This wonderfully sweet, moving, and often funny teen romance bubbles with life, positivity, and genuine heart. Veteran author Jason Reynolds skillfully builds suspense in Twenty-four Seconds from Now about the outcome while going backward in time and creating a colorful, rich, and fully developed cast of characters. Without being preachy, it offers terrific examples of how to talk to teens and with teens about the physical and emotional feelings when it comes to sex. And just as important, about relationships, intimacy, honesty, connection, reciprocity, and self-control. Teens can learn a lot about what a mature relationship looks like, and adults can learn a lot about how to talk about their own values, priorities, and experiences without being judgmental or embarrassed. It's also a loving portrait of a close-knit Black family that's part of a thriving Black community. Suggested age 17+
