The Neighbor FavorShy, bookish, and admittedly awkward, Lily Greene has always felt inadequate compared to the rest of her accomplished family, who strive for Black excellence. She dreams of becoming a children's books editor, but she's been frustratingly stuck in the nonfiction division for years without a promotion in sight. Lily finds escapism in her correspondences with her favorite fantasy author, and what begins as two lonely people connecting over email turns

But above all this is the story of Rachel and the extraordinary lengths to which a mother will go to find her children

" Like what

as well as cultural trailblazers and athletes like Stevie Wonder

winners and losers

dismissive

I hated school because it warred on me

if not hope itself

or where you're from

exotic flowers to graceful ballerinas

the mage sworn to protect Nick until death

and of her spirit face

Deonn adeptly employs the haunting history of the American South ("the low buzzing sound of exclusion") to explore themes of ancestral pain