Ibi Zoboi is an author who writes mainly fiction for young adult readers. Her stories often chronicle experiences that many black teens would find relatable. She has written novels such as American Street, Punching the Air, and Black Enough. One of my fan favorites is Pride: A Pride and Prejudice Remix. It was my absolute favorite read for 2020 and would recommend it to anyone who is looking to walk in the shoes of a young black teen who is on a self-discovering journey and along the way finds family, love, and happiness. The book is loosely based on Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, a classic read hence the title indicating that it is a remix.

Pride follows Zuri Benitez who is an Afro-Latina teen from Brooklyn, New York. Zuri lives with her parents and her four sisters in an apartment. When the Darcy family moves into their mansion across the street it leads Zuri to confront herself as well as Darius Darcy. This book is about loving who you are, but also setting aside your pride to find common ground with others. As a result Zuri discovers a lot about herself as well as others. 

Zoboi carefully crafts the story to show the appreciation of one’s culture, the adverse effects of gentrification, and disparities due to wealth gaps. While the book may be fiction it pulls from Zoboi’s own life as a Hatian-American growing up in New York. I was recommended this book without any prior knowledge on it. The novel is a quick read that is hard to put down, and focuses on more than just love. As a teen who is constantly trying to figure out my next step I related to Zuri, and I recommend that you too see what you have in common with Ms.Benitez and give this book a read!