This Town Is on Fire

From the critically acclaimed author of When You Look Like Us comes a page-turning YA contemporary novel about what happens when the latest “Becky” on the internet is your best friend.

A lot is up in the air in Naomi Henry’s life: her spot as a varsity cheer flier, her classmates’ reaction to the debut of her natural hair, and her crush on the guy who’s always been like a brother to her. With so much uncertainty, she feels lucky to have a best friend like Kylie to keep her grounded. After all, they’re practically sisters—Naomi’s mom took care of Kylie and her twin brother for years.

But then a video of Kylie calling the cops on two Black teens in a shopping store parking lot goes viral. Naomi is shaken, and her town is reeling from the publicity. While Naomi tries to reckon with Kylie, the other Black students in their high school are questioning their friendship, and her former friends are wondering where this new “woke” Naomi came from. Although Naomi wants to stand by her best friend, she now can’t help but see everything in a different light.

As tensions in her town escalate, Naomi finds herself engaging in protests that are on the cusp of being illegal. And then a bomb explodes, and someone is found dead. Will Naomi be caught in the center of the blast? 

Golden Kite Award winner Pamela N. Harris has crafted a taut novel that delves into big issues, and is the perfect next read for fans of I’m Not Dying with You Tonight and The Black Kids.

• Viral Video Fallout: When a video of her white best friend, Kylie, calling the cops on two Black teens goes viral, Naomi’s world is turned upside down.
• Friendship and Betrayal: Naomi is forced to question her lifelong bond with the girl she thought of as a sister, and must decide where her loyalties truly lie.
• Finding Your Voice: Drawn into the town's growing activism, Naomi discovers the power of protest and the courage to speak out against injustice.
• A Page-Turning Mystery: As tensions boil over, a bomb explodes and someone is found dead, plunging Naomi into the center of a dangerous investigation.