SLJ's teen reviewers tackle a suspenseful romance, Tony Medina's latest graphic novel, and an action-packed true crime tale. GILES, Amy. Now Is Everything. HarperCollins/HarperTeen. Nov. 2017. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780062495730. Gr 9 Up–This book is about a picture-perfect family. But are they really? After a tragic turn of events, Hadley finds herself in the hospital. She needs to answer some questions asked by a  detective. Following a suicide attempt, Hadley decides that maybe, it’s time to show the world who her father, Miles McCauley, really is. The McCauley’s seem to be not only the richest, but the happiest family that ever was. The cover is a photo of the sky. It has airplane writing in words that spell out the title. It has the background of a new dawn. I think this means a new beginning, or a fresh start. The alternating past and present chapter–based format allows for even more suspense to be created. In this heartrending tale of modern-day Romeo and Juliet, two senior teens come across many obstacles while trying to be together. Thankfully for the readers’ sanity, they do not die. Just basing it off the cover, you would think this is just your average romance. However, once teens open the covers and the contents are exposed, they’ll find the underlying realities of hurt and despair. The  best part of the book is the reveal of Hadley’s emotions and closeness with (*cue sigh*) Charlie Simmons—her forbidden boyfriend. The eternity of not knowing provides just enough suspense in the story to leave you wanting for more. Seeing the kind of relationship she has with him— #GOALS! In a larger spectrum, I would most definitely, recommend this book! It is a work of magical literature. Although to some, the book may seem kind of lengthy, you become so consumed by the need for the ending, you can’t even put the book down. I found myself eating while reading— this book was so fantastic. Giles, you’ve done it. You’ve taken all of the relationship pictures off of Pinterest and put them into words. It’s been a delightful read and we are all hoping and praying for a (*hint hint*) sequel.–Paige, 14 MEDINA, Tony. I Am Alfonso Jones. illus. by Stacey Robinson & John Jennings. Tu Bks. Oct. 2017. pap. $18.95. ISBN 9781620142639 Gr 9 Up–This graphic novel tells of the brutal racist murder of a 15-year-old black teen, Alfonso Jones. Alfonso is picking out his suit at the mall with his crush Danetta, another black teen. He is thought to be holding a gun that was actually a hanger, and is shot by an off-duty white policeman. This graphic novel brings light to real-life issues like police brutality and Black Lives Matter. It is a graphic novel that is both moving and empowering as the story navigates through Alfonso’s afterlife and his family’s present. On the cover of this graphic novel, a black girl is crying while holding a photo of a black boy smiling. There is a protest in the background with signs such as “#IAmAlfonsoJones” and “Justice,” which I immediately connected to Black Lives Matter. I think the illustrators chose to give Alfonso a smile to show his genuineness and innocence in a protest signifying the Black Lives Matter Movement. The protest is done in black and white, while the girl and the photo is in color. I think the illustrators wanted to draw more attention to the parts in color. My favorite part of the book was the heated discussion that Alfonso’s classmates and his teacher had about this murder. The debate talked about how not all police should be stereotyped based on violence from some police and how there are flaws in police training. This was my favorite part because it gave me more insight in the way Alfonso’s school was, which was a fearless community that had the platform and freedom to debate the police system. I liked that students and teachers contributed to this debate and that they were able to incorporate real-life issues in education. I would definitely recommend this graphic novel because it includes real-life issues that have affected our observance of the world. This graphic novel can also educate readers on police brutality that is hidden in mainstream media. Most novels are about fantasy and romance, but this graphic novel is a perfect example for a new and honest genre. Sometimes, as I read this graphic novel, it became hard to identify how Alfonso Jones looked like because of the way he was drawn. Also, the way the author was trying to navigate his readers through the afterlife of Alfonso, the past, and the present, was difficult for me as a reader because the different shades of the panels were confusing. I wondered if the different coloring of the panels signified a different time like the past or present. Overall, I would give this graphic novel four out of five stars.—Abanti, 14 NICHOLS, Katherine. Deep Water. (Simon True). Simon Pulse. May 2017. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9781481481076; pap. $10.99. ISBN 9781481481069. Gr 8 Up–This book is about a group of seemingly “regular-looking guys,” running a $100-million dollar global drug operation. Readers are introduced to 17-year-old Eddie Otero, who craves the adrenaline in taking risks and going on adventures. His life quickly changes after being introduced to the world of drug dealing by his longtime friend Lance Weber. At first, readers are able to travel along with Eddie as he swims across oceans carrying 50 pounds of drugs with him. Later on, their high school Spanish teacher and close friends decide to join the business, and form a close bond with one another. His business partners—Bob, Dave, Lou, and Lance—soon become the family that he never had. However, this so-called “family” begins to fall apart as their drug operations go down the drain. Eddie and the rest of the guys spend the remaining part of the book detailing their lives after being put on every major hit list of the FBI, IRS, and police. The cover of the book is very mysterious and sleek since the main color was a matte black. In my opinion, it matched the topic of the book very well and captured the eerie feeling. By having the cover be minimalist, I was more drawn to the words on the cover rather than the illustration itself. The cover displays the title in big letters with water crashing just below it. It also adds a quote that captures the main plot of the story, which is very alluring. The colors of the words on the cover fit well with the theme of Deep Water. One thing I wish the author changed in the book is the rapid change in perspectives throughout. Due to this, it was hard to understand what was going on in the book since it did not stick to only one character’s perspective. Overall, this is a fascinating book that will capture the attention of many people. The fact that it was based on a true story makes it even more enjoyable to read. Although the change in perspectives makes the book a bit choppy, each chapter is filled with adventures and moments that will leave you craving for more. Deep Water is a great book that illustrates the ugly truth behind greed for money and wealth.