Review by Booklist Review
Rochelle "The Shell" Coleman and Amira Rodriguez are not friends. In fact, they're probably closer to academic rivals. But when Rochelle needs a summer job, she winds up working at the Horizon, a historic Black movie theater on Long Island, where the assistant manager is none other than Amira. Though the two girls clash at first, the amicable truce they call quickly turns to feelings. But there's a prankster on the loose who's sabotaging the Horizon, which only serves to aggravate the theater's existing money troubles. Rochelle is a hard worker who is dedicated to her studies and often balks at the thought of big parties, but over the summer, her friendship circle expands, and she opens up to her coworkers and accepts them as friends, which is a delightful character arc to follow. Amira is a captivating love interest who brings out the best in Rochelle, and the mystery of the prankster keeps the plot moving along at a great pace. Jamal's debut YA novel is a fun summer romance with an engaging mystery to follow.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Debut author Jamal delivers a fluffy romance about making time for interpersonal connection while pursuing one's dreams. Having been raised by a single mother following her father's death, Black, queer 17-year-old Rochelle Coleman is always aiming high. With the summer in full swing, she's eager to land a job, hoping to gain experience to add to her college applications. She's hired at Horizon Cinema, a historic Black-owned theater near Queens that screens classic and recent films by Black luminaries. Unfortunately, Rochelle's former friend and rival, Afro-Cuban and Puerto Rican Amira Rodriguez, also works at Horizon. But after Rochelle, Amira, and the rest of Horizon's high-energy crew learn that the theater is in financial trouble, the teens band together to save their beloved establishment. References to contemporary internet culture and Black-led movies like Space Jam and Shaft (part of the theater's Monthly Classics series), as well as an engaging queer love story, enliven this summer read. The characters' individual struggles with grief are approached with lighthearted tenderness. Jamal's low-conflict interpretation of Rochelle's unintentional alienation of her loved ones supports the novel's focus on the importance of meaningfully engaging in one's own life. Ages 13--up. (Apr.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up--An enemies-to-lovers romance with a cinematic backdrop. It's the summer before Rochelle's senior year of high school, and she is desperate for a job that will shine on her college applications. Determined to get a business degree from Wharton and then pursue a career as an international trade attorney, Rochelle is single-minded in her desire for good grades and an impressive resume. Rochelle is offered a job at Horizon Cinema, the only Black-owned movie theater on Long Island, and it seems like her summer plan is going perfectly. Then she learns that she will be supervised by her nemesis and former childhood friend Amira. After ruining their friendship in ninth grade by claiming Amira was a distraction from her goals for the future, Rochelle has avoided her while remaining fixated on their competition to be valedictorian. Sparks of frustration and attraction fly when Rochelle and Amira are thrown together at Horizon, and when they learn that the cinema is in danger of closing, the pair must overcome their past conflicts to help save the historic landmark. Rochelle and her best friends are Black, Amira is Afro-Cuban and Afro-Puerto Rican, and their coworkers come from diverse backgrounds. VERDICT A breezy summer romance that celebrates friendship, forgiveness, and Black cinema.--Emily Yates
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A Black high school senior on Long Island falls for her archnemesis. Despite her mom and best friends insisting she should relax and enjoy the summer, Rochelle Coleman is determined to get her first job in order to round out her college application. She's obsessed with attending the same Ivy League school as her ma and late dad. Rochelle is willing to do anything to get in--even rebuffing her childhood friend, Afro-Latine Amira Rodriguez, whose social butterfly personality feels too distracting. When Rochelle lands a job at Horizon Cinema, the local Black-owned theater, she's surprised to learn that Amira not only works there but will be her boss. Rochelle's prickly, competitive personality causes her to clash with her new coworkers and inadvertently hurt Amira's feelings. But when a series of mishaps lead to the revelation that the Horizon is in financial trouble, the teen crew comes together to save the theater and find the culprit behind the pranks. All the while, Rochelle is trying to understand her growing feelings for Amira. The story contains several popular tropes, including an opposites-attract romance and a small-town business rescue, but it's lacking in nuance and rich character development. The process of solving the mystery isn't suspenseful and the guilty party's identity feels obvious. The novel's diverse cast of primary and secondary characters is both welcome and refreshing, however. Enjoyable enough but predictable and lacking in depth.(Romance. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
