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Genre Guide

Black Teen Voices

By:

PPLTeen

Portland Public Library

Staff-created list

Young adult fiction of all genres by contemporary Black authors. For nonfiction and memoirs, see our Black History Is Now reading list.

By:

PPLTeen

Portland Public Library

1-25 of 92 items

1-25 of 92 items

We Deserve Monuments

We Deserve Monuments

by Hammonds, Jas

Book - 2022

When seventeen-year-old Avery moves to rural Georgia to live with her ailing grandmother, she encounters decade-old family secrets and a mystery surrounding the town's racist past. When seventeen-year-old Avery moves to rural Georgia to live with her ailing grandmother, she encounters decade-old family secrets and a mystery surrounding the town's racist past. Show less

When seventeen-year-old Avery moves to rural Georgia to live with her ailing grandmother, she encounters decade-old family secrets and a mystery surrounding the town's racist past. When seventeen-year-old Avery moves to rural Georgia to live with her ailing grandmother, she encounters decade-old family secrets and a mystery surrounding the town's racist past. Show less

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All You Have to Do

All You Have to Do

by Allen, Autumn

Book - 2023

Intertwining the stories of two Black students decades apart, this compelling and honest novel follows Kevin and Gibran as they navigate similar forms of ...Show more Intertwining the stories of two Black students decades apart, this compelling and honest novel follows Kevin and Gibran as they navigate similar forms of insidious racism while discovering who they want to be instead of what society tells them they are. Show less

Intertwining the stories of two Black students decades apart, this compelling and honest novel follows Kevin and Gibran as they navigate similar forms of ...Show more Intertwining the stories of two Black students decades apart, this compelling and honest novel follows Kevin and Gibran as they navigate similar forms of insidious racism while discovering who they want to be instead of what society tells them they are. Show less

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Break This House

Break This House

by Iloh, Candice

Book - 2023

when a Facebook message about her estranged mother pierces Yaminah's new bubble, memories of everything that happened before her parents' divorce come roa...Show more when a Facebook message about her estranged mother pierces Yaminah's new bubble, memories of everything that happened before her parents' divorce come roaring back. Now, Yaminah must finally reckon with the truth about her mother and the growing collapse of a place she once called home Show less

when a Facebook message about her estranged mother pierces Yaminah's new bubble, memories of everything that happened before her parents' divorce come roa...Show more when a Facebook message about her estranged mother pierces Yaminah's new bubble, memories of everything that happened before her parents' divorce come roaring back. Now, Yaminah must finally reckon with the truth about her mother and the growing collapse of a place she once called home Show less

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Good as Gold

Good as Gold

by Buford, Candace

Book - 2023

Suddenly an outcast from her popular squad after her father loses his job, Casey and a new group of friends search for her town’s rumored sunken treasure to save her family and her future, unwittingly bringing a dangerous truth to the surface. Suddenly an outcast from her popular squad after her father loses his job, Casey and a new group of friends search for her town’s rumored sunken treasure to save her family and her future, unwittingly bringing a dangerous truth to the surface. Show less

Suddenly an outcast from her popular squad after her father loses his job, Casey and a new group of friends search for her town’s rumored sunken treasure to save her family and her future, unwittingly bringing a dangerous truth to the surface. Suddenly an outcast from her popular squad after her father loses his job, Casey and a new group of friends search for her town’s rumored sunken treasure to save her family and her future, unwittingly bringing a dangerous truth to the surface. Show less

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True True

True True

by Hooper, Don P.

Book - 2023

When Gil, a Black teen from Brooklyn, struggles to fit in at his primarily white Manhattan prep school, he wages a clandestine war against the racist admi...Show more When Gil, a Black teen from Brooklyn, struggles to fit in at his primarily white Manhattan prep school, he wages a clandestine war against the racist administration, parents, and students, while working with other Black students to ensure their voices are finally heard. Show less

When Gil, a Black teen from Brooklyn, struggles to fit in at his primarily white Manhattan prep school, he wages a clandestine war against the racist admi...Show more When Gil, a Black teen from Brooklyn, struggles to fit in at his primarily white Manhattan prep school, he wages a clandestine war against the racist administration, parents, and students, while working with other Black students to ensure their voices are finally heard. Show less

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As Long as We're Together

As Long as We're Together

by Peppins, Brianna

Book - 2023

Sixteen-year-old Novah feels like her life has been put on hold, taking care of her four younger siblings while her older sister Ariana gets to play volle...Show more Sixteen-year-old Novah feels like her life has been put on hold, taking care of her four younger siblings while her older sister Ariana gets to play volleyball and hang out—but when their parents are killed in a car crash Ariana and Novah will have to learn to cooperate. Show less

