Iloh, Candice. Salt The Water. 2024, 978-0-593-52932-4. $11.99. 228p. Grades 9–12

Cerulean Gene is known for going against the grain and pushing against the authorities, especially in school. They live with a set of loving parents who truly encourage them to be whoever they wish to be in this life. But when Cerulean makes the decision to no longer attend high school and drop out, but isn’t prepared to deal with the consequences of their actions, it takes a toll, especially when an accident puts one of their parents out of work.

THOUGHTS: I liked this book but it just felt like it was missing something. I LOVED that it brought attention to how the education system fails non-binary and Black students. I love that it opened up that conversation about how to better help those students who are non-conformities. The writing in verse was perfect and really gave readers the opportunity to feel and empathize with what the main character was struggling with and feeling.

Realistic Fiction