In Rhiannon Richardson's delightful, heartfelt LGBTQ+ YA romance, Sweet Clarity, a Black teen learns more about her faith and identity as she falls in love for the first time.
Clarity Jones, a Black high school senior, had both the best and worst summer at Camp Refuge, a Christian camp run by her church. While there, she developed a relationship with "rosy"-skinned Hannah, a fellow camp counselor and classmate. Hannah opened something inside Clarity that felt right: "I had never kissed anyone before. And I had never thought about kissing a girl.... But it made sense." When the girls are caught, though, Clarity and Hannah are forced to deal with judgment from peers and Clarity confronts questions about her sexuality, her faith, and her future.
Clarity decides to hide her feelings about Hannah from her Baptist parents and her best friend, Kristen--"old-school Baptists, don't take so nicely to the idea of someone being gay." Once the school year begins, however, Clarity must interact with Hannah as co-presidents of the school fall festival. As she attempts to navigate the expectations of her community and religion, Clarity struggles to find the very thing for which she was named.
Richardson (The Meet-Cute Project) delivers a sweet and accessible romance that thoughtfully explores themes of sexuality, race, and religion. Clarity's alternating reflections on her summer camp and school ("Then" and "Now") relationship with Hannah add depth to the narrative and highlight Clarity's internal conflicts. Readers who enjoyed You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson and The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes may also appreciate Sweet Clarity. --Natasha Harris, freelance writer