Blackout: A Novel by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, & Nicola Yoon

(Format used for this read: Audiobook)

Six critically acclaimed, bestselling, and award-winning authors bring the glowing warmth and electricity of Black teens in love to this charming, hilarious, and heartwarming novel that shines a bright light through the dark.

A summer heatwave blankets New York City in darkness. But as the city is thrown into confusion, a different kind of electricity sparks…

A first meeting. 

Long-time friends. 

Bitter exes. 

And maybe the beginning of something new.

When the lights go out, people reveal hidden truths. Love blossoms, friendship transforms, and new possibilities take flight.

Beloved authors—Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon—celebrate the beauty of six couples and the unforgettable magic that can be found on a sweltering starry night in the city.

Wowza…this was a collection of work by some friggin’ AWESOME and AMAZING Black authors AND narrators!

Such a terrific literary creation AND audiobook production….I completely LOVE IT when this happens!

It’s just magical for the brain and ears of bookworms.

I’m not usually a big short story collection type of reader— technically this IS a novel—but really what it is is several different short stories that happen at the same time in the same city.

But yall…I was IN LOVE with this book start to finish!

I LOVE when books jump back and forth between storylines that are unconnected but yet also connected in some small ways…this book does this with PERFECTION.

(Think “Love Actually”…except in NYC…and modern….and with hip teenagers.🤣)

The multiple narrators was FANTASTIC.

This book is filled with lovely little romances–mostly first young loves.

Which is appropriate considering this is a YA book—which I didn’t even realize until I was over halfway thru 🤣

But yall know it’s all good because I LOVE YA BOOKS ANYWAYS!

The characters are down to Earth, relatable and extremely unique and likeable.

There are TONS of “meet cute” moments that are like MADE for the big screen… or for a Netflix series.

Ohhhh it would be SO FABULOUS if one of those things happened!!!!

Every story was enjoyable, well written and heart warming…it really was just what I needed without me even realizing I needed it.

It was a fun read but I think it’s even BETTER when enjoyed in it’s audiobook form…because seriously yall the voice actors are FOR REAL DOPE.

If you love New York, YA books, modern romances and/or any of the authors listed in the credits, then DEFINITELY add this one to your summer reads list!