All the Things We Never Knew

April 1, 2020

Gr 9 Up-Rex and Carli, both juniors, play basketball for different high schools. At first glance, they both feel an immediate attraction. During a game, Rex blows a kiss to his mom before he shoots, and Carli thinks it's for her. A few minutes later they meet, when Carli falls into a faint, and Rex catches her. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of this most appealing couple as they experience their first love, struggle through polarizing feelings about basketball, and witness the consequences of hiding secrets. Tamani allows readers a deep dive into the glory and mess of new relationships, while also providing Carli and Rex with family back stories that give their actions and reasoning credibility. VERDICT The immediacy of Tamani's writing, imbued with wonderful sensory moments as the two protagonists let their guards down, will ensure that this engaging story has wide appeal.-Michelle Kornberger, Havenview Middle School, Memphis

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2020
Texas high school junior basketball star Rex Carrington has a tradition at the free-throw line: blowing a kiss to his mother, who died giving birth to him. On the day his kiss happens to land on 16-year-old Carli, another basketball champion from another school, she passes out, he catches her, and the two form a bond that eventually turns into love. Through poetic, economic prose and alternating points of view, Tamani (Calling My Name) evokes myriad emotions: Rex associates his father’s neglect with blame for Rex’s mother’s death; Carli wants to quit basketball and is devastated over her parents’ recent separation. Though complexities threaten the romance (misunderstandings, family secrets, Rex’s frustrations, and Carli’s reluctance to be open), most prominently shown is its passion (“It’s like we’re two trees secretly sharing nutrients underground, two stars orbiting around all the things there’s no language for”). Readers will be easily swept away by this tale exploring the hearts and souls of two emotionally vulnerable athletes. Ages 13–up. Agent: Jennifer Carlson, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary.

July 1, 2020
When Houston high school basketball star Rex Carrington blows his customary kiss to his late mother, similarly talented Carli mistakenly thinks it's meant for her -- right before she passes out from a gallbladder attack. Rex rushes to her side, and from there, sparks fly on and off the court. The alternating narrations by Carli and Rex thrust readers into the intensity of first love, dreams of bright futures, and the hope of happily ever after. However, the romance has some bumps in the road as the realities of each of their lives encroach upon their relationship: Carli grapples with her parents' separation and her family's expectations about her future in basketball, while Rex struggles to connect with his emotionally distant father. This romance stands out because of its sensitive Black characters (Rex is allowed to cry), who revel in their naive teenage notions of love and experience all the volatility of adolescence.

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2020
When Houston high school basketball star Rex Carrington blows his customary kiss to his late mother, similarly talented Carli mistakenly thinks it's meant for her -- right before she passes out from a gallbladder attack. Rex rushes to her side, and from there, sparks fly on and off the court. The alternating narrations by Carli and Rex thrust readers into the intensity of first love, dreams of bright futures, and the hope of happily ever after. However, the romance has some bumps in the road as the realities of each of their lives encroach upon their relationship: Carli grapples with her parents' separation and her family's expectations about her future in basketball, while Rex struggles to connect with his emotionally distant father. This romance stands out because of its sensitive Black characters (Rex is allowed to cry), who revel in their naive teenage notions of love and experience all the volatility of adolescence. Monique Harris

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from May 1, 2020
Two promising Texas basketball players navigate the ups and downs of first love. For 11th grade star players Carli and Rex, it's love at first sight when he blows her a kiss from the free-throw line as she watches the game on the sidelines. Carli believes in magic and looks for signs in everyday life--like Rex's kiss--to help her make decisions. Who should she live with after her parents' divorce? What should she do with her future--one that won't include basketball, which she knows will disappoint her father and teammates? Rex is a nature lover like his mother, who died giving birth to him. His father is distant, and inside their big, lonely house, Rex dreams of the NBA. Carli and Rex's roller-coaster romance is rife with betrayal, heartbreak, grief, and family secrets. As narrators of alternating chapters, they are funny, smart, and unflinchingly candid. Well-written dialogue and fine attention to detail reveal Tamani's strong insight into Gen Z life. The intensity and depth of Carli and Rex's love story are conveyed as deftly as the high-energy play-by-plays in their basketball games. Tamani crafts layers of complexity around falling in love, making hard choices, and dealing with loss--on and off the court--in this deeply intimate story of two talented, sensitive teens. Carli, Rex, and their relatives and friends are black; Rex's teammates are white. A superb, complex romance full of heart, humor, and unforgettable characters. (Fiction. 13-18)

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.