Sixteen-year-old Novah feels like her life has been put on hold, taking care of her four younger siblings while her older sister Ariana gets to play volle...Show more Sixteen-year-old Novah feels like her life has been put on hold, taking care of her four younger siblings while her older sister Ariana gets to play volleyball and hang out—but when their parents are killed in a car crash Ariana and Novah will have to learn to cooperate. Show less

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We Are the Scribes

We Are the Scribes

by Pink, Randi

Book - 2022

Ruth Fitz, a black teenager surrounded by activism in a family rocked by tragedy, discovers that she has begun to receive parchment letters from Harriet J...Show more Ruth Fitz, a black teenager surrounded by activism in a family rocked by tragedy, discovers that she has begun to receive parchment letters from Harriet Jacobs, the author of the autobiography and 1861 American classic, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, and sets out to use her own voice to make history. Show less

Ruth Fitz, a black teenager surrounded by activism in a family rocked by tragedy, discovers that she has begun to receive parchment letters from Harriet J...Show more Ruth Fitz, a black teenager surrounded by activism in a family rocked by tragedy, discovers that she has begun to receive parchment letters from Harriet Jacobs, the author of the autobiography and 1861 American classic, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, and sets out to use her own voice to make history. Show less

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Other Side of the Tracks

Other Side of the Tracks

by Alyse, Charity

Book - 2022

When Zach, a white boy from Philly, moves to a racially divided town, he befriends Black siblings Capri and Justin, but when the police murder one of thei...Show more When Zach, a white boy from Philly, moves to a racially divided town, he befriends Black siblings Capri and Justin, but when the police murder one of their friends, the town erupts into an all-out war, with Capri, Justin, and Zach caught in the middle. Show less

When Zach, a white boy from Philly, moves to a racially divided town, he befriends Black siblings Capri and Justin, but when the police murder one of thei...Show more When Zach, a white boy from Philly, moves to a racially divided town, he befriends Black siblings Capri and Justin, but when the police murder one of their friends, the town erupts into an all-out war, with Capri, Justin, and Zach caught in the middle. Show less

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Right Where I Left You

Right Where I Left You

by Winters, Julian

Book - 2022

School's out, senior year is over, and Isaac Martin is ready to kick off summer. His last before heading off to college in the fall where he won't have hi...Show more School's out, senior year is over, and Isaac Martin is ready to kick off summer. His last before heading off to college in the fall where he won't have his best friend, Diego. Where-despite his social anxiety-he'll be left to make friends on his own. Knowing his time with Diego is limited, Isaac enacts a foolproof plan- snatch up a pair of badges for the epic comic convention, Legends Con, and attend his first ever Teen Pride. Show less

School's out, senior year is over, and Isaac Martin is ready to kick off summer. His last before heading off to college in the fall where he won't have hi...Show more School's out, senior year is over, and Isaac Martin is ready to kick off summer. His last before heading off to college in the fall where he won't have his best friend, Diego. Where-despite his social anxiety-he'll be left to make friends on his own. Knowing his time with Diego is limited, Isaac enacts a foolproof plan- snatch up a pair of badges for the epic comic convention, Legends Con, and attend his first ever Teen Pride. Show less

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You Truly Assumed

You Truly Assumed

by Sabreen, Laila

Book - 2022

In this compelling and thought-provoking debut novel, after a terrorist attack rocks the country and anti-Islamic sentiment stirs, three Black Muslim girls create a space where they can shatter assumptions and share truths. In this compelling and thought-provoking debut novel, after a terrorist attack rocks the country and anti-Islamic sentiment stirs, three Black Muslim girls create a space where they can shatter assumptions and share truths. Show less

In this compelling and thought-provoking debut novel, after a terrorist attack rocks the country and anti-Islamic sentiment stirs, three Black Muslim girls create a space where they can shatter assumptions and share truths. In this compelling and thought-provoking debut novel, after a terrorist attack rocks the country and anti-Islamic sentiment stirs, three Black Muslim girls create a space where they can shatter assumptions and share truths. Show less

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Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman

Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman

by Lee, Kristen R.

