After witnessing an act of police brutality against another Black teen, Sadie’s generalized anxiety disorder shifts into a case of severe agoraphobia as she becomes afraid that danger, especially for Black people, is everywhere. Now stuck in the house, Sadie faces a summer of isolation and online therapy. She finds solace in Ruckus, “a TikTok with a purpose” where activists connect to organize and share resources. She regularly goes live on the app to muse on mental illness and Black joy. Sadie, who is bisexual, also befriends and begins to fall for new neighbor Jackson, a transracial adoptee with depression; at first they hang out in Sadie’s back yard, but as Sadie progresses in therapy, Jackson accompanies her on outings in Oakland. With Jackson’s support, Sadie sets a goal: to host an open mic celebrating Black joy before joining a protest against police violence at the end of the summer. This novel in verse offers an honest depiction of mental illness, including the differing responses of Sadie’s family members to her agoraphobia, and her “two steps forward, one step back” progress in healing. Even as she is traumatized by the realistic fear of racist violence, Sadie remains resilient, creative, and driven. (Age 12 and older)