Forever is now

Title:

Forever is now

Author:

Summary:

"I'm safe here. That's how Sadie feels, on a perfect summer day, wrapped in her girlfriend's arms. School is out, and even though she’s been struggling to manage her chronic anxiety, Sadie is hopeful better times are ahead. Or at least, she thought she was safe. When her girlfriend reveals some unexpected news and the two witness a violent incident of police brutality unfold before them, Sadie’s whole world is upended in an instant. I'm not safe anywhere. That's how Sadie feels every day after―vulnerable, uprooted. She retreats inside as the weeks slip by and relies on her phone to stay connected to the outside world. When Sadie’s therapist gives her a diagnosis for her debilitating panic―agoraphobia―she starts on a path of acceptance and healing. Meanwhile, Sadie's best friend, Evan, updates her on the protests taking place in their city. Sadie wants to be a part of it, to use her voice and affect change. But how do you show up for your community when you can’t even leave your house? I can build a safe place inside myself. That’s what Sadie learns over the course of one life-changing summer, with some help from her family, her best friend, an online platform for activists, and a magnetic crush she develops for the new boy next door." -- Amazon.com.

Audience:

Ages 12-18. Farrar Straus Giroux.

Grades 10-12. Farrar Straus Giroux.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

398 pages ; 22 cm

Genre:

Novels in verse.

Subject Term:

African American sexual minorities -- Fiction.

Bisexuals -- Fiction.

Bisexual teenagers -- Fiction.

Agoraphobia -- Fiction.

Friendship -- Fiction.

Political participation -- Fiction.

Bisexual people -- Fiction.

African Americans -- Fiction.

Publisher:

Farrar Straus Giroux,

Publication Date:

2023

ISBN:

9780374388881

Publication Information:

New York : Farrar Straus Giroux, 2023.

Call Number:

YA LOCKINGTON

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003608786	New Young Adult	LOCKINGTON	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARD WINNER ● A poignant and lyrical young adult novel-in-verse about a Black teen coming of age in an anxiety-inducing world, from the author of For Black Girls Like Me and In the Key of Us .

I'm safe here.

That's how Sadie feels, on a perfect summer day, wrapped in her girlfriend's arms. School is out, and even though she's been struggling to manage her chronic anxiety, Sadie is hopeful better times are ahead. Or at least, she thought she was safe. When her girlfriend reveals some unexpected news and the two witness a violent incident of police brutality unfold before them, Sadie's whole world is upended in an instant.

I'm not safe anywhere.

That's how Sadie feels every day after--vulnerable, uprooted. She retreats inside as the weeks slip by and relies on her phone to stay connected to the outside world. When Sadie's therapist gives her a diagnosis for her debilitating panic--agoraphobia--she starts on a path of acceptance and healing. Meanwhile, Sadie's best friend, Evan, updates her on the protests taking place in their city. Sadie wants to be a part of it, to use her voice and affect change. But how do you show up for your community when you can't even leave your house?

I can build a safe place inside myself.

That's what Sadie learns over the course of one life-changing summer, with some help from her family, her best friend, an online platform for activists, and a magnetic crush she develops for the new boy next door.

From Schneider Family Book Award and Stonewall Honor-winning author Mariama J. Lockington comes Forever is Now, a powerful young adult novel-in-verse about mental health, love, family, Black joy, and finding your voice and power in an unforgiving world.

Author Notes

Mariama J. Lockington is an adoptee, educator, and Schneider Family Book Award and Stonewall Honor-winning author. She has been telling stories and making her own books since the second grade, when she wore shortalls and flower leggings every day to school. She is the critically acclaimed author of the middle-grade novels For Black Girls Like Me and In the Key of Us , both of which earned five starred reviews. Mariama calls many places home but currently lives in Kentucky with her wife; her little sausage dog, Henry; and an abundance of plants.

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Black queer teen Sadie Dixon confronts police brutality while contending with her own mental health challenges in this lyrically written verse novel by Lockington (For Black Girls Like Me). When Sadie's girlfriend dumps her, Sadie just barely manages to wrangle her emerging panic attack until, moments later, both teens witness an act of violent racial discrimination on the streets of their Oakland, Calif., hometown. The event triggers Sadie's anxiety disorder, causing her panic attacks to worsen and leading to her developing agoraphobia, which keeps her inside all summer. Attempting to overcome her fear, Sadie goes live on an activism app called Ruckus, starting a series about mental health and racial justice. When new neighbor Jackson, a Black transracial adoptee, moves in next door and starts watching Sadie's broadcasts, their burgeoning romance additionally empowers her to reconnect with the outside world while allowing her to cultivate new safe spaces. Lockington steadily builds momentum via Sadie's sharply rendered and visceral voice, making for a devastating portrayal of--and compassionate look into--one teenager's struggles to better her mental health situation and her community. Ages 12--up. (May)