I'm so glad Brittney Morris is back. This gave me Tiffany D vibes to me. This story was nothing but amazing and I will be getting a copy for my shelf when it comes out officially.

This Book Might Be About it Zinnia is dual POV between two teens that grow up in different decades.

Zinnia is a high school senior searching for a way to make her Harvard admission essay stand out among the rest. When her best friend Milo gifts her a novel written by one of her favorite authors, she believes it may give her the material she needs for her essay. This is because she and the protagonist of the gifted book share some uncanny similarities that lead her to believe the book may actually be about her adoption story.

Tuesday is a teenager navigating a complicated relationship with her mother and processing a difficult decision she had to make at a very young age. She is also discovering that her mother has been keeping secrets from her.

I really enjoyed the characterization of Zinnia and Tuesday, along with some of the secondary characters. Zinnia’s best friend Milo is a major presence in Zinnia’s story line, and he will tug on your heart strings. In fact, Zinnia’s treatment of Milo towards the end of the book caused me to have less respect for Zinnia.

The climax of the book gets really complicated and has maybe too much going on…somehow including a mob boss and a missing person alert. Overall, it’s a fast paced, engaging read but some of the characters actions were questionable and caused it to lose some stars for me.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC!

fun and welldone storyline(s). the plotting is great and the two ideas connect really beautifully. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Told in two timelines, two very different girls at the same age share a connection. In 2024, Zinnia gets a heads up on her personal essay to Harvard University; it lacks heart. It seems like a sign when her favorite author releases a new novel about a princess with a heart-shaped birthmark on her forehead separated from her mother at birth—just like Zinnia. Her personal essay could be about following a bestselling novel to find her birth mom. Doesn't get more original than that!

In 2006, Tuesday Walker is coping with a loss and huge secret. She is barely making it through high school after what her mother calls "the incident." Tuesday writes her feelings in a journal that is later lost. It is the entries told in that very journal that brings the two girls together.

What a heartwarming story with unexpected suspense. Themes of bravery, independence, parenthood and security are explored within its pages. Such a beautiful tale wonderfully told with the right pacing. I do not favor multiple points of view and past/present narration but Brittney Morris' writing style made it clear and easy to read.

The author mentions going no-contact in the Acknowledgments. This was actually my favorite section of the book and a strong message that I needed to hear at this time. Sometimes we have to protect ourselves and respect our own boundaries. Like Zinnia, she protected her peace while discovering herself and searching for the woman responsible for her life and could change it moving forward. Again, this is a level of bravery that all young adults could strive for.

I recommend the perfectly titled This Book Might Be About Zinnia for young adults to read this summer. Make it a buddy read with a friend or mom. Soak in the lessons and sunshine.

Happy Early Pub Day, Brittney Morris! This Book Might Be About Zinnia will be available Tuesday, July 1.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

📍Book Spotlight 📍

Title: The Book Might Be About Zinnia
Author: Brittney Morris
Pub Date: July 1, 2025
Genre: YA

Thank you to @simonteen for this gifted copy.

Thoughts:

This story is about Zinnia searching for her birth mom and trying to learn what happened. This story also follows another timeline that give you insight on that very thing.

I enjoyed this one as it was a nice palette cleanser. This story was well written and I am glad for the outcome, however, If I am being honest, there were parts that were a little vague where I wanted more detail but didn’t get it.

I still felt this story was a great one and it is enjoyable. I look forward to reading more from this author and I recommend the lovers of dual timelines and secrets pick this one up!!

I read an ARC provided by the publisher. This was my first Brittney Morris novel and I was not disappointed at all. There were two parallel stories taking place in this book and it was very easy to follow the story line. I wanted nothing but happiness for Zinnia. I felt like a part of the journey she had to take in order to find herself. It was very well written and I wouldn't be surprised if there was a follow-up story continuing the path and allowing us to see where Milo ended up.

Thank you Simon Teen and Beth-galley for the EARC. Wow. What an emotionally impactful journey we just went on. I loved the adoption representation and the overall feeling of wanting to know who you are because I can related to that.

I wanted this one to pack a bigger punch than it did. I was intrigued by the plot, but found the pacing fell a bit flat.

