This is right up there with Front Desk for me. I love Zoe's tenacity, and while I didn't agree with her methods (i.e., lying) she did what she set out to do.

Zoe is a busy twelve year old - she's interning at a bakery because she wants to go on a kid's baking show, she's connecting with her incarcerated biological father for the first time, and she's learning about systemic racism in a society that is built around biases. It's a lot, and she handles everything so well.

The way I cried a bunch of times on the subway as I read this book. I loved seeing her relationship with Marcus develop, and her friendship grows with her friends along the way as well. She's a talented and tenacious kid, and I absolutely love her.

I also liked the presence of the Innocence Project and showing that law and life have so much nuance. The characters and the story evolved so well, and though it wraps up fairly easily, I appreciated that it showed those layers and nuances to kids in an easily digestible manner.

I'm excited that I read this after the release of book two - I can't wait to spend more time with these characters!

TW: incarcerated parent, bullying, systemic racism