Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo is about a Sudanese-American teenager named Samira who writes slam poetry in DC. She thinks that her summer will be filled with parties and romance, but her plans change when her mother grounds her for the summer. She does find romance and a way to sneak out every now and then. The only problem is that the guy she is interested in is much older than her. The relationship progresses, but not in a good way. Samira learns to find her own voice, and she does through her poetry.
I really enjoyed this book, but it took me a little bit to get into. The plot does not to progress until a bit later in the book because the major conflict does not happen until later in the novel. The characters were realistic and relatable, and Elhillo does a beautiful job of showing the toxicity of the relationship, and she shows how it is difficult to leave. But the beautiful part is she shows how you can still find your voice even after it is taken away from you. Since I have been reading a lot of novels in verse, I would say that this was not my favorite in the way it was written. Most novels in verse make me think about how little words the author used to paint a story, but I did not feel this way when I read this one. This book also showed how consuming and toxic relationships can be detrimental to friendships. Elhillo does a wonderful job showing realistic issues for teenagers and the ways you can rise above them. I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys poetry and is looking for a relatively short read.