Bitter

Parents need to know that Bitter, by Akwaeke Emezi is a prequel to Pet, a National Book Award finalist. Bitter is a young woman painter who grew up in foster care. She can bring creatures from her paintings to life by cutting herself and smearing her blood on the sketches. In a mysterious process, she was recruited to a special boarding school for other artistic kids with difficult histories. Bitter lives in the city of Lucille, a crime-riddled, dangerous town dominated by a billionaire. An activist group called Assata organizes and protests for change. Bitter is cynical about the possibility of change and hopes to hide out in the safety of her school indefinitely. There are a couple of serious romances among central characters (same-sex and opposite-sex couples), with physical affection like kissing, hugging, and cuddling. There are a few references to some of the characters having had casual sexual encounters. The second half of the story is about a civil uprising, where people are hurt by activists, police, and magical creatures. There are several violent scenes, including a snapped neck, a person shot in the street and left to die, and a girl who loses a body part. People are injured during the destruction of a building. In one scene, teens smoke a marijuana joint. Strong language includes "f--k," "s--t," and "bitch."