A review by shiloniz
Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson

5.0

I somehow love Leah Johnson's sophomore novel even more than her debut, which seemed like an impossibility. It's a love letter to black girls, to queer girls, to friendships and families we forge outside of blood. It's a love letter to music in all its forms: the way it heals us, gives us hope, breaks us, offers connection, resiliency, and unites us. Leah's book acknowledges the nightmares that wait for us, both inside and outside our own front doors and our own bodies, but it also shows us the myriad of ways that we can still reach for and find home in other people, places, and the way we choose to live our lives authentically. I just love this book so so much.