Strong Narratives

The Silence that Binds Us by Joanna Ho delves into topics of suicide, grief and racism.

May’s older brother seemed to have it all: favor with their parents, popularity as a star senior on the school’s basketball team, and a recent acceptance into Princeton.

His shocking suicide turns May and her parents’ world upside down. Especially when an influential businessman/parent of one of May’s classmates blames the recent suicides and stress among teens in their community on Asian parents’ pressure on their kids.

May sends a rebuttal to the town newspaper which creates further division in her community and negative consequences for her mom’s job.

Despite her parents’ warnings to stay quiet, May teams up with her closest black friend and her brother to confront racism. They discover that everyone has stories that deserve to be shared.

Through this process, May continues to work through her own grief and her relationship with her parents- specifically her mother.

This book handles tough topics with a direct yet sensitive approach.

Missing Margo

Paper Towns by John Green is a recent read completed with my school’s book club.

I’m normally a John Green fan, but this book wasn’t a favorite.

Quentin is infatuated by his former childhood friend and neighbor Margo. He admires her from afar, until she barges back into his life one night. She takes him on a revenge mission, in which she gets back at her cheating boyfriend and friend. Quentin feels they may be able to build on this experience, but she vanishes.

He becomes obsessed with finding her. Luckily, she has left little clues along the way. While his closest friends are caught up with typical senior year activities such as prom and parties, Quentin determines to find Margo.

When he finally figures out her location, a small group decide to skip graduation to go on a road trip from Florida to New York to find her. They have a specific amount of time to arrive before she will leave.

Once there, Quentin will finally find out if there could be something between them or not.

Miracle

After Life by Gayle Forman is about second chances and how life connects us in unexpected ways.

Amber was killed by a hit and run driver when she was seventeen. Seven years later she returns home feeling as though it’s an ordinary day.

Learning about her accident sets her off on a mission to make sure her life had meaning. Her first impulse is to see her high school boyfriend. This encounter does not go as Amber expected. Neither does her mom’s reaction to seeing her.

The story comes together through multiple viewpoints at different times before her death: Amber’s, her younger sister, her parents, her boyfriend, a teacher and her former best friend.

This story is well written and thought provoking. It had me reaching for tissues by its conclusion.

Silence is Violence

Kneel by Candace Buford is my final 2025 high school Nutmeg nominee. It’s a racially charged book taking place in a Louisiana town.

Russell and his football team have the potential to have a great senior year. That is until their toughest rivals from the neighboring white school instigate a fight during one of their first games.

Russell’s town lost a teen to police brutality. A terrible case in which the officer faced no charges. Rampant racism continues as Russell’s teammate faces charges for the fight while the instigator gets off with a slap on the wrist.

Russell is pressured to decide between activism or staying quiet to ensure looks from D1 colleges. His decision will potentially affect his ability to play, his relationship with teammates and his parents. His love interest is also part of the decision.

Events build to a boiling point at a peaceful protest that is portrayed as a riot.

Russell is able to make a final decision that brings needed attention to the horrific racism and inequality in their town.

Finding Color

As Long as the Lemon Tree Grows by Zoulfa Katouh is a high school Nutmeg nominee.

Salama works in a Syrian hospital during the uprising. She is faced with death on a daily basis. Her struggle is whether to stay and continue helping, or to follow her brother’s last request to get his pregnant wife Layla out of Syria.

Added to her decision is a new love interest who plans to stay in Syria (with his younger brother and sister) in order to continue sharing its stories with the world.

Through the story, Samala’s PTSD from losing her family (different scenarios) has her talking to an invisible male figure named Khawf. But this voice becomes more important than she could realize.

This book reveals details about potentially unknown events. It reveals the strength of character needed to endure hardship and the ability to find glimmers of light in darkness.

Sex Ed

Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles is another Nutmeg nominee.

Del has been obsessed with Kiera since they were in grade school, but she was always in a relationship- until now. Del decides to join a church group to get closer to her so he can make his move, but it turns out to be a purity pledge group.

What follows is Del’s attempts to get closer to an uninterested Kiera with help from her neighbor Jameel. Through the process is town/school drama related to a group of teen moms known as the Baby Getters and a sexuality class being taught at the school. And social media has become a platform to call out deadbeat dads and shoddy male behavior.

There are so many other nuances to this book including topics of religion, parenting, relationships and sexuality. Eventually, Del realizes that he needs to change his approach to get the girl.

To be honest, I wasn’t super into reading this book at first. But the author’s conversational, humorous style engaged me within just a few pages. I wish this was required reading for every high school student.

Learning to Listen

The Three Ordinary Voices of God by Matthew Kelly was handed to us at church so I gave it a read.

It advises against misliving one’s life. The surest way of doing so is by getting caught up in the hustle and bustle, noise and materialism in the world.

Instead we should listen to God’s voice through our needs, talents and desires. Each voice is broken down within its own chapter including more specific information and exercises. I found myself underlining many points throughout.

This book found me at a good time. It reminds readers of what is truly important in life, and the necessity to turn off the noise and clutter that diminish our growth.

Tangled Prom

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany Jackson is a solid homage to Stephen King’s Carrie. It is also another 2025 high school Nutmeg nominee.

Maddy’s dad has forced her to hide the fact that she is biracial her whole life. Her dad is white and the mother she never met is black. Maddy has always been a quiet loner, but once her secret comes out the bullying becomes ruthless. One female classmate in particular takes the lead in her humiliation. She finds some refuge in honing her newfound telekinetic powers.

Her small town of Springville begins getting a lot of attention for its racism both against Maddy specifically and the fact that it holds two proms as a means of segregation.

Wendy is one of the popular girls who decides to spearhead combining proms. Not only will it show their town is progressive but it will make her look good too. She also pushes her star athlete boyfriend Kendrick to invite Maddy to the prom.

Readers can predict how it goes from there based on news interviews from the prom’s bloody aftermath interspersed throughout the book.

Fear and Distrust

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys is a historical fiction novel taking place in 1989 Romania. It’s a 2025 Nutmeg nominee.

Romania had been under Communist rule for decades. Their leader is Nicolae Ceaușescu. Cristian secretly writes about the hardships faced such as random loss of electricity, poor to no heat and food, and constant fear of being under surveillance.

Cristian is pressured to be an informant due to his friendship with the son of the U.S. ambassador. He agrees to the arrangement to get medicine for his sick grandfather.

Cristian realizes that not everyone is who they seem to be. It becomes difficult to know who to trust among family and friends.

Through it all is the constant hope that they can create the same changes that are happening to neighboring countries. This will be an extremely difficult battle with fear, loss and suffering along the way.

I knew very little about the circumstances in Romania during this time period before reading this book. It is written so well, which is clearly due to the author’s extensive research shared with her note, resources and pictures at the end of the book.

Overcoming Trauma

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir is a 2025 high school Nutmeg nominee.

Sal and Noor have been friends since childhood. They are Pakistani, and have endured varying levels of racism and isolation.

Their relationship is put to the test during their senior year of high school. First is their separation after Noor tried to kiss Sal. Then they lose Sal’s mom (she was also Noor’s mother figure) to kidney disease.

The story gradually reveals that both characters have different abusive backgrounds. Noor’s is still occurring. Her only out is to go to college, but she has been denied by most of them. Sal has turned to selling drugs to save his family’s motel, while his dad spirals deeper into alcoholism.

Events transpire between both characters’ viewpoints, along with various chapters devoted to Sal’s mom. Her chapters reveal how she became married and their move to California, as well as her hopes for the future.

One impactful message: “If we are lost, God is like water, finding the unknowable path when we cannot.” The author did an amazing job of weaving their stories together, and in doing so, providing strength and beauty amidst misfortune.