This Is All Your Fault

May 1, 2020
Grades 8-12 Three female teens take the lead in Safi's (Not the Girls You're Looking For, 2018; Tell Me How You Really Feel, 2019) latest novel to save their jobs at Wild Nights Bookstore and Emporium, which is about to go under. Safi's use of a close third-person point of view works surprisingly well, as the chapters alternate among the three characters, capturing the varied personalities of each: how lovesick and pressured biracial Rinn feels; the more thoughtful interior to the rough exterior Daniella shows the world; and the inner turmoil of Imogen, who's seen as the girl continuously on the verge of a mental breakdown. Their only commonality? Their love for Wild Nights. For a story taking place over the course of one day in the vein of Empire Records, a lot is packed in here that isn't essential to pushing the story forward. There's no denying that each brooding, sarcastic, and honest voice is entertaining, but each can also feel long-winded. Readers who appreciate strong character arcs and character-driven stories with clashing personalities will eat this right up.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

July 24, 2020

Gr 8 Up-A group of misfits must save the one place they all feel a special connection to, the Wild Nights Bookstore and Emporium. In essence, Safi's book is a retelling of the movie Empire Records: Eli steals petty cash in order to make more money to help the store, Imogen goes into work and shaves her head in the bathroom, a famous author comes on to a teenager and their partner quits because if it, and a fundraiser and rooftop party aim to save the struggling store. Safi sets her novel in a bookshop instead of a music store and brings the story into the 21st century as the store's employees are able to reach thousands of people in an instant with videos posted to social media. The main characters are from a range of backgrounds including Korean, Mexican American, and Lebanese, and all have some kind of defining trait that stands out: the artist, the bubbly social media influencer, the struggling manager, the math nerd, the screw-up, etc. Safi's writing style draws readers into the story and makes them feel as if they truly know the characters. VERDICT This book is a love letter to one of the most popular movies of the '90s and will be enjoyed by everyone who wants to fit in and fight for what they believe.-Lenore Catalano, Hammarskjold M.S., East Brunswick, NJ

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 10, 2020
A trio of unlikely friends rally their Chicago community to save a beloved independent bookstore in Safi’s (Tell Me How You Really Feel) quirky offering. When the staff of Wild Nights Bookstore and Emporium discovers that the shop is closing in just two weeks, they each try to find a way to prevent its going under, from flipping $9,000 worth of Air Jordans to crunching suspicious inventory numbers and breaking the strictly enforced “no photography, no phones” rule. The store unites its teenage co-workers: bubbly bookstagrammer Rinn Olivera, who is biracial (of Mexican and German descent), is perpetually camera ready; sarcastic bleached blonde Daniella Korres, who is white, secretly shares poetry online; and Lebanese American Imogen Azar is adept at hiding her inner turmoil. As they’re pushed to their limits with planning, mourning the loss of an institution while assisting customers, and dealing with an entitled popular author, each begins to appreciate and better understand the others, seeing beyond superficial assumptions. Using a rotating third-person perspective, Safi writes an energizing, character-driven celebration of belonging, acceptance, and sisterhood with a clear nod to the importance of community spaces. Ages 13–up. Agent: Lauren MacLeod, the Strothman Agency.