''Every Body Looking'' is a young adult

novel in verse A verse novel is a type of narrative poetry in which a novel-length narrative is told through the medium of poetry rather than prose. Either simple or complex stanzaic verse-forms may be used, but there will usually be a large cast, multiple voi ...

Candice Iloh Candice Iloh is a queer, first-generation Nigerian-American writer, poet, educator and dancer. Their debut novel, ''Every Body Looking'', was a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature and Michael L. Printz Award honor b ...

, published September 22, 2020 by Dutton Books for Young Readers.

Reception

''Every Body Looking'' was well-received by critics, including starred reviews from ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'', ''

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 B ...

.'' ''Kirkus Reviews'' referred to the book as a "young woman’s captivating, sometimes heartbreaking, yet ultimately hopeful story about coming into her own." ''

Teen Vogue ''Teen Vogue'' is an American online publication, formerly in print, launched in January 2003, as a sister publication to ''Vogue (magazine), Vogue'', targeted at teenagers. Like ''Vogue'', it included stories about fashion and celebrities. Since ...

'' called it " rical, insightful, and searing," and ''

Buffalo News ''The Buffalo News'' is the daily newspaper of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area, located in downtown Buffalo, New York. It recently sold its headquarters to Uniland Development Corp. It was for decades the only paper fully owned by W ...

'' called it " a stunning debut." ''Booklist'' wrote, "This debut is a testament to the beauty of Black girls, their circumstances, bodies, and cultures. A title to savor slowly, this is a captivating read, with even more depth imbued in the formatting and play with white space." ''BookPage'' wrote, "Iloh movingly explores the concept of safety through Ada’s relationships with her parents, as well as in her evolving perspectives on money, potential careers and budding romantic crushes. Teen readers who long for more independence than adults are willing to grant them, or who long to be seen as individuals rather than vessels for adult influence and direction, will find many points of identification with Ada’s story." The book also received positive reviews from ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' and ''

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...

.'' ''Kirkus Reviews'' named ''Every Body Looking'' one of the best books of 2020.

Reception

References

See also