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Book Cover for: About the Boy, Leah Nicole Whitcomb

About the Boy

Leah Nicole Whitcomb

A charming romance about an autistic teenager who feels misunderstood in her small Southern town until a golden boy finds his way into her orbit. With forced proximity, Black spirituality, and a slow burn romance-this YA debut is perfect for fans of Elise Bryant, Nicola Yoon, and Talia Hibbert.

Sixteen-year-old Naima Jones can't do anything right. She fidgets in class, misinterprets social cues, and cries frequently. On top of that, her mom expects Naima to "control herself" and not get in trouble during her junior year. An impossible ask! Naima tries to honor her mom's rule to avoid her disappointment but fails miserably thanks to Kamron Barksdale, the new kid and golden boy who upstages her in AP Biology.

After a heated classroom debate, Naima yells at Kamron and lands herself in the principal's office. As fate would have it-or rather her AP Bio teacher-Naima is forced to be Kamron's lab partner. Her future as an honor student rides on her getting along with him long enough to get an A.

The two are off to a rough start when Kamron accidentally triggers Naima's sensory issues. As their after-school lab sessions turn into late-night confessions, Naima thinks they can be friends, possibly more, or maybe she's misinterpreting that as well.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Starclay Publishing
  • Publish Date: Jan 14th, 2025
  • Pages: 306
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 8.00in - 5.25in - 0.69in - 0.77lb
  • EAN: 9798989936823
  • Recommended age: 14-17
  • Categories: Romance - ContemporaryAfrican American & BlackNeurodiversity

About the Author

Whitcomb, Leah Nicole: - Leah Nicole Whitcomb is a community storyteller from Mississippi who writes about Black folks, love, and magic. She co-hosts the Hoodoo Plant Mamas podcast. Her writing has been featured in Sistories, Samjoko Magazine and the young adult anthology, All the Ways a Heart Burns. A Courage to Write Grant recipient, Leah's work has been supported by The deGroot Foundation, Voices of Our Nation Arts Foundation, Bereket Writers, Women of Color Writers Podcast, and the Women's National Book Association. She is the author of the short story collection, Apocalypse Still and the poetry chapbook, bloom.