Book - 2022

Upon arriving at the prestigious Wooddale University, seventeen-year-old Savannah Howard comes face-to-face with microaggressions and outright racism--but if she stands up for justice, will she endanger her future? Upon arriving at the prestigious Wooddale University, seventeen-year-old Savannah Howard comes face-to-face with microaggressions and outright racism--but if she stands up for justice, will she endanger her future? Show less

Upon arriving at the prestigious Wooddale University, seventeen-year-old Savannah Howard comes face-to-face with microaggressions and outright racism--but if she stands up for justice, will she endanger her future? Upon arriving at the prestigious Wooddale University, seventeen-year-old Savannah Howard comes face-to-face with microaggressions and outright racism--but if she stands up for justice, will she endanger her future? Show less

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Vinyl Moon

Vinyl Moon

by Browne, Mahogany L.

Book - 2022

When Darius told Angel he loved her, she believed him. But five weeks after the incident, Angel finds herself in Brooklyn, far from her family, from him, ...Show more When Darius told Angel he loved her, she believed him. But five weeks after the incident, Angel finds herself in Brooklyn, far from her family, from him, and from the California life she has known. Angel feels out of sync with her new neighborhood. At school, she can't shake the feeling everyone knows what happened—and that it was her fault. The only place that makes sense is Ms. G's class. There, Angel's classmates share their own stories of pain, joy, and fortitude. And as Angel becomes immersed in her revolutionary literature course, the words from novels like The Bluest Eye and Push speak to her and begin to heal the wounds of her past. Show less

When Darius told Angel he loved her, she believed him. But five weeks after the incident, Angel finds herself in Brooklyn, far from her family, from him, ...Show more When Darius told Angel he loved her, she believed him. But five weeks after the incident, Angel finds herself in Brooklyn, far from her family, from him, and from the California life she has known. Angel feels out of sync with her new neighborhood. At school, she can't shake the feeling everyone knows what happened—and that it was her fault. The only place that makes sense is Ms. G's class. There, Angel's classmates share their own stories of pain, joy, and fortitude. And as Angel becomes immersed in her revolutionary literature course, the words from novels like The Bluest Eye and Push speak to her and begin to heal the wounds of her past. Show less

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One True Loves

One True Loves

by Bryant, Elise

Book - 2022

While on a post-graduation Mediterranean cruise with her family, Lenore Bennett meets a hopeless romantic with a ten-year plan who helps her find something she's been looking for—love. While on a post-graduation Mediterranean cruise with her family, Lenore Bennett meets a hopeless romantic with a ten-year plan who helps her find something she's been looking for—love. Show less

While on a post-graduation Mediterranean cruise with her family, Lenore Bennett meets a hopeless romantic with a ten-year plan who helps her find something she's been looking for—love. While on a post-graduation Mediterranean cruise with her family, Lenore Bennett meets a hopeless romantic with a ten-year plan who helps her find something she's been looking for—love. Show less

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The Chosen One

The Chosen One

A First-generation Ivy League Odyssey

by Brown, Echo

Book - 2022

There are many watchers and they are always white. That's the first thing Echo notices as she settles into Dartmouth College. Despite graduating high scho...Show more There are many watchers and they are always white. That's the first thing Echo notices as she settles into Dartmouth College. Despite graduating high school in Cleveland as valedictorian, she's struggling to keep up in demanding classes. The campus is not the promised rainbow-colored utopia where education lifts every voice. Nor is it a paradise of ideas, an incubator of inclusivity, or even an exciting dating scene. But it might be a portal to different dimensions of time and space — only accessible if Echo accepts her calling as a Chosen One and takes charge of her future by healing her past. Show less

There are many watchers and they are always white. That's the first thing Echo notices as she settles into Dartmouth College. Despite graduating high scho...Show more There are many watchers and they are always white. That's the first thing Echo notices as she settles into Dartmouth College. Despite graduating high school in Cleveland as valedictorian, she's struggling to keep up in demanding classes. The campus is not the promised rainbow-colored utopia where education lifts every voice. Nor is it a paradise of ideas, an incubator of inclusivity, or even an exciting dating scene. But it might be a portal to different dimensions of time and space — only accessible if Echo accepts her calling as a Chosen One and takes charge of her future by healing her past. Show less

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Kneel

Kneel

by Buford, Candace

Book - 2021

When his best friend is unfairly arrested and kicked off the team, Russell Boudreaux kneels during the national anthem in an effort to fight for justice and, in an instant, falls from local stardom to become a target of hatred. When his best friend is unfairly arrested and kicked off the team, Russell Boudreaux kneels during the national anthem in an effort to fight for justice and, in an instant, falls from local stardom to become a target of hatred. Show less

When his best friend is unfairly arrested and kicked off the team, Russell Boudreaux kneels during the national anthem in an effort to fight for justice and, in an instant, falls from local stardom to become a target of hatred. When his best friend is unfairly arrested and kicked off the team, Russell Boudreaux kneels during the national anthem in an effort to fight for justice and, in an instant, falls from local stardom to become a target of hatred. Show less

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The Right Side of Reckless

The Right Side of Reckless

by Grandison, Whitney D.

