February 7, 2022
Schumacher’s (Amelia Unabridged) slow-burn romance follows high schoolers Anna James and Weston Ryan, who both read as white and yearn for a life away from Enfield, portrayed as “one of those absurdly small Texas towns” where football is paramount. Since gossip is the town’s “lifeblood,” Weston left the teens’ high school to escape rumors surrounding his parents’ divorce and another involving his having chopped down Enfield’s memorial tree. He’s now returning for his senior year, but the occurrences have shaken him. Anna, meanwhile, struggles to navigate her overbearing, financially stressed parents. When the two are paired to play a duet in marching band, their introspective tendencies and quirks make for a powerful and surprising connection. Their differences inspire each other, too: Anna is a motivated student, but struggles in band and often reverts to people pleasing, while Weston, a driven musician, struggles academically. Alternating first-person chapters slowly lay out the believably wrought teens’ obstacles and budding feelings for one another in this character study that’s interspersed with mentions of mental health and an extended metaphor about a nearly extinct bird searching for family. Ages 12–up. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary.