The Names We Buried

Siegert (Somebody Told Me) delivers an emotionally charged novel in which a transgender teen’s attempt to change his name uncovers the truth of his abduction as an infant. For Jaden Colby’s 17th birthday, his father surprises him by taking him to get his name and gender marker legally changed to mark his transition. But when his dad is arrested for apparently forging Jaden’s birth certificate, Jaden learns that his dad and late mother are not his real parents. Jaden’s birth family—wealthy Russian Jewish couple Aaron and Alena Harper, who have been looking for their kidnapped child since he was four days old—travel from the Hamptons to his New Jersey neighborhood to claim custody. With help from his former best friend, brilliant Terri Williams, who is Black and autistic, Jaden attempts to parse his past, wary of the Harpers’ motives even as red herrings mount. Siegert excels at capturing volatile emotions: Jaden’s grief, suspicion, and fierce loyalty to the flawed father who raised him feel especially authentic. Though conversations surrounding social themes including racism and class divides land somewhat didactically, and breathless pacing alongside an abrupt resolution culminates in an uneven reading experience, the novel’s core dilemma—identity forged by love versus biology—lands solidly. Readers will find this a gripping exploration of self-definition. Ages 13–up. Agent: Sera Rivers, Speilburg Literary. (June)