Book - 2021

Working at the local community center, Guillermo Lozano meets the one girl who is off limits, and as friendship--and something more--blossoms between them, he decides to break the rules and be a little bit reckless. Working at the local community center, Guillermo Lozano meets the one girl who is off limits, and as friendship--and something more--blossoms between them, he decides to break the rules and be a little bit reckless. Show less

Working at the local community center, Guillermo Lozano meets the one girl who is off limits, and as friendship--and something more--blossoms between them, he decides to break the rules and be a little bit reckless. Working at the local community center, Guillermo Lozano meets the one girl who is off limits, and as friendship--and something more--blossoms between them, he decides to break the rules and be a little bit reckless. Show less

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Ace of Spades

Ace of Spades

by Àbíké-Íyímídé, Faridah

Book - 2021

At Niveus Private Academy, Devon and Chiamaka are the only students chosen to be Senior Prefects who are also black, which makes them targets for a series...Show more At Niveus Private Academy, Devon and Chiamaka are the only students chosen to be Senior Prefects who are also black, which makes them targets for a series of anonymous texts revealing their secrets to the entire student body. Both students were on track toward valedictorian and bright college futures, but this prank quickly turns into a very dangerous game and they are at more than one disadvantage as it looks like things could turn deadly. Show less

At Niveus Private Academy, Devon and Chiamaka are the only students chosen to be Senior Prefects who are also black, which makes them targets for a series...Show more At Niveus Private Academy, Devon and Chiamaka are the only students chosen to be Senior Prefects who are also black, which makes them targets for a series of anonymous texts revealing their secrets to the entire student body. Both students were on track toward valedictorian and bright college futures, but this prank quickly turns into a very dangerous game and they are at more than one disadvantage as it looks like things could turn deadly. Show less

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Off the Record

Off the Record

by Garrett, Camryn

Book - 2021

A teen journalist uncovers the #metoo scandal of the decade: a bigshot Hollywood director is taking advantage of cast members. A teen journalist uncovers the #metoo scandal of the decade: a bigshot Hollywood director is taking advantage of cast members. Show less

A teen journalist uncovers the #metoo scandal of the decade: a bigshot Hollywood director is taking advantage of cast members. A teen journalist uncovers the #metoo scandal of the decade: a bigshot Hollywood director is taking advantage of cast members. Show less

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Things We Couldn't Say

Things We Couldn't Say

by Coles, Jay

Book - 2021

From one of the brightest and most acclaimed new lights in YA fiction, a fantastic new novel about a bi Black boy finding first love . . . and facing the return of the mother who abandoned his preacher family when he was nine. From one of the brightest and most acclaimed new lights in YA fiction, a fantastic new novel about a bi Black boy finding first love . . . and facing the return of the mother who abandoned his preacher family when he was nine. Show less

From one of the brightest and most acclaimed new lights in YA fiction, a fantastic new novel about a bi Black boy finding first love . . . and facing the return of the mother who abandoned his preacher family when he was nine. From one of the brightest and most acclaimed new lights in YA fiction, a fantastic new novel about a bi Black boy finding first love . . . and facing the return of the mother who abandoned his preacher family when he was nine. Show less

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This Poison Heart

This Poison Heart

by Bayron, Kalynn

Book - 2021

When Briseis's aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopeful...Show more When Briseis's aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopefully there, surrounded by plants and flowers, Bri will finally learn to control her gift. But their new home is sinister in ways they could never have imagined--it comes with a specific set of instructions, an old-school apothecary, and a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world that can only be entered by those who share Bri's unique family lineage. Show less

When Briseis's aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopeful...Show more When Briseis's aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopefully there, surrounded by plants and flowers, Bri will finally learn to control her gift. But their new home is sinister in ways they could never have imagined--it comes with a specific set of instructions, an old-school apothecary, and a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world that can only be entered by those who share Bri's unique family lineage. Show less

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The Cost of Knowing

The Cost of Knowing

by Morris, Brittney

Book - 2021

Sixteen-year-old Alex Rufus's curse of seeing the future distracts him from being and doing his best, but when he sees his little brother Isaiah's imminent death, he races against time, death, and circumstances to save him. Sixteen-year-old Alex Rufus's curse of seeing the future distracts him from being and doing his best, but when he sees his little brother Isaiah's imminent death, he races against time, death, and circumstances to save him. Show less

