e-ALC, 08:32:03
Narrated by: Shaun Taylor-Corbett
Release Date: May 5, 2026
Published by: HeartDrum (HarperCollins)
Read from: May 15-16, 2026
Stand-alone
Source: Netgalley (I received this ALC free from the publisher and Netgalley. This did nothing to influence my review.)
Content Warning: Colonization, Forced Institutionalization, Grief, Racism, Death, Physical Abuse
For Readers of: Audio, Coming of Age, Sparkly Cover, Racial/Ethnic Diversity, Realistic Fiction, Sports, YAIn his first YA novel, award-winning author Brian Lee Young (Diné) bridges the generational divide between a Navajo teen at an elite prep school and his great-grandmother’s experience at a federal boarding school for Indigenous students. The book is an eye-opening call for community healing and a profound coming-of-age story.
Even if it hurts to leave behind his friends and family in Navajo, New Mexico—especially his great-grandmother, Mildred—Derrick knows his scholarship to an elite East Coast boarding school is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Sagefield Academy is totally different from life on the rez: His new classmates vacation in Europe and take study drugs. Derrick wants to stick to caffeine, but handling sports, school, and a twenty-page term paper, all while dodging comments about his hair and heritage, feels straight-up impossible.
Back home, Másání Mildred’s health is fading quickly. On the phone, she begs Derrick to leave Sagefield. When he realizes her fear comes from her time in federal Native boarding schools, he knows he’s finally found the term paper theme he believes carrying her voice into the future.
Derrick will need to shatter a steadfast generational silence to untangle his great-grandmother’s memories—though her story might change him, and his family, forever.
*MY THOUGHTS*
This was so good. Even with the couple chapters I had to skip because of the addiction portrayal. I couldn’t stop reading this. I ended up bingeing it lol It wasn’t hard to get lost in this one.
So this felt SO REAL. The writing style made it feel like I was really listening to some teens do these things. Like the way he was so excited to show everyone his new digs, but he forgot to still listen and be a friend to everyone else as well. As a YA librarian I’ve seen that multiple times. But we all have our moments. He recognized it and corrected it.
The characters in this were also really cool. I loved how fiercely he loved his grandma and his other Elders, and his friends. And the way he went to bat for them. The way he took care of his Elders brought tears to my eyes. That was the sweetest thing. And the way him and his mom got along, it seemed more like they were friends than anything. The family dynamic in this one was so strong.
The messages in this one were all very important ones too. They were all spittin facts. Like the teacher that was basically talking about how influencers and algorithms work. It really made me feel seen and it felt real because that’s what it’s really like to post stuff happening around here. And the other thing that stood out to me was when he mentioned the Indigenous schools. It really made me happy to see people spreading the word about the Indigenous schools and the Scoop. I hope everyone that reads this reads this starts to realize what that one man put in his book was wrong and stops recommending his books and stuff. And the notes on colonization. It was just so good!
I just knew this was going to be good. As a realistic fiction girlie, I knew it would also teach me some things. Definitely a book I will recommend to everyone for a long time!
Overall, I give this
