Parents' Guide to Twenty-four Seconds from Now...

Parents need to know that Twenty-four Seconds from Now by Jason Reynolds won the 2025 Coretta Scott King Author Award. It's a romance about high school seniors who've been together for two years and are ready to take their relationship to the next level, meaning they're ready to have sex. Characters think about, talk about, and imagine having sex, but there are no graphic descriptions or mentions of sensitive body parts. Kissing and making out are described briefly but also not graphically. Some of the talk is frank, like when mother and son talk about masturbation and pornography, and some is a bit crude, like with a best friend who brags. Strong language includes "s--t," "f--k-ups," and "d--k." An adult was sexually molested as a child, and while there's no specific description, it's clear that the damage and trauma are ongoing. A minor character smokes cigarettes, and a grandfather used to smoke cigars in the past. Characters are still mourning the grandfather's death, and the meet-cute happened at his funeral two years ago. Neon's father runs a legal bingo gambling parlor where Neon works part time, and there's an important conversation while the two are stocking beer and wine.