This compelling and complex romance about love across cultures follows a Black girl and Brown boy who find themselves—and each other—while pursuing their passions the summer before college.
Deja’s got a plan. The first in her large family to go to college, she wants to study chemistry and sell natural skin care products, like the ones she already creates from plants grown on her family’s North Carolina farm. It all starts with the Onward Bound summer program at the University of Maryland, the summer before school officially starts.
Raja’s got a dream. His traditional Nepali parents want him to study engineering and settle down in an arranged marriage, but his passion is art, and he wants to open his own tattoo parlor one day. In the meantime, he’s apprenticing at a tattoo shop in College Park, Maryland.
When Deja walks into the shop where Raja’s working, they both start crushing hard—over the course of the summer, they fall more and more deeply for one another. But the closer they get and the more their lives entwine, the more they find that dating someone who doesn’t match your parents’ expectations is harder than they ever imagined.
Can they bridge the divide between the vision their families have for their futures and the lives—and love—that are starting to feel like destiny?
Topics Interracial dating. Family life. African Americans. Black people. Nepali Americans. Cultural identity.
Trim Size 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"
JLG Span Fall
Language English
Rights type Print
Publication date 2025-05-19
JLG Release Date Aug 2025
Minimum grade 9
Maximum grade 12
Reading level High
Format Print
High Demand High Plus (Grades 9 & Up)
High Demand High Plus
High Demand High Plus (Grades 9 & Up)
For Grades 9 & Up
This 14-book collection includes a mix of fiction and nonfiction, designed to captivate even the most hesitant readers. With high-interest themes, fast-paced storytelling, and relatable topics, these selections rarely stay on the shelf.
Discrimination: Racial Insensitivity/Racism,Language: Racial or Ethnic Epithet/Slur,Language: Strong Language,Sexual Content: Mild Sexual Content/Themes,Violence: General