Fireworks

Taiwanese American Lulu Li, 17 and bisexual, reconnects with her childhood best friend, who’s now a K-pop idol, in Lin’s heartening debut. Determined to avoid her estranged father, Lulu packs her last summer before starting college at Rutgers with epic activities for her and her friends, including gorging on chocolate at Hersheypark, tanning at the Jersey Shore, dining in N.Y.C., and, she hopes, attending K-pop boy band Karnival’s rumored premiere world tour. Her concert-going dreams are dashed, however, when Karnival announces that one of its members—Lulu’s Chinese former best friend, Kai Xu—is going on medical leave. Upon his return to their shared New Jersey hometown, the duo reconnect, but must keep his presence there secret from his growing fan base. Together, they navigate their growing feelings for each other and respective interpersonal challenges, such as Kai’s difficulties adjusting to idol-dom and Lulu’s tense relationships with her divorced parents. Though conflicts surrounding Kai’s struggles balancing his superstar persona and his more reserved songwriter personality resolve quickly, Lin’s gentle second-chance romance handily tackles the impact of fame and toxic fan behavior on one’s mental health. Ages 12–up. Agent: Lynette Novak, Seymour Agency. (June)