BLOOD IN THE WATER

In acclaimed YA author Jackson’s middle-grade debut, 12-year-old Kaylani McKinnon expects bikes, beaches, and books during her first summer on Martha’s Vineyard—not murder.

When she leaves Brooklyn to stay with family friends the Watsons, a well-known Black family, her dad, who’s incarcerated, reminds Kaylani not to worry about him—her “only job is to be a kid.” Still, Kaylani is set on #operationFREEDAD—she even took a mock trial workshop to learn more about how to gain justice for her father. When popular teen Chadwick Cooper is found dead soon after Kaylani arrives on the island, she uses her investigative skills to find the culprit. Snobby London, the younger Watson daughter, reluctantly helps, and Chadwick’s little brother Miles joins in too. But the closer they get to the murderer, the more it seems that Kaylani’s first time on the island may be her last. The story, which centers on Black characters, shines a spotlight on the long history of wealthy Black people summering on Martha’s Vineyard. Employing tight, steady writing, Jackson builds tension around the complexities of class and respectability politics. The worldbuilding and Kaylani’s interior dialogue initially convey more of a YA novel tone, but once the story moves on to the island, the voice successfully settles into a solid middle-grade space. Endearing Kaylani is a little unsure of herself as she has a variety of new social interactions on the island, but overall she’s confident and well adjusted.

A perfect beach read for lovers of suspense.