Zinnia gets the new book by her favorite author and it seems to be about her. As she is dealing with changes at the end of high school.
Along the journey we see a look back in time to Tuesday and how her story intertwines with Zinnia's.
Some of this was story intense, but you really get a feel for what they went through.
I really liked how they both see the world too.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Brittney Morris’s “This Book Might Be About Zinnia” is a poignant, emotionally layered contemporary YA book that beautifully explores identity and family secrets all while demonstrating the complex process of growing up. Told in dual timelines from two unforgettable characters—Zinnia in 2024 and Tuesday in 2006—this story is a slow-reveal masterpiece that brings together mystery and heartache into a deeply satisfying and resonant story.

Zinnia Davis is a smart, book-loving teenager trying to craft the perfect personal essay for her Harvard application. But when an admissions officer implies her adoption story "lacks heart," Zinnia begins to unravel the mystery of her birth mother. The spark? A newly released novel, Little Heart, written by her favorite author, about a girl with a heart-shaped birthmark separated from her mother—just like Zinnia. Is this more than just a coincidence? Meanwhile, in 2006, Tuesday Walker is a Black teen navigating high school while grieving a life-altering loss. Emotionally isolated and stuck in a toxic household with a manipulative mother, Tuesday turns to journaling for comfort. But when her journal disappears, it triggers a chain of events that brings dangerous truths to light—truths that ripple across time and could shape Zinnia’s present in ways no one expects.

Morris excels at character development. Zinnia is sheltered, anxious, and self-aware—her journey is one of growth, privilege-checking, and emotional honesty. Her relationship with her best friend Milo is refreshingly real and filled with healthy conflict, humor, and warmth. Milo isn’t afraid to call Zinnia out when necessary, and watching Zinnia realize that her friendships matter more than elite college ambitions is a highlight of her arc.

Tuesday, on the other hand, is a deeply sympathetic figure—strong, isolated, and doing her best in a world that constantly fails her. Her chapters are raw and heartbreaking, portraying the emotional toll of being young, unsupported, and forced to make an impossible decision. Her mother’s emotional abuse and the overall lack of a safety net make her journey both tragic and heroic. You will root hard for Tuesday, and her emotional payoff at the end feels especially well-earned.

Told in alternating perspectives, the book gradually builds suspense and emotional depth as the connection between Zinnia and Tuesday slowly comes into focus. The dual timelines are cleverly constructed, giving you an omniscient view of how these two young women’s stories intersect. Even when you begin to piece things together before Zinnia does, the tension remains gripping.

Themes of adoption, race, family, identity, and forgiveness are sensitively handled. Particularly powerful is the emotional nuance of searching for one's origin story in a world that doesn’t always offer answers—or support. Morris’s prose is sharp, compassionate, and contemporary. She nails the voice of both teens while layering in moments of humor, sorrow, and deep introspection. The writing respects the intelligence of its young audience while offering plenty for adult readers to chew on as well.

By the time Zinnia and Tuesday’s timelines collide, the emotional payoff is everything you hope it will be—heart-wrenching, tender, and full of hope. The reunion scene is beautifully written, and while the ending wraps up with a few well-timed conveniences, it doesn’t feel unearned. Instead, it lands like a warm exhale after a long, emotional journey.

“This Book Might Be About Zinnia” is not just about Zinnia—it’s about all the girls trying to find their place in a complicated world. It’s about identity, resilience, and the invisible threads that connect us. Brittney Morris has crafted a thoughtful, honest, and unforgettable story that deserves a permanent spot on every YA shelf.

As a transracial millennial adoptee, this book hit home in so many ways. Told through two perspectives-Zinnia and Tuesday- this book weaves a unique tale of family and friendship. Book loving gen-z adoptee Zinnia is looking for the final touch to her Harvard essay when her best friend Milo gives her a book- a book that she begins to believe is about her. We follow Zinnia on her quest to unravel a long lost story. Tuesday is an 18 year old who made an impossible decision and spends every day living with the results. Together, these two lives intertwine in a moving way.

Thank you, Brittney Morris for writing this story.

This book was so, so, SO good. This was one of my first contemporary fiction reads in a while and I can truly say it didn’t disappoint.

This story follows Zinnia as she unravels the mystery around her adoption/birth mother. Along the way we get to see her learn a lot about herself, her anxiety, her identity - and I enjoyed every moment. Being a teenager is ROUGH, and this story really spoke to how difficult it is to manage big feelings and perceived familial expectations when you’re experiencing everything for the first time. Additionally, her mom’s story??? My god.

Absolutely recommend - and thank you to the publisher for this e-arc!!