[PREORDER] All-American Delinquent

Release Date: July 6, 2027

A raw and real coming of age novel about a young Black girl in Chicago that explores the predatory recruiting practices of the U.S. military in low-income and minority communities.

High school senior Maia Tucker doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up, and she’s tired of people asking. She used to be a model student, but ever since her home life imploded and she wound up on probation, she’s been labeled as one of the “bad kids.” She just needs to pick a career to do her senior project on, so the school will hand her a diploma. What comes next? She’ll figure that out later.

When an Army recruiter comes to school, touting the benefits of enlisting—job security, medical benefits, free college—it gets Maia thinking. Maybe the Army is a way out? It certainly was for her brother, Rob, who comes home from his latest deployment with a new car, new gadgets, and enough money to spoil Maia like her parents never have. But he’s also struggling with his mental health in ways that force Maia to ask: what’s more terrifying, a life in the military or one without the structure it provides?

A nuanced exploration of the weight of choices, the youth criminal justice system, and teen mental health, from award-winning author Briana Johnson.