The Voting Booth - Brandy Colbert
I couldn’t put this book down. The plot works perfectly: a brilliant balance of teenage life and romance with important, heavy topics such as democracy, voter suppression, white supremacy, police brutality, etc. Marva Sheridan cannot wait to vote: she has been an activist for as long as she can remember, but this is the first election where she can legally vote. When she meets Duke Crenshaw on her way out of the voting booth, and realizes that he is not able to cast his own vote, she makes it her mission to make sure that he is able to before the end of the day. This is the beginning of a day full of ups and downs and surprises, while the two teenagers get to know each other, and help others vote in the general election.
This is such a timely novel. Voter suppression is a huge issue in this country, especially in areas with large African American populations. While this is one of the main topics through-out the novel, Marva and Duke also evoke how much systemic racism and institutionalized white supremacy affects the lives of Black people on a day to day basis. Brandy Colbert writes in such a way that you actually feel right there with the protagonists, and get as riled up as Marva does about social justice. I feel like this story is a great YA read for those who are passionate about social justice and changing the world, but also for those who love a good teenage romance story. And it’s a great read for those who want to be active but who don’t know where to start, there are so many great pointers in this novel! There are some predictable areas within the plot, but they are also kind of cute, and I enjoyed the ending. (And for anyone complaining about how fast everything happened in the story: don’t you remember what life was like as a teen?!).
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.