April 15, 2022
Two queer Black 16-year-old boys have a transformative adventure on their last day together. In a Baltimore cemetery one Wednesday afternoon, Linus drops a bomb on Harrison: His father is moving them from Baltimore to South Carolina. On Sunday. He's known for a few weeks but couldn't bring himself to tell his best friend until then. Logical, steady Linus turns down the idea of a going-away party, but dramatic Harrison, who is anxious about the future, comes up with the perfect way to say goodbye and cement their friendship. Inspired by Ferris Bueller's Day Off, his father's family-movie-night pick, he comes up with Ferris Day. With limited time to plan, Harrison recruits Aparna, his detailed-oriented stage manager friend from school, to bring his idea to fruition and help them evade being tracked by their strict parents via GPS apps on their phones. The day before Linus' departure, their epic adventure gets off to a rough start, with weird friction between the two and plans that fall apart. Salvaging the rest of their day, though, they attend their first Pride, do things that scare them, and ultimately find their truths. Using third-person omniscient narration, the author deftly explores the weight and the joys of being Black boys, being queer, and being young. Harrison, Linus, and their colorful cast of friends bring heart and humor that will leave readers rooting for the success of their harebrained scheme. Thoughtful, poignant, fun. (Fiction. 14-18)
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May 1, 2022
Grades 9-12 This lyrical, contemplative novel follows Linus and Harrison, two queer Black best friends so in tune they can communicate without words. They attend different high schools in Baltimore and hang out among the statues at a beautiful old hillside cemetery. Linus gets caught up in history. Harrison loves musical theater. When Linus reveals that he is moving to Charleston, South Carolina, Harrison creates a surprise for Linus modeled on Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Ferris Day begins with a train to Washington, DC, and a visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Back in B'more, they attend Pride, connect with friends new and old at a public pool, and stumble onto a mysterious Tea Dance. Through the day, Linus and Harrison weigh how well they really know each other. They meditate on an uncertain future and face up to family issues. Music, poetry, humor, personal insecurities, and personal style are recurring themes. Ultimately, the two enlarge their worlds, break free of parental restrictions, and make one summer day gloriously their own.
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Starred review from May 9, 2022
Sixteen-year-old best friends Linus and Harrison spend an epic last day together pending imminent separation in Thomas’s (Here for It, for adults) fresh YA debut. When Harrison’s best friend Linus admits that he’s moving away from their Baltimore hometown to South Carolina, Harrison concocts a “foolproof plan for lasting friendship” in time for their final day together. Despite laid-back Linus’s desire for a “clean break,” prone-to-theatrics Harrison, inspired by a viewing of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, surprises Linus with a day full of memorable experiences across Baltimore, all while avoiding their protective parents’ watchful eyes. Their adventure hits many snags, including chases on public transportation, almost-sightings from family members, and unanticipated run-ins with new friends. But as their adventure draws to a close, bringing respective familial turmoil and complicated interpersonal feelings to the surface, the boys must confront their fears for the future, even if it means saying goodbye. Employing a charismatic cast, expert comedic timing, and moving prose, Thomas artfully composes a raucous and tenderhearted story of two queer Black boys discovering new truths about themselves in this loving commemoration of identity and friendship. Ages 12–up. Agent: Anna Sproul-Latimer, Neon Literary.