Seven Minutes in Candyland

A Black teen offers relationship advice in exchange for cash and loses sight of his own affiliations in this spot-on rom-com. Sixteen-year-old Kalvin Shmelton runs a secret candy-gram business from a utility closet at school. He’s saving up for a vacation to Hawaii, hoping that the getaway will help rekindle his psychologist parents’ marriage; though they run a successful couples therapy podcast, the pair seem to be heading toward divorce. When Kalvin offhandedly gives advice to his longtime crush on her relationship, classmates start coming to him for aid. Seeing a chance to reach his goal sooner, Kalvin begins charging for the impromptu flash therapy sessions. But as he becomes more preoccupied in helping others overcome their relationship hurdles, he badly screws up his closest friendships with harsh, ill-timed truths. After his fears about his parents’ marriage are confirmed, Kalvin must reconcile his similarly crumbling relationships if he hopes to have his friends’ support in navigating this difficult life development. Wasson assuredly handles the vulnerable emotional landscape of adolescence and parental divorce via Kalvin’s seemingly effortlessly charming first-person narration and a heartwarming premise, simultaneously weaving in conversations of class and racial dynamics to craft a full-bodied, thought-provoking debut. Ages 13–up. (Dec.)