Sweet Clarity

When Clarity started a summer romance with fellow camper Hannah at her Christian sleepaway camp, she was hesitant to label herself as gay, and even more so when she was outed by some judgmental counselors in a decidedly conservative environment. The fallout has been rough but limited—her camp friends have cut her off, but the director took Clarity’s professed apology to heart and chose not to notify Clarity’s Baptist parents. Her plans to stay on the straight and narrow her senior year, however, are quickly derailed by none other than Hannah, who volunteers to be Clarity’s co-president of the annual autumn festival. Hormones and emotions take over, and they are soon happily smooching in secret, but Clarity can only ask Hannah, who is notably out, to stay in the closet with her for so long. Irrational, selfish, and capable of some seriously bad decision making, Clarity is nonetheless entirely sympathetic as she tries to reconcile her sexuality with her faith, figuring out who she wants to be and whose disappointment—and even disgust—she can bear. Her romance with Hannah is a headlong dive into hot and heavy makeout sessions, but their connection clearly is not just physical: Clarity can fully be herself with Hannah, and Hannah adores Clarity enough to keep their secret, even when it’s painful. Clarity’s struggle with Christianity is more with the judgement of the people who practice it than the love of her God, but Richardson offers a thoughtful portrayal of loving parents who are devout without being dismissive and who ultimately fully embrace their daughter when she begins to live life as her authentic self. KQG – BCCB * March 2026 Issue *A queer teen must decide how far she’s willing to go to live her truth in this tender sapphic romance from Richardson (The Meet-Cute Project). When 18-year-old Clarity arrives at Christian Camp Refuge as a counselor, she’s expecting a quiet summer minding the younger campers. During her first night there, she encounters classmate and fellow counselor Hannah. Though they rarely interact at school, Clarity suddenly senses a spark between them that makes her feel “more tethered to my own life than I’d felt in a long time.” The girls keep their developing romantic relationship secret from their peers, but when they’re found out, Clarity struggles to deal with the resulting alienation from her coworkers. Resolving to avoid a similar fallout at home, Clarity breaks up with Hannah and hides her revelation about her sexual identity from her family. But after Clarity and Hannah are made copresidents of their school’s festival committee, Clarity must confront their past relationship. “Then” and “Now” chapters deftly alternate between vulnerable moments throughout the teens’ romance and their strained present-day dynamic. The love interests’ joyful interactions—instigated primarily by patient and gentle Hannah—buoy Clarity’s charged attempts at grappling with her shifting identity and perception of her religious faith. Clarity is Black; Hannah cues as white. Ages 12–up. Agent: John Cusick, Folio Jr. (Apr.) – Publishers Weekly * 2/2/2026 *Because of the fallout of “the Incident,” Clarity Jones keeps her relationship with Hannah Fitzpatrick a secret. At Camp Refuge, a Christian summer camp run by her family’s church, Clarity (who’s Black) grows closer to fellow camp counselor and classmate Hannah (who’s cued white), discovering a part of herself that just feels right. But when they’re caught kissing by other counselors, Clarity experiences the sting of her peers’ disapproval of her sexuality—something she still doesn’t have totally figured out. One thing she knows is that she’s not ready to come out to her Baptist parents, so she avoids Hannah for the last week of camp. Clarity’s senior year becomes a series of obstacles, testing her ability to keep her secret: Her best friend, Kristen, tries to set her up with a boy; the camp director, Mrs. Patricia, who knows about what happened with Hannah, wants Clarity to be her Sunday school assistant; and Clarity is forced to be around Hannah because they’re co-presidents of their school’s festival committee. While aspiring to embody her name, Clarity also yearns to figure things out at her own pace, offering a refreshingly honest reminder that developing self-knowledge is a complex and nuanced journey. Her anxiety over being outed, her struggle with faith, and the impact of hiding her true self from the most important people in her life unequivocally tugs at the heart. A heartwarming and introspective story about coming out while coming of age. – Kirkus * March 1, 2026 *

Rhiannon Richardson was born in Oreland, Pennsylvania—a town she has yet to find featured on a printed map. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor’s in English literature and writing. When she isn’t writing, she can be found exploring local cafes in search of the best vanilla cappuccino and hunkering down with a cozy read. She’s the author of The Meet-Cute Project and Sweet Clarity.