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Book Resume
for Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, and Angie Thomas
Professional book information and credentials for Blackout.
9 Professional Reviews (4 Starred)
6 Book Awards
Selected for 20 State/Province Lists
Six stories by six different contributors are set during a citywide blackout in New ...read more
- School Library Journal:
- Grades 8 and up
- School Library Journal:
- Grades 9 and up
- Booklist:
- Grades 8 - 12
- Kirkus:
- Ages 14 and up
- Publisher's Weekly:
- Ages 13 and up
- TeachingBooks:*
- Grades 7-12
- Word Count:
- 60,277
- Lexile Level:
- 650L
- ATOS Reading Level:
- 4.4
- Cultural Experience:
- African American
- Genre:
- Realistic Fiction
- Science Fiction / Fantasy
- Year Published:
- 2021
13 Subject Headings
The following 13 subject headings were determined by the U.S. Library of Congress and the Book Industry Study Group (BISAC) to reveal themes from the content of this book (Blackout).
- Teenagers, Black--Fiction
- Dating (Social customs)
- Teenagers, Black
- Interpersonal relations--Fiction
- Electric power failures
- Dating (Social customs)--Fiction
- Dating (Social customs)--Juvenile fiction
- Teenagers, Black--Juvenile fiction
- Short stories
- Interpersonal relations
- Electric power failures--Fiction
- Young adult fiction
- Interpersonal relations--Juvenile fiction
9 Full Professional Reviews (4 Starred)
The following unabridged reviews are made available under license from their respective rights holders and publishers. Reviews may be used for educational purposes consistent with the fair use doctrine in your jurisdiction, and may not be reproduced or repurposed without permission from the rights holders.
Note: This section may include reviews for related titles (e.g., same author, series, or related edition).
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Six stories by six different contributors are set during a citywide blackout in New York that begins on a hot summer day and extends into the night, ending at a Brooklyn block party where all the characters converge. A basketball phenom stuck on the subway comes out as bisexual to a (claustrophobic!) bi male classmate he’s attracted to. A young woman ghosted by a friend she thought was something more senses the seeds of romance taking root with another young woman while visiting her grandfather. On a stuck-in-traffic bus full of teens visiting NYC from Mississippi, a girl sitting with her boyfriend contemplates her crush across the aisle but finds self-love. A young woman and her best friend hide in the NYPL after it’s closed, but her real reason for setting up the challenge is to (finally!) tell him she loves him. When a ride-for-hire car runs out of gas, the male driver insists on walking his female passenger through the dark, lively streets to the block party she’s going to. And in an episodic story that spans the collection, two teens who broke up four months before find new ground to stand on as they walk miles back to Brooklyn on foot. This upbeat volume features singular characters, welcome discussions of consent, and open acceptance of sexualities as the diverse Black teens at the center of each story find opportunities for new or fresh starts in the metaphorical and literal dark. (Age 13 and older)
CCBC Choices 2022 © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2022. Used with permission.
From School Library Journal
Starred review from February 1, 2022
Gr 8 Up-This collection of short stories by six acclaimed YA authors-Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon-explores what happens when teens experience a blackout during a heat wave in New York City. While all of the stories feature different characters and story lines, they are interwoven as the teens head to the same block party and are tangentially connected to characters from the other stories. Each of these love stories is unique and features romantic tropes that are well loved: the meet-cute, the enemies to lovers, the second chance romance, the friends to lovers, and more. The stories are a celebration of what it is like to fall in love and to find yourself in unexpected places. This collection is also a love letter to New York City, exploring not only well-recognized landmarks but also the life beat of the different neighborhoods. While the authors are well-known, the voices of the narrators for each story will also be familiar to audiobook fans as many are YA alums and include Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Dion Graham, Imani Parks, Jordan Cobb, Shayna Small, A.J. Beckles, and Bahni Turpin. Having different narrators voice each story truly makes them feel like individual stories and makes each set of characters unique. All characters are Black, with some identifying as queer. VERDICT A must-buy for all audiobook and print collections and a great recommendation for fans of romance and realistic fiction.-Courtney Pentland
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
From Horn Book
September 1, 2021
