My students are always asking for romance books but finding ones that have a good message and the right balance of romance and “drama” is a challenge. This book has both but the drama is about voting and the challenges people face getting to vote in the system we have today. As Duke and Marva race around their city to try to vote they find love and a little more out about themselves. I think he world we live in today it is even more important for marginalized people in this country to have their voices heard and listened to, something the system we have in place makes VERY difficult. As always Brandy Colbert does a great job of weaving an entertaining story with current issues such as voter suppression, race and class disparities in America, police violence and civil disobedience. She is an author I love to read and always look forward to her new books!

I love books that take place in just one day. This story is perfectly timed to this election year, and I think many teens will be interested in the subject matter. I am all in for this trend. Voter fraud is something that young people need to be more aware of than ever.
In this story, Marva is voting for the first time. She has been prepping for this vote over the last two years and is educated on all the issues. Her friend Duke is voting for the first time also, and when she sees him get turned away from the polls, she steps in and spends the day going through the rigamarole that we call "adulting" in unraveling what he needs to do to cast a vote.
I'd happily add this to any American Government reading list for teens.

Timely and relevant. This is an important read right now, in a season of voting and it brings up many real issues in society. I loved that it took place during one day and the way it alternated. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Definitely a book for the political moment a la Yes No Maybe So, though also for those who enjoyed the condensed emotion of The Sun Is Also a Star/They Both Die at the End/Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. I appreciated the swiftness of the pacing, not drawing the time out unrealistically or taking on too much, along with the use of short background inserts to fill in information, and simultaneously felt that I never quite settled into the world or the characters because of the almost short-story seeming brevity. I liked both the MCs, both of whom had clear characterization and POVs, though I didn't necessarily feel strong romantic chemistry from them. Definitely recommend to young people with an activist bent, those feeling dispirited by the US political situation, or someone just looking for a quick YA contemp read.

I love how this is a political YA book. Many of my teens are activists, so they will LOVE this book when it is published.

Marva has dreamed of being able to vote for as long as she could remember. She was so excited, that she planned and tirelessly advocated for voting for 2 years. The day that she had been waiting and planning for finally arrived, and she did what she dreamed of... she voted. However, she quickly made a friend whose ability to vote what hindered. The situation triggered a day of adventures as they raced the clock, overcame many obstacles, and even took a trip to the beach... all for Duke to get the chance to vote. As a black woman educator, this book is definitely going to make its way into my classroom. It highlights several things that Black/African American men and women experience in the country, even when they are biracial or grow up in middle-class suburban neighborhoods. Young adults need to learn about the importance of voting, and this book does a phenomenal job of emphasizing that. I'd rate this book ten stars if I could.

Marva is a young voting rights activist, excited to be able to vote for the first time. When she runs into Duke being stopped at the polls, she stops at nothing to ensure that he will be able to cast his vote. I loved the premise of this book. A lot of people think that teenagers are apathetic, but so many are passionate about the world around them. I’ve read other books by Brandy Colbert, and I always love how she fleshes out her characters. Super relatable. 4 1/2 ⭐️.

The Voting Booth is a story of how two teens are thrown together for a day and do a world of good. Marva is a driven young woman who wants change and wants to help others realize their power in voting. She does all she can to help her community be more engaged in their civic duties.
Duke knows the value of voting and when he goes to vote, he realizes that he is at the wrong location. So begins an epic day filled with ups and downs, while creating a lasting bond between two new friends. And maybe some chemistry is brewing as well!
This is a wonderful young adult book that will do a LOT of good in the world. I believe this would be a fantastic read for a young adult book club or in a classroom. I see this inspiring a lot of civic engagement in our community.

This book was so good! The whole book takes place over the course of one day and is super fast-paced; I finished the whole thing in one sitting. The main characters are super likable and I was pulled into their stories right from the start. This book is perfect for fans of The Hate U Give as it has a similar storyline - young, black girl who is interested in social justice reform attends prestigious majority white school, where she dates a sort of "woke" white boy who just doesn't quite get it.

Well, civic responsibility seems to (unsurprisingly) already be a theme in 2020, and while I enjoyed a good deal of this, I didn't like the writing style. In particular, the sections that were backstory on specific parts of each character's story really disrupted the flow of the narrative. While I do think that this is a meet-cute that feels slightly more natural than, say, The Sun is Also a Star, it also really feels like a problem novel, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. It addresses really important and timely issues, and this is certainly a book that will resonate with and be appreciated by teens. I will definitely be recommending it.

A new Brandy Colbert book + fighting voter fraud + teens determined to make a difference in the world? YESSSSSS PLEASE!!!!!

I'll admit that even though I LOVED seeing an upcoming book about teens fighting voter fraud, I was also concerned that the subject matter would feel too heavy for my current reading mood. (I really appreciate when contemporary YA tackles big issues, but have to space out the reads as too many can start to feel emotionally draining for me.) BUT, it's Brandy Colbert (!!!), which was enough reason for me to request the book.

I ended up being really pleasantly surprised (I shouldn't have been, having read two of her previous books) to find that it was wonderfully balanced! Yes, it's a story that touches upon big issues. But there are also plenty of light moments, and the overall tone is hopeful (my favorite!). Sure, there's a lot going on, but more than anything else, it's a story of characters. And if you're going to follow around two characters for a day, Marva and Duke are excellent choices.

Like everything I've read of Colbert's, The Voting Booth is nuanced and layered, with characters that feel very whole and real. Are the characters imperfect and a little lost? Yes. But they're also trying their damned best. I loved Marva's dreams and determination to change the world. I love her willingness to put in the work. I loved learning about Duke's past and the ways it's shaped who he became.

The whole story is set in a day. It's a fairly short novel, but there's a lot packed into their day together, and there's a lot of background revealed throughout that helps the story feel rich (despite less actually happening in the present). I loved how it ended! Highly, highly recommend this one -- especially for teens who will soon be voting for the first time, or those looking to play a bigger role in the upcoming US presidential election!

Advanced copy received from Disney-Hyperion via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a sweet and relevant story, especially now. Duke and Marva are two very different teens who are getting ready to vote in their first election. When they get to their polling place and Duke is unavailable to vote, the two, after just meeting, spend the next 12 hours trying to get Duke to vote.

There were so many hard hitting topics in this book that were handled so well. I think it's important that young people understand how important voting is. It tackled tough topics like activism, racism, gang violence, and grief so well. I also loved the romance between the two main characters. I loved their natural chemistry. This was a very eye opening read and I think it is great for those who want to learn more about activism. I have never read a book by Brandy Colbert before, but I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

First off, I am HERE for books with messages and the importance of teen voting is one I haven't read a lot of before. Full disclosure, I'm not American so this book wasn't about a voting system I actively participate in, but it was still easy to read and enjoy and the message was still well received.

I loved how the book never got super preachy. While there are obviously political discussions, they still felt like characters voicing opinions. The one time I can remember a political opinion being called out was a call out for the character to do more research, not a cal lout telling them they were monstrous for holding that opinion. The characters are liberal so obviously the views discussed are mainly leftist, but the core message is the importance of making your impact.

The voting booth also deals with familial structures, financial and racial stigma, grief, and of course, teen love. A super fun read with a super important message.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. First off I need to say how glad I am that YA novels are becoming more political and talking about real issues that matter. While books like this have always been around they are definitely becoming more common and easier to find. And just as important they arent simply preachy. It's just as important that these books are being written by women and people of color. The voting booth has a simple premise and takes place all in one day but the impact and story are great. Marva is an activist and has been working on getting people registered to vote on election day she is one of the first to vote before going to school when Duke is unable to vote it starts them on quest to make sure that Duke's voice counts. The story runs through a lot of the issues voters face and issues people of color face on a normal day. This book is worth reading both for teens and adults. As more and more kids are becoming politically active in the US and around the world the number of young people registering and actually voting still hasn't increased in the US yet. Hopefully this book and books like it will help show kids why voting matters. I won't be teaching history next year but this book will be one I recommend the librarian buy for my campus.

As a US History teacher I loved this; as a human being I loved this book. The book’s meet cute happens in a voting booth on Election Day. From there we follow two characters who perform their civil duty while battling modern day issues of racism and discrimination. Young adults today will connect with the lives of Marva and Duke because they are issues that students across our country face on a daily basis; racism, discrimination, finding out who you are, using your voice to make change, and navigating the world of relationships. Read this. It will have you feel all the feels and make you think about the critical decision to vote!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a dual perspective that follows Marva and Duke over the course of a day. When Duke gets turned away from their polling place, Marva makes it her mission to make sure his vote is counted. That’s how their whirlwind day begins, and they go from complete strangers to realizing that there is a special connection between them.

I really loved Marva and Duke’s dynamic together and it was special to see how their relationship developed in such a short amount of time.

This book has been compared to The Sun is Also a Star, which I adored. I don’t think this book hit the same level, but I still really enjoyed it.

This is the first book by Brandy Colbert that I’ve read, and I will definitely be picking up her other books very soon!!

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for young adults or parents with young adults to to read it. Reading this book reminded me that there are days where people do feel like it is the worse day they can experience, with topics like lost pet, and the idea that you can order hot chocolate in a hipster coffee shop. There are lessons in this book to be learned about to not be too assuming.

Voting in the United States or any democratic country is regarded as a right and not a privilege. As a reader you get to see the process of being a first time voter through the perspective of Marva and Duke. She voted and he couldn't. The election day is a plot device as this book focuses on two young people of color as they lived out an election day in this very realistic fiction, that will definitely relate to many contemporary people's own experiences. This book has rich diverse themes of mixed race families, interracial dating, female empowerment, siblings, social justice and community. There is also mention of grief, how to react to authority figures and how to cope with grief and trauma.

Many things in The Voting Booth, do feel too cook cutter perfect, such as several scenes in the book and of all the different people they keep on bumping into. Yet in terms of real life lessons learned is that with voting, you have to ensure that you have should be registered and not assume that even you're in that age category, that you are automatically registered.

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This YA book is super cute and politically active, so it would have been perfect for the teenage version of me! I really related to the main character and I enjoyed how the book bounced back between her perspective and Duke's. This book is obviously geared towards teens, but I thoroughly enjoyed it as an adult reader, and if I taught high school I would absolutely feature this in my classroom library!

Review posted on Goodreads on 4/25/20.

First of all, The Voting Booth was so easy to get through. It's a fast paced book that takes place throughout one day (done beautifully btw).
Second of all, this talks about a lot of struggles that black people still go through these days and the importance and impact you have when you vote to make your country a better place for everyone / a place where you are able to feel safe whether you're at home or outside or just DRIVING. I was so happy to read this and I did learn about things in black culture that I wasn't aware of and I am grateful that I know about now. Books can help people learn and change their perspectives on things and that's one reason why they are so important. Why this book is so important.

I'm absolutely loving the recent trend of politics in YA, which is due to 2020 being an election year in the US. I've already read The State of Us and Yes No Maybe So, and if you're, like me, interested in these types of books, I would say that The Voting Booth is pretty much required reading as well.

The Voting Booth reminded me a lot of The Sun Is Also a Star as well, since it also all happens in one day. This makes the book perfect to read in one sitting, and I found it a very fast and engaging read.

I think this book will appeal to a large audience. It handles subjects like racial injustice and gun violence, and the privilege of being able to opt out of activism because things don't have a direct impact on your life. And while all of this feels poignant and relevant, the book still manages to stay light and mostly fluffy, which I think is no small feat.

CWs: gun violence, past death of a sibling, racism