Upgrade U

January 17, 2011
The fourth volume in Simone's series about Seven McKnight, a book that stands on its own, finds Seven starting her freshman year at (fictional) Stiles University in New Orleans. Rooming with her bestie, Shae, and new friend Khya, Seven is optimistic about the year ahead, especially since her high school love, Josiah, is a basketball star at Stiles ("We were a fairytale. A hood love story"). But Josiah's big man on campus status and a girl who keeps hanging around have Seven feeling insecure, especially when he ignores her texts and asks her to write papers for him. Meanwhile Zaire, the smooth Southern boy who gets Seven's pulse racing, keeps appearing in her life. Shae and Khya are unhappy with how Josiah is treating Seven, but Seven fights to stay true to the guy she thought she'd always be with. Filled with snappy dialogue and one-liners that pull readers into Seven's world, the story mixes romantic drama with empowering messages, as well as sobering facts about post-Katrina life for New Orleans natives Khya and Zaire. Ages 14–up.