RISE TO THE SUN

Alternating narrators tell the story of two Black teens who meet at the Farmland Music and Arts Festival. Sixteen-year-old Olivia has become an outcast at school after a revenge porn incident with her popular ex-boyfriend. Lexi Underwood's narration highlights Olivia's feelings of vulnerability and betrayal. Impulsive and prone to falling in love fast, she tries to avoid her old patterns when she meets 17-year-old Toni. Because Toni's father has recently died, she's afraid of being close to anyone again. Alaska Jackson highlights Toni's prickly aloofness, which fades as the teens fall in love. Both narrators capture the tone of teenagers getting to know each other while grappling with past mistakes. S.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2021]