Thank you @dreamscape_media @disneyhyperiondesign & @librofm for my gifted audio copy of ‘The Voting Booth’ by Brandy Colbert! (pub 7/7)
From Stonewall Award-winning author Brandy Colbert comes an all-in-one-day love story perfect for fans of The Sun is Also A Star.
Marva Sheridan was born ready for this day. She’s always been driven to make a difference in the world, & what better way than to vote in her first election?Duke Crenshaw is so done with this election. He just wants to get voting over with so he can prepare for his band’s first paying gig tonight. Only problem? Duke can’t vote.
When Marva sees Duke turned away from their polling place, she takes it upon herself to make sure his vote is counted. She hasn’t spent months doorbelling & registering voters just to see someone denied their right. And that’s how their whirlwind day begins, rushing from precinct to precinct, cutting school, waiting in endless lines, turned away time & again, trying to do one simple thing: vote.
They may have started out as strangers, but as Duke and Marva team up to beat a rigged system (& find Marva’s missing cat), it’s clear that there’s more to their connection than a shared mission for democracy.
Romantic & triumphant, ‘The Voting Booth’ is proof that you can’t sit around waiting for the world to change & some things are just meant to be.
I listened to this book in one afternoon. When it started I thought it would be a light read basically talking about the importance of voting starting as soon as you are legally allowed to. But it became so much more than that!
‘The Voting Booth’ touches on so many important subjects, not just for teens, but especially for teens of color, all POC…ALL people in general. It’s a YA romance meets voter activism & the harsh realities of voter suppression. Some subjects included: the importance of voting, knowing if & where you are registered, loss of a loved one to gang violence, interracial relationships, the pressure teens put on themselves to be perfect & get into the best college, anxiety, standing up for what you believe in w/ peaceful protests & the challenges/obstacles POC of color face in this world, including a sort of intense scene towards the end involving being pulled over by the police.
No sex scenes in it, but some language. Basically your typical teen talk when parents aren’t around. There’s also some fun stuff like “Eartha Kitty” (aka: Selma) the cat, who has a huge following on Instagram. (see pic above) The story takes place in a single day, we meet several side characters along the way & as for politics, there is bias & no mention of names or parties. Overall, the book pleasantly surprised me & I really liked it.
To get a 2-for-1 audiobook deal from Librofm, use my code MOMLOVESREADING. They support indie bookstores w/ our audiobook sales. You choose the indie bookstore to support from their list of affiliated stores, too. I love using Libro.fm! When a new release comes out, it may be 3-6 mos before it is available to borrow using my library audiobook app, so luckily, I have my Libro.fm subscription. No holds, no waiting, & the audiobook stays in your Libro.fm. You only need to download the book you are listening to on your phone or device, so you won’t even have to use data when you listen to it because you aren’t streaming.
Be sure to check out Brandy Colbert’s other recent new release for middle schoolers, ‘The Only Black Girls in Town’. Click HERE to read more about it on Goodreads.
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*Mom Loves Reading* 