The Quiet Part Out Loud

Eighteen-year-old, white-coded Mia Clementine must navigate sudden natural disaster to atone for past mistakes in Crossland’s enlightening debut. Following a public scandal involving her mother’s affair with her town’s pastor, Mia has spent the past five months running away from her strict evangelical Christian upbringing. She’s also been avoiding her sweet, accommodating white-coded ex-boyfriend, Alfie Thanasis. But after she runs into him at a coffee shop and flees, Mia yearns to make amends. She reaches out to him via phone call, and the two teens are tentatively reconnecting when a massive earthquake hits, separating them once again. As Mia sets out onto San Francisco’s devastated streets to find Alfie, she encounters strangers along the way who dispense advice that forces her to confront her isolating behaviors. Alternating chapters featuring Alfie’s second-person perspective as he lovingly recounts his and Mia’s relationship, while Mia’s reflective yet stubborn first-person voice drives the present-day timeline. The novel’s drawn-out pacing diminishes suspense, and Mia’s slim characterization makes some revelations feel unearned. Even so, the fully realized, intersectionally diverse supporting cast and fervent discussions about religion imbue this surreal-feeling character study with intensity. Ages 12–up. Agent: Mollie Glick, CAA. (June)