Balancing act

Welcome to Diamond Falls, where school rivalries run deep, friends and family are treated as one, and dangerous games beyond anyone's control happen daily. Chyna and Jamaal, best friends and proud Southside teens, get invited to The Heights School of Technology, Sports, and Arts (Chyna for gymnastics, Jamaal for basketball). After Jamaal's older brother (and Chyna's secret boyfriend), Jacque, is killed, both narrators share their grief, triumphs, setbacks, and growth through their own eyes, while Jacque's advice echoes throughout. Chase brings her signature style, wonderful language, and unflinching look at competitive athletics to this series opener. Establishing a realistic world is no small feat, and Chase delivers incredible characters, great settings, and drama galore. Chyna and Jamaal deal jointly not only with their feelings of guilt over Jacque's death and the pressure of elite athletics but also with deeply personal concerns, like Chyna's ailing mother and Jamaal's anxiety. The fuzzy areas between right, wrong, and what powerful people want are explored to perfection. All the main characters read as Black or mixed race, and the addition of an anonymous social media gossip account keeps tensions high. This is true to its title, leaving many plates spinning so the reader is breathless and on edge, waiting to know what happens in the next chapter.

Organic prose centers Black teens in a juicy high-stakes sports drama with soapy twists. An athletic scholarship allows high school sophomore Chyna Thomas--living in fictional Maryland metropolis Diamond Falls--the opportunity to forgo "broke kids gymnastics camp" and attend elite charter school the Heights. But between navigating her mother's kidney failure, keeping "Miss Thinks She All That" gymnastics cocaptain Alicia Swanson in check, and grieving the murder of her secret boyfriend Jacquees Henderson, Chyna struggles to find her footing both on and off the mat. Meanwhile, Jacquees's younger brother Jamaal is ready to represent his "blackity-Black" Southside roots as captain of the Heights' basketball team. Then his congenital heart condition threatens to sideline him from an important game, his cozying up to Alicia estranges Chyna, and the truth about his brother's death surfaces. And thanks to "online venom" posted by an anonymous social media account bent on seeding tension between rival communities, Heights players find that much more rides on this season's outcome than potential scholarships or bragging rights. In this scintillating series starter told via Chyna and Jamaal's alternating perspectives, Chase (Keeping It Real) deftly examines issues of classism and systemic racism amid Gossip Girl--style glitz. Ages 13--up. Agent: Jennifer Carlson, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary. (Oct.)

Jamaal Henderson and Chyna Thomas, friends from Diamond Falls, Maryland, keep it real through thick and thin--but when the streets, family struggles, and social media gossip come their way, their bond and their game are tested. A new era in high school sports has begun in Da Icy City. Dr. Timothy Walker founded The Heights School of Technology, Sports & Arts and poached the hottest local talent for its basketball and gymnastics teams. Jamaal led W.E.B. DuBois High School to a state championship, so the neighborhood and his former teammates aren't too happy with his decision to move to the charter school. After his older brother, Jacquees, is gunned down, Jamaal hopes the Heights will allow him to make his mark and do right by his brother. Chyna also comes to the Heights with something to prove: Though she hasn't received private lessons like her former teammate and main competitor, Leesh, she's just as skilled. Her secret relationship with Jacquees has left her heartbroken at his death, and her mother's kidney failure necessitates demanding dialysis appointments. Meanwhile, an anonymous gossip account on the Chatter app has been spilling secrets about the students, stirring up rivalries. Chase serves up a strong, balanced portrayal of dramatic, real-life struggles centering on well-rounded Black characters navigating neighborhood, socioeconomic, family, and other differences. Teen readers will resonate with the relatable depiction of the challenges of juggling home, school, and the digital third space of social media. Full of heart and grit. (dramatis personae)(Fiction. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.