Sixteen-year-old Alex Rufus's curse of seeing the future distracts him from being and doing his best, but when he sees his little brother Isaiah's imminent death, he races against time, death, and circumstances to save him. Sixteen-year-old Alex Rufus's curse of seeing the future distracts him from being and doing his best, but when he sees his little brother Isaiah's imminent death, he races against time, death, and circumstances to save him. Show less

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The Marvelous

The Marvelous

by Kann, Claire

Book - 2021

From the author of Let's Talk About Love and If It Makes You Happy , this exuberant YA Novel follows six teens locked together in a mansion, contending for a life-changing cash prize in a competition run by a reclusive heiress. From the author of Let's Talk About Love and If It Makes You Happy , this exuberant YA Novel follows six teens locked together in a mansion, contending for a life-changing cash prize in a competition run by a reclusive heiress. Show less

From the author of Let's Talk About Love and If It Makes You Happy , this exuberant YA Novel follows six teens locked together in a mansion, contending for a life-changing cash prize in a competition run by a reclusive heiress. From the author of Let's Talk About Love and If It Makes You Happy , this exuberant YA Novel follows six teens locked together in a mansion, contending for a life-changing cash prize in a competition run by a reclusive heiress. Show less

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Blackout

Blackout

Book - 2021

Six critically acclaimed, bestselling, and award-winning authors bring the glowing warmth and electricity of Black teen love to this interlinked novel of charming, hilarious, and heartwarming stories that shine a bright light through the dark. Six critically acclaimed, bestselling, and award-winning authors bring the glowing warmth and electricity of Black teen love to this interlinked novel of charming, hilarious, and heartwarming stories that shine a bright light through the dark. Show less

Six critically acclaimed, bestselling, and award-winning authors bring the glowing warmth and electricity of Black teen love to this interlinked novel of charming, hilarious, and heartwarming stories that shine a bright light through the dark. Six critically acclaimed, bestselling, and award-winning authors bring the glowing warmth and electricity of Black teen love to this interlinked novel of charming, hilarious, and heartwarming stories that shine a bright light through the dark. Show less

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The Gilded Ones

The Gilded Ones

by Forna, Namina

Book - 2020

Inspired by the culture of West Africa, a feminist fantasy debut traces the experiences of an intuitive girl who is invited to leave her discriminatory village to join the emperor's army of near-immortal women warriors. Inspired by the culture of West Africa, a feminist fantasy debut traces the experiences of an intuitive girl who is invited to leave her discriminatory village to join the emperor's army of near-immortal women warriors. Show less

Inspired by the culture of West Africa, a feminist fantasy debut traces the experiences of an intuitive girl who is invited to leave her discriminatory village to join the emperor's army of near-immortal women warriors. Inspired by the culture of West Africa, a feminist fantasy debut traces the experiences of an intuitive girl who is invited to leave her discriminatory village to join the emperor's army of near-immortal women warriors. Show less

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When You Look Like Us

When You Look Like Us

by Harris, Pamela N.

Book - 2021

When you look like us-brown skin, brown eyes, black braids or fades-everyone else thinks you're trouble. No one even blinks twice over a missing black gir...Show more When you look like us-brown skin, brown eyes, black braids or fades-everyone else thinks you're trouble. No one even blinks twice over a missing black girl from public housing because she must've brought whatever happened to her upon herself. I, Jay Murphy, can admit that, for a minute, I thought my sister Nicole just got caught up with her boyfriend-a drug dealer-and his friends. But she's been gone too long. Nic, where are you? If I hadn't hung up on her that night, she would be at our house, spending time with Grandma. If I was a better brother, she'd be finishing senior year instead of being another name on a missing persons list. It's time to step up, to do what the Newport News police department won't. Bring her home. Show less

When you look like us-brown skin, brown eyes, black braids or fades-everyone else thinks you're trouble. No one even blinks twice over a missing black gir...Show more When you look like us-brown skin, brown eyes, black braids or fades-everyone else thinks you're trouble. No one even blinks twice over a missing black girl from public housing because she must've brought whatever happened to her upon herself. I, Jay Murphy, can admit that, for a minute, I thought my sister Nicole just got caught up with her boyfriend-a drug dealer-and his friends. But she's been gone too long. Nic, where are you? If I hadn't hung up on her that night, she would be at our house, spending time with Grandma. If I was a better brother, she'd be finishing senior year instead of being another name on a missing persons list. It's time to step up, to do what the Newport News police department won't. Bring her home. Show less

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