HOLLYWOOD PRIDE

In Burk’s historical YA novel, a privileged private-school student makes her first foray into a much more diverse public school.

In 1973, Caroline Black is the new girl at Hollywood High. She already knows it’ll be a drastic change from the Laurel Academy for Girls, a predominantly white prep school. Still, she’s surprised by the students’ relatively lax attitudes and understandably shaken by the knife fight she witnesses during her free period. Caroline comes from wealth—her father is an Oscar-winning cinematographer, and her mother is a psychiatrist—but she easily makes friends with people of various social classes, races, and sexual identities. Hollywood High has its share of bigots, and the LGBTQ+ students seem to suffer the most. Some are too scared to express their true selves, while others are targets of vicious physical assaults. Caroline becomes fixated on a blond boy living in difficult circumstances whose face, she believes, radiates “sadness” and “longing”; he’s an unfortunate victim of the misguided hatred Caroline wishes she could vanquish. Burk’s protagonist teems with admirable traits: She’s intelligent, compassionate, and willing to step outside her comfort zone. (Caroline patiently tutors The Duke, a Black gang member who she helps realize is smarter than others assume.) She is also, however, largely an observer in this deliberately paced story. With her father in the entertainment industry, she’s privy to Hollywood superficiality, especially regarding women (older men incessantly hit on her at events). At the same time, she’s a rich, straight white girl unable to fully relate to peers who endure racism, homophobia, and savage bullying. It’s wonderful that Caroline champions all types of people and helps however she can, but readers may wish the extensive supporting cast—including romantic couple, transgender Toni and nonbinary Blake; the Duke, who faces a life-changing decision; and a gay student who bravely comes out—received more of the spotlight.

A glorious medley of characters bolsters this tale of adolescents confronting narrow-mindedness.