by Kheryn Callender, 214 pages, Grades 6 and up.

Caroline knows she is cursed with bad luck. It all started when she was born in the middle of a hurricane, now her mom has run away and left her, she is being followed by a dark spirit, and she is bullied at school for her dark complexion, but that is the lot of a cursed existence. When Caroline makes a friend, Kalinda, she begins to think her bad luck may be fading away, but when she realizes she feels more than friendship for Kalinda she worries her curse is going to ruin everything again. Between this internal conflict and the “woman in black” following her around, Caroline is not sure how she will manage; who can she turn to for help now that her mother is no longer around?

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If you enjoy reading novels in verse you might also like: Serafina’s Promise, by Ann E. Burg, The Lightning Dreamer, by Margarita Engle, or Looking for Me, by Betsy R. Rosenthal.

Tags: LGBTQ+, coming of age, family problems, friendship, novel in verse