Two young artists have a chance meeting on the last night of summer arts camp in this YA novel in verse and dialogue.
Jude loves photography, and he’s good at it, too. Between his parents’ divorce and his anxiety, being behind a camera is the only time his mind is quiet.
Florence is confronting the premature end of her dance career as a degenerative eye disease begins to steal her balance. She’s having a hard time letting go.
The two meet at Sunrise Night, their sleepaway art camp’s dusk-to-dawn closing celebration, and decide to take a chance on each other. Their one rule: No contact for a year after the sun has risen. Over the course of three Sunrise Nights, will Florence and Jude find a deeper connection and learn who they are—and who they could be together?
“An ode to those magically elastic nights of summer, when anything and everything feels possible. A knockout!” — Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“If there were any doubts that the combined forces of Zentner and Cavallaro would knock our socks off, this gorgeous book lays them to rest.” — David Arnold, New York Times bestselling author
“Funny, lyrical, and utterly charming–Sunrise Nights is a whip-smart romantic stunner. I absolutely loved it.” — Jasmine Warga, New York Times bestselling author
“An emotional duet. Together, the voices gradually create their own source of ‘new light.’ Beautiful!” — Margarita Engle, Newbery Honor-winning author and Young People’s Poet Laureate Emeritus
“Coauthors Cavallaro (Manifest) and Zentner (In the Wild Light) employ spot-on banter to deliver a romance teeming with an ambiance of endless possibility on the precipice of devastating heartbreak. As the teens bond over their shared love and conviction for their craft, between them spins a love story that is truly suspenseful. The will-they-won’t-they plot, ferried along by the duo’s alternating perspectives, will have readers struggling between racing toward the ending and lingering over the luminous verse.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“This character-driven novel is partly in verse (the other parts–their conversations–are prose), and it is beautifully written (“listening to the nocturne of crickets”). The point of view shifts between the highly empathic characters as readers get to know them . . . offering readers a memorable experience.” — Booklist (starred review)
“The dual-narrated verse form works exceptionally well to provide introspection through the will-they-won’t-they as well as key context for their individual journeys . . . and their distinctive and charming poetic voices through after-hour bowling, sudden onset crying, and year-long misunderstandings make it well worth the wait for all involved.” — BCCB (starred review)
“Told over three sunrise nights, this slow-burn romance is beautifully written. Much of the story is conveyed through dialogue between Florence and Jude, and their banter is humorous and sweet. When topics turn heavier, Zentner and Cavallaro expertly create conversations that feel honest and authentic to the tough situations these characters are dealing with. Jude is struggling with his parents’ divorce and his own anxiety, while Florence is having difficulty with her eye condition and letting go of her dancing career. Heartfelt, stunning, and well-written. Race of characters is not mentioned. VERDICT: A first purchase for high school collections.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“Will hook readers from the start. A smart, swoony, and witty romance.” — Kirkus Reviews