Whiteout

YA fiction 

     One of the few good things to come out of the pandemic was Blackout, a novel composed from interwoven short stories all celebrating Black love and all taking place in the same time and place: a summer blackout in New York.  The writers, six of the best and brightest in the YA pantheon, had to create their parts bunkered down in separate locations.  But all fit together perfectly.

     Whiteout is the very worthy sequel.  Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon have shifted locale and season.  But all the elements that make Blackout outstanding are here in their second ensemble narrative.

     Stevie and Sola are an unlikely couple.  Stevie is a science nerd, less than comfortable with the aspects of life that can't be proven or quantified.  Sola is much more of a romantic.  But they've hit the point where they're confident enough about their relationship to tell Sola's family that they've gone from friends to girlfriends...

     ...only something goes horribly wrong that night.  The family is outraged.  Sola has given Stevie a deadline for apologizing to them all.  Stevie has enlisted friends to help her with a complicated project designed to win her back.  What could go wrong?...

     ...How about the weather?  Life in Atlanta has been brought to a screeching halt by a snowstorm.  Malls and other businesses are shut down.  Planes can't come in or out. Cars are stuck on highways.  Each person needed to carry out the plan has to find a way to get there, some from a distance.  And as the flakes continue to fall time is running out.

     But Stevie and Sola's relationship, while centering the narrative, is far from the only one transforming that night.  And the others are equally unique, engaging, and memorable.

     If you loved Blackout you'll want to get down to your local bookstore or library and get your hands on Whiteout.  If you haven't read either you're in for a double treat.  And if you're like me you'll find yourself hoping for yet another sequel by this literary dream team.

On a purrrsonal note, this story sure brought back memories of when my mother was still alive and she and Harriet had moved from a majority fundamentalist island to one of North Carolina's larger cities.  One holiday when I was visiting the place was paralyzed by what they called a blizzard.  Schools and businesses were shutting down right and left.  People were being begged to stay home if they possibly could.  I put my thumb on the ground.  The snow didn't reach my knuckle.  Of course it didn't make sense then for financially stressed cities to not invest in preparing for long shot crises.  But climate change is mixing things all up, making it less clear for any region what long shot weather events are.  This year southern cities have been hit with freezes.  Maybe we all should prepare for the unexpected. (Jules)

And if you can, give a home to an animal companion.  Shelters all over, like my alma mater, Waterville Humane Society, have wonderful cats, dogs, and other critters who yearn for home and family.  (Tobago)

A great big shout out goes out to all, human and critter, who don't give up on love.

Tobago and Jules Hathaway 

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