and the braids that stay poppin'. And when I meet Orion at the skating rink, that's exactly who I am. He pulls my hand, and instead of being defined by my past, he races me toward my future. Orion: When I dive into the pool, it's just me and my heartbeat. There's no dad, no dead sister, and no distracting noises. But I can't hold my breath forever. And since I met Ray, I don't want to. The closer we get, though, the more I see I'm not the only one caught in her wake. With a lyrical blend of found poetry and poignant prose, this stunning debut captures young Black
Sparks fly when Orion and Ray meet for the first time at a roller rink in Memphis. But these star-crossed souls have a past filled with secrets that threaten to tear them apart before their love story even begins. Found poetry, grief, and fate collide in this powerful debut.Ray: Just once I’d like my birthday to be about me, and not the day my father died. I want to be Ray Jr., the tall girl from Memphis with the poetry beats and the braids that stay poppin’. And when I meet Orion at the skating rink, that’s exactly who I am. He pulls my hand, and instead of being defined by my past, he races me toward my future. Orion: When I dive into the pool, it’s just me and my heartbeat. There’s no dad, no dead sister, and no distracting noises. But I can’t hold my breath forever. And since I met Ray, I don’t want to. The closer we get, though, the more I see I’m not the only one caught in her wake. With a lyrical blend of found poetry and poignant prose, this stunning deb
