One Word, Six Letters

Khorram (The Breakup Lists) impresses with this searing, deeply felt dual-POV novel about the aftermath of a thoughtless act and the process of making amends. Egged on by a friend, Kansas City high school freshman Dayton shouts a homophobic slur during an assembly. While serving subsequent in-school suspension, Dayton connects with classmate Brody. Though Brody is most known for his raunchy jokes, Dayton is surprised to discover his hidden nerdy, caring side. The pair’s friendship becomes strained, however, when Brody’s off-color commentary repeatedly sabotages Dayton’s attempts to woo his crush. Meanwhile, student Farshid struggles to reconcile thoughts about his own sexuality with worries surrounding his self-image. Upon realizing that the slur could apply to him, he avoids thinking about it by devoting himself to a punishing diet and grueling workouts in an exhaustive pursuit to gain more muscle. When Dayton and Farshid are partnered for a history project, the boys are forced to confront the consequences of Dayton’s assembly exclamation. Urgent second-person narration expertly nails both teens’ insecurities and self-perception. The result is a powerfully relevant and affirming story about trying to connect with oneself while navigating homophobia, misogyny, and toxic masculinity. Dayton and Brody read as white; Farshid is Iranian Bahá’í. Ages 12–up. Agent: Molly O’Neill, Root Literary. (Mar.)