Six stories of romance from six Black young adult authors set this collaborative novel apart, with the tales, all taking place during a (fictional) summer blackout affecting all of New York City, intertwining as the characters make their way toward a block party in Brooklyn. The stories center Black love in its many forms, with Black protagonists who are culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse and have varying sexualities. Topics include love at first sight in Woodfolk's "Made to Fit"; a chance meeting in a rideshare in Yoon's "Seymour and Grace"; a relationship autopsy in Jackson's "The Long Walk"; former friends reconnecting on a stuck subway train in Stone's "Mask Off"; best friends exploring the possibility of love in Clayton's "All the Great Love Stories...and Dust"; and lessons in self-love in Thomas's "No Sleep Til Brooklyn." A breezy, entertaining summer read, with each author taking advantage of the premise to write into the underserved space of Black young adult rom-com. Monique Harris
(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
From School Library Journal
Starred review from July 1, 2021
Gr 9 Up-A New York City blackout sets the stage for romance and self-realization in this compilation of intertwining stories by well-known Black YA authors: Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon. Various friends and couples are on their way to a block party in Brooklyn when a blackout hits the city. Tammi is struggling as she and her ex-boyfriend Kareem arrive at an internship that they have each accepted, but there is only one spot. As they walk from Harlem to the party in Brooklyn, tales of their family and friends are interspersed as new relationships begin and others come to an end. Each story is told by a different writer, with Tammi and Kareem's story as the thread that binds them together. Hetero and queer couples are represented without "coming out" being the overall theme; the collection is ultimately about love and the journey to find it. Each of the authors is strong on their own, but together they are incredible. All characters are BIPOC. VERDICT A celebration of love in all its forms. A must-have for all young adult collections.-Ashley Leffel, Griffin M.S., Frisco, TX
Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
From Horn Book
July 1, 2021
Also written by Ashley Woodfolk and Nicola Yoon. Six stories of romance from six Black young adult authors set this collaborative novel apart, with the tales, all taking place during a (fictional) summer blackout affecting all of New York City, intertwining as the characters make their way toward a block party in Brooklyn. The stories center Black love in its many forms, with Black protagonists who are culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse and have varying sexualities. Topics include love at first sight in Woodfolk's "Made to Fit"; a chance meeting in a rideshare in Yoon's "Seymour and Grace"; a relationship autopsy in Jackson's "The Long Walk"; former friends reconnecting on a stuck subway train in Stone's "Mask Off"; best friends exploring the possibility of love in Clayton's "All the Great Love Stories...and Dust"; and lessons in self-love in Thomas's "No Sleep Til Brooklyn." A breezy, entertaining summer read, with each author taking advantage of the premise to write into the underserved space of Black young adult rom-com.
(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
From Booklist
Starred review from June 1, 2021
Grades 8-12 *Starred Review* In this collection of interlinked shorts, the YA-author supergroup of Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Ashley Woodfolk, Angie Thomas, and Nicola Yoon takes the concept of a New York City-wide blackout and lights it up with six sweet, Black-teen summer romances. The conceit begins with "A Long Walk," Jackson's story of a recently split couple whose flame reignites over the course of an epic walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn. Crucially, this is broken up into five interstitial acts, anchoring readers and giving the book a solid through line. In between those segments, Stone's "Mask Off" explores the history of two young men whose long-simmering attraction comes to a head after they're trapped underground on a subway car; Woodfolk's "Made to Fit" sees two lesbians falling for each other while caring for retirement-home residents; Clayton's "All the Great Love Stories . . . and Dust" draws out the agonizing confession of love between two lifelong best friends; in "No Sleep 'til Brooklyn," Thomas' love triangle (turned quadrangle) becomes a journey toward self-love; and Yoon brings it home with a meet-cute between a girl and her "Ryde" driver. Rich with intersectional queer representation and light with banter, humor, and even philosophy, this beautiful collaboration hits different from your typical romance novel, ultimately evoking the warmth of greater connection, community, and belonging. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Each of these six powerhouse authors would draw a crowd on her own; together, watch out.
COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
From Kirkus
May 15, 2021
Six authors collaborate to create an interwoven story set during a blackout. Unbearably hot temperatures in New York City cause a sudden blackout, simultaneously throwing plans into chaos and creating unexpected opportunities. Contributor Clayton, who is joined by YA superstars Jackson, Stone, Thomas, Woodfolk, and Yoon, was inspired by Covid-19 and the "metaphorical blackout" it has created for the world to initiate this project that embraces a wide spectrum of Blackness and sexuality. The characters' final destination is a block party in Brooklyn with Jackson's "The Long Walk," a story about reconnecting exes told in five acts, serving as the overarching mechanism to connect the narratives. Stone and Woodfolk contribute queer love stories in "Mask Off" and "Made To Fit" respectively. Thomas' "No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn" begins as a love triangle, progresses to a love quadrangle--and in the end is about self-love and discovery. Clayton's story, "All the Great Love Stories...and Dust," is set in the New York Public Library's main branch and centers on best friends who may become something more. Yoon's piece completes the novel with strangers finding love in a ride-share car in "Seymour and Grace." Working together to deliver a fantastic mix of humor and romance, these authors offer something fun and lighthearted that is welcome during the continuing pandemic and that will bring joy long after it's over. A celebration of Black teen love and the magic of possibility. (Fiction. 14-18)
COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
From Publisher's Weekly
Starred review from April 26, 2021
Young Black love glows throughout this collaboration by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon, which follows six couples through a summer blackout in New York City. In a primary story arc, Tammi Wright is about to start her first day as the summer office assistant at the Apollo Theater’s Harlem headquarters when she runs into ex-boyfriend Kareem Murphy, who, due to an admin-
istrative error, is there for the same job. Just as they are about to find out who will receive the single opening, a blackout sweeps the city, causing chaos aboveground and under. As the two reluctantly walk together back to Bed-Stuy, where Kareem is set to DJ a party after dark, they navigate their history and their love for each other. Featured between each stage of their journey are connections—some gentle, some combative, all thrilling—that feature characters falling in or professing their love across the city’s landmarks. As each teen makes their way home, this joyful collaboration brings a necessary elation to stories of Black love, queer love, and alternative forms of affection, all of which are all tenderly highlighted in these narratives. Ages 13–up. Agents: (for Clayton) Molly Ker Hawn, the Bent Agency; (for Jackson) Natalie Lakosil, Bradford Literary; (for Stone) Mollie Glick, CAA; (for Thomas) the Bent Agency; (for Woodfolk) Beth Phelan, Gallt & Zacker; (for Yoon) Jodi Reamer, Writers House.
From AudioFile Magazine
An all-star cast of narrators and bestselling authors come together for a summery treat. Six interlocking short stories tell of young Black love during one night of a New York City blackout. Joniece Abbott-Pratt's compelling voice transports listeners through the five acts of "The Long Walk," Tiffany D. Jackson's story, which interweaves between the others to chronicle two exes reconnecting on a long walk to a Brooklyn block party. Dion Graham gives a heartfelt performance as a character who is confessing a long-held crush in Nic Stone's "Mask Off," and the lively banter between Bahni Turpin and A.J. Beckles in Nicola Yoon's story of hitting it off during a ride share is a delight. Each story sparkles with the excitement and joy of falling in love, and makes for excellent listening. E.E.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
6 Book Awards & Distinctions
Blackout was recognized by committees of professional librarians and educators for the following book awards and distinctions.
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20 Selections for State & Provincial Recommended Reading Lists
Blackout was selected by educational and library professionals to be included on the following state/provincial reading lists.
Australia Lists (1)
Victoria
- Victoria Premier’s Reading Challenge, 2022, Years 9-10
Canada Lists (2)
Alberta
- Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award, 2024, Intermediate Division, for Grades 7-9
British Columbia
- Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award, 2024, Intermediate Division, for Grades 7-9
United States Lists (17)
Alaska
- Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award, 2024, Intermediate Division, for Grades 7-9
District of Columbia
- Capitol Choices, 2022, Ages 14+
Florida
- Florida Teens Read, for Grades 9-12, 2023-2024
Idaho
- Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award, 2024, Intermediate Division, for Grades 7-9
Indiana
- 2024 Read Aloud Indiana, High School
- Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award, 2024-2025
- Read Aloud Indiana Book Award, 1990-2024
Kentucky
- Kentucky Bluegrass Award, 2022-2023 -- Grades 9-12
Maryland
- Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2022-2023, High School
Massachusetts
- Massachusetts Teen Choice Book Award, 2023
Michigan
- MISelf in Books, 2021, High School
Montana
- Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award, 2024, Intermediate Division, for Grades 7-9
Rhode Island
- Rhode Island Teen Book Award, 2023, for Grades 7-12
Texas
- Tayshas Reading List, 2022, for Grades 9-12
Vermont
- Green Mountain Book Award, 2022-2023, for Grades 9-12
Washington
- Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award, 2024, Intermediate Division, for Grades 7-9
Wisconsin
- WSRA Just One More Page 2022, Young Adult
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This Book Resume for Blackout is compiled from TeachingBooks, a library of professional resources about children's and young adult books. This page may be shared for educational purposes and must include copyright information. Reviews are made available under license from their respective rights holders and publishers.
*Grade levels are determined by certified librarians utilizing editorial reviews and additional materials. Relevant age ranges vary depending on the learner, the setting, and the intended purpose of a book.
Retrieved from TeachingBooks on February 25, 2025. © 2001-2025 TeachingBooks.net, LLC. All rights reserved by rights holders.