Somebody That I Used to Know

Gr 9 Up–Dylan Woods spends most of her days practicing violin and preparing for the audition that is her one-shot at her dream school—Julliard. As a Black girl adopted by a white family, Dylan loves them very much, but she has never felt entirely content; maybe that’s why she straightens her hair and wears extensions and colored contacts. She knows there is something more out there than small-town Iowa and hopes to find it in New York City. Then Dylan’s parents announce that her ex-best friend, Langston, the one who ghosted her when he moved to Los Angeles when they were 12 and became the bestselling R&B artist Legendary, is going to stay with them for two weeks. Everyone in the family but Dylan is ecstatic. Legend wants to prove to her that he has changed and is no longer the out-of-control star plastered all over the tabloids, but Dylan isn’t sure. Even when he pulls out their childhood bucket list in hopes of completing it with her, she is not entirely convinced. Yet the more time they spend together, the more she realizes she cares for him, and hopes he cares for her, too. Davis thoughtfully tackles the complexities of transracial adoption, friendship, and not giving up yourself for love.