From Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award winner Rita Williams-Garcia, Every Time a Rainbow Dies is a moving, lyrical, and diverse love story—perfect for fans of One Crazy Summer who are ready for an older voice.

Dreamy Thulani spends most of his time up on the roof, taking care of the flock of doves in the cote and watching the streets of Brooklyn bustle below him.

He is up there on the day he sees a girl being brutally attacked in an alley.

Though the girl makes it clear she wants nothing more to do with him after he helps her home, he can’t stop thinking about her. Is she okