''Blackout'' is a young adult novel written by

Dhonielle Clayton Dhonielle Clayton is an American author and chief operating officer of We Need Diverse Books. Life and career Clayton was born in Washington, D.C. She went to Our Lady Of Good Counsel in Wheaton Maryland. She graduated with a B.A. from Wake F ...

, Tiffany D. Jackson,

Nic Stone Andrea Nicole Livingstone (born July 10, 1985), known as Nic Stone, is an American author of young adult fiction and middle grade fiction, best known for her debut novel ''Dear Martin'' and her middle grade debut, ''Clean Getaway''. Her novels ...

Angie Thomas Angie Thomas (born September 20, 1988) is an American young adult author, best known for writing '' The Hate U Give'' (2017). Her second young adult novel, ''On the Come Up'', was released on February 25, 2019. Early life Angie Thomas was born ...

, Ashley Woodfolk, and

Nicola Yoon Nicola Yoon is a Jamaican-American author. She is best known for writing the 2015 young adult novel '' Everything, Everything'', a ''New York Times'' best seller and the basis of a 2017 film of the same name. In 2016, she released '' The Sun Is ...

. The book contains six interlinked stories about Black teen love during a power outage in New York City. The book was released on June 22, 2021.

Development and publication

Dhonielle Clayton is credited with the initial idea for the book. The authors expressed their desire to write a book about Black love and joy rather than about police brutality. The book was announced via Twitter in November 2020. Clayton described the novel as "our love letter to love, to New York City, and to Black teens. Our reminder to them that their stories, their joy, their love are valid and worthy of being spotlighted." Thomas also described the novel as a love letter to Black teens. The North American rights to the book were secured by

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News ...

after a twelve-way auction. The novel was also acquired by Egmont in the U.K. for six figures.

Plot

''Blackout'' follows thirteen teenagers in six interlinked stories which celebrate Black love. After a summer heatwave causes a citywide power outage in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, Black teens explore love, friendships, and hidden truths over the course of a single day. Among the characters are exes who have to bury their rivalry to walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn for a block party, two boys who get trapped on the subway, and best friends who get stuck in the library.

Reception

''Blackout'' was generally well-received, including starred reviews from ''

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...

'' and ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

''. In their review, ''Publishers Weekly'' noted, " is joyful collaboration brings a necessary elation to stories of Black love, queer love, and alternative forms of affection." Rhonny Khuri, writing for ''Booklist'', wrote, "Rich with intersectional queer representation and light with banter, humor, and even philosophy, this beautiful collaboration hits different from your typical romance novel, ultimately evoking the warmth of greater connection, community, and belonging." '' Kirkus Reviews'' called ''Blackout'' " celebration of Black teen love and the magic of possibility" while ''

Shelf Awareness Shelf Awareness is an American publishing company that produces two electronic publications/newsletters focused on bookselling, books and book reviews. Overview With offices in Seattle, Washington, and Montclair, New Jersey, ''Shelf Awareness' ...

'''s Kharissa Kenner applauded how " ery character and every chapter celebrates Black culture through language, fashion and individuality." In 2021, ''Blackout'' was named one of the top 10 romance novels for youth, as well as a top 10 pick for young adults, regardless of genre, by ''Publishers Weekly''. The following year, ''Booklist'' selected it as one of the best young adult novels of the year. ''Publishers Weekly'' named ''Blackout'' one of the best young adult books of 2021, and ''Booklist'' named it one of the best young adult books of 2022.

Adaptations

In July 2021, it was announced that the novel would be adapted into a TV series and a film. It will be a project produced for

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...

Higher Ground Productions Higher Ground Productions, also known simply as Higher Ground, is an American production company founded in 2018 by former United States President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. History In May 2018, the Obamas launched Higher ...

and Temple Hill Entertainment. Some of the stories from the novel may end up in the film, while others may appear in the television show.

References

{{Black Lives Matter 2021 American novels African-American novels African-American young adult novels Black Lives Matter art Novels about race and ethnicity Novels set in the 21st century Novels set in the United States Novels set in New York City Quill Tree Books books