—Tenzin WILLIAMS, Ismée Amiel. Water in May.Abrams/Amulet. Sept. 2017. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781419725395. Gr 9 Up–Fifteen-year-old Mari is pregnant, and she’s ecstatic that she will finally find solace and love in this baby. After being abandoned by her parents at a young age, she now resides with her grandma who doesn’t quite understand her. Surrounded by the support of her baby Daddy, Bertie, and her friends, she continues to go to her monthly appointments to the doctor. Things go downhill from there when she learns that her baby has a heart condition, known as HLHS, that could potentially kill him. Now she must make the decision to abort the only source of happiness she has been looking forward to, or continue on this journey without the support of her family and friends. Through the support of her dedicated doctor, Mari finds her inner strength to fight for her baby. Experiencing a fallout with her friends and family, Mari transitions from a rebellious and sassy 15-year-old to a mature young woman trying to do the best for the safety of her child. She doesn’t realize that this baby will not only be her salvation, but for everyone else surrounding her as well. As she continues with her pregnancy, secrets from her past are revealed, and only then does she understand the importance of family. Williams’s book captures the picturesque reality of love, loss, and the true meaning behind sacrifice. The cover is what drew my attention to the book. It appears very mosaic with the letters of the title in different shades of blue, and its glistening effect captured by the light makes it appear that much more enticing. The background is white, so the blue and red of the title is very striking in contrast to the background. The cover says Water in May, with a heart enclosing the in. When I first read the title, I was already drawn in because I imagined the book to be about salvation and finding solace with a bloom of hope. I also felt that I could connect well with this book on the topic of having hope even in the darkest moments of life when it seems like there's no possible way for anything to get better. My favorite part of the book by far was gradually seeing Mari transition into a mature adult. When I first started reading the book I disliked it because of Mari’s childlike actions. Even though she does mention it was a planned pregnancy, she was unaware of the responsibilities and the tragedies that could come with having a baby. I also find it surprising how her friends and family never found it concerning that she was even pregnant, and the only time they put their foot down was regarding the abortion. However, towards the end of the book, I realized that if she had not been characterized as someone young and immature, she would not have understood the value of love, loss, and family. This was a unique style of showcasing the character development of the protagonist. The only thing I would consider changing about the book is the father of the baby, Bertie. He was a drug dealer in the book so that he could make money to support Mari and the baby. Initially, Bertie did not want Mari to have the baby because he didn’t want her to suffer the loss of the baby if he died. Even though he was thinking of the well-being of Mari and the baby, he kept trying to reason with her to have the abortion. Mari accepts him into the life of her baby regardless of the fact that she disapproved of his business. Even when Bertie says he was able to get out of the drug dealing business and get a mechanics job, she still has an inkling of a doubt that he didn’t completely leave behind the drug dealing business. This also showed that Mari was willing to forgive Bertie and move on from the past as she continued to carry her ailing baby inside her. I would change this part because Mari deserves to have the unconditional love from someone that says they will support her and the baby. It’s not specified in the book whether he goes back to dealing or not, but Mari shouldn’t have to live in these conditions with her baby. She needs a home for herself and her child, and shouldn’t be placed in situations of uncertainty, especially when it includes the support she receives from others. I would strongly recommend this book because of the lessons derived from it. The book captures the raw events of sacrifice and vulnerability. It taught me a lot about having courage without the continuous support of friends and family. Sometimes you have to depend on yourself to fight for what you value and find important. This book is an emotional roller coaster because I managed to cry quite a few times by the ending of the book. However, the most valuable lesson was that no matter how drastically your life has changed, family will always be a constant. Even though Mari struggles to get along with her grandma because they don’t share the same values, they still manage to mend their relationship and lean on each other for support. Mari had to sacrifice her ties with her family and friends to keep this baby, but if she had not gone through that then she would not have learned the value of persevering and being courageous. This book truly gives insight on morals and the importance of having bravery in the dark treachery of life even if you are blindly continuing on.–Naimah