Set in 2015 during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, Verde Arzu’s novel chronicles a biracial HBCU student’s freshman year and her journey of self-discovery.

Chandon is the eldest daughter of a white woman and black former military serviceman. When she was four, her father died in Iraq while working as a military contractor, and his absence has profoundly defined Chandon’s girlhood and her relationship with her grandfather, the paternal patriarch and a civil rights advocate.

Grandpa Emanuel’s approval means the world to Chandon; it’s a major reason why she’s attending Franklin University. Chandon hopes her time at his beloved Southern alma mater will empower her to find her true self. While she isn’t ashamed of her blackness, she’s conflicted about her identity and sexuality.

Chandon has an awkward encounter with Corey, a confident female upperclassman and president of the Black Student Union. Corey senses Chandon’s insecurities; their conflicting viewpoints come to a head during a heated argument about intersectionality.

Searching for connection, Chandon joins All Colors United, the campus LGBTQ+ group, where she meets Alisha. As her attraction to Alisha grows, she remains drawn to Corey’s orbit.

Arzu depicts a nuanced protagonist whose journey mines themes of colorism, class privilege, police brutality, and fraught family dynamics. Chandon’s convictions are admirable, and her immersion into campus life is written with empathy, realism, and the wonderment of emerging adulthood.

Unfortunately, her relationships with Corey and Alisha fall short of such nuance, as the author neglects to develop the attraction between Chandon and the other women beyond the physical level. The story lacks scenes that show—rather than tell—readers why each connection has depth and is as strong, electrifying, and important as the author seemingly intends. Additionally, sometimes the dialogue serves as a means of expressing an archetype rather than reflecting deeper insights about a character’s unique interiority.

Nonetheless, Arzu’s storytelling reveals a vibrant exploration of earnest self-discovery — one that some readers might appreciate.

Also available in ebook.