Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Sep 2020
416 pages
Genre: Poetry & Novels in Verse
Publication Information
When Ada leaves home for her freshman year at a Historically Black College, it's the first time she's ever been so far from her family - and the first time that she's been able to make her own choices and to seek her place in this new world.
As she stumbles deeper into the world of dance and explores her sexuality, she also begins to wrestle with her past—her mother's struggle with addiction, her Nigerian father's attempts to make a home for her. Ultimately, Ada discovers she needs to brush off the destiny others have chosen for her and claim full ownership of her body and her future.
"[R]emarkable...In this stunning debut for young adults, Iloh crafts succinct, beautiful poems to illustrate the difficulties of navigating the tangle of family history and obligation, the power of art to heal and express, and the strength it takes to chart an authentic, independent path." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"With complex relationship dynamics and heavy-hitting issues like rape, overbearing and neglectful parents, and addiction, this book will leave readers deeply affected. A young woman's captivating, sometimes heartbreaking, yet ultimately hopeful story about coming into her own." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"This book is a testament to the beauty of Black girls, their circumstances, bodies, and cultures." - Booklist (starred review)
"Readers will be left wishing they could accompany Ada as she pursues her passion and finds her way to a genuine relationship, while left hopeful and inspired by her beautifully-told story." - School Library Journal
"Every Body Looking is a powerful acknowledgement of what we gain when we grant ourselves permission to embrace who we are fully and completely." - BookPage
"This blazing coming-of-age comet will have everybody looking up." - New York Times
"Candice Iloh's beautifully crafted narrative about family, belonging, sexuality, and telling our deepest truths in order to be whole is at once immensely readable and ultimately healing." - Jacqueline Woodson, New York Times bestselling author of Brown Girl Dreaming
This information about Every Body Looking was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Candice Iloh is a first generation Nigerian-American writer, teaching artist, and youth educator. They are a graduate of Howard University and hold an MFA in writing from Lesley University. Their work has earned fellowships from Lambda Literary and VONA among many others. Their debut novel, Every Body Looking, was a finalist for the National Book Award and earned a Michael L. Printz honor.
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