McWilliams, Kelly. Your Plantation Prom is Not Okay. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 2023. 978-0-316-44993-9. 320 p. $18.99. Grades 9-12.

Harriet Douglass lives with her historian father at Westwood, an enslaved people’s museum in Louisiana. Her parents built the museum together on an old plantation, but since her mother died, Harriet has been more consumed with her “rage monster” than with fulfilling her mother’s dream of fighting racism through education. Harriet is frustrated and disheartened by her inability to remember her final conversation with her mother. Adding fuel to the fire, a B-list actress and her influencer daughter purchase the plantation next door, with plans to turn it into an event venue for weddings and (yes) proms. Which is not okay. Teen influencer Layla Hartwell turns out to be an ally and maybe a friend to Harriet, but it remains to be seen if she will come through when Harriet needs her most. Harriet has to get through to key decision-makers before an actual red carpet is delivered for a wedding at Belle Grove, and she has to do it without her anger taking over. Meanwhile, Harriet gets butterflies whenever her childhood friend Dawn Yates shows up at Westwood with his smooth but sincere presence. Dawn is skilled with a camera; can he help Harriet produce the potentially viral video she needs to cancel Belle Grove for good?

THOUGHTS: Kelly McWilliams’ latest young adult novel is fresh, of-the-moment, and real. The Author’s Note references Whitney Plantation, a Louisiana museum that “educates the public about the history and legacies of slavery in the United States.” A visit to their site will help orient readers to the fictional Westwood and the Douglass family’s work there.

Realistic Fiction