This is one of my favorite under the radar YAs, and one of the earliest queer YAs starring a person of color. (And, while this cover is gorgeous, there’s a different one on the paperback that makes this one a perfect under-the-gaydar choice, too.) It’s a short, lovely book about grieving and finding support and love where you least expect it, and a great choice for those looking for more tentative, newly questioning and discovering representation. (Note that I’ve tagged the book as bisexual, but labels do not appear.)
Ellis only has four days of her sophomore year left, and summer is so close that she can almost taste it. But even with vacation just within reach, Ellis isn’t exactly relaxed. Her father has been in a coma for years, the result of a construction accident, and her already-fragile relationship with her mother is strained over whether or not to remove him from life support. Her best friend fails even to notice that anything is wrong and Ellis feels like her world is falling apart. But when all seems bleak, Ellis finds comfort in the most unexpected places.
Life goes on, but in those four fleeting days friends are lost and found, promises are made, and Ellis realizes that nothing will ever quite be the same.