Up in Smoke

Sixteen-year-old Cooper King has always tried to heed his late mother’s words: “Actions have consequences. Make your own choices.” After his best friend, Jason—whom Coop views as an older brother figure—persuades him to go looting during a protest, however, he finds himself implicated in a murder following a woman’s death. When Jason is arrested as a suspect, Coop worries he could be next. Then Jason’s younger sister (and Coop’s childhood crush) Monique enlists Coop’s help in clearing her brother’s name, setting the two teens on a dangerous path. Romance blossoms as Monique and Coop track down clues together; all the while, Coop keeps his part in the looting a secret. As Jason’s involvement in an underground organization comes to light, and as each of Coop’s friends get drawn into the murder investigation, time starts ticking down. Monique and Coop’s alternating perspectives unspool in this intense thriller by Brooks (Promise Boys), who cleverly utilizes classic murder mystery elements to craft an expansive story that contends with issues surrounding racism, police brutality, and corruption. Readers will root for the protagonists’ dynamic relationship and quest for justice. Cooper, Jason, and Monique are Black. Ages 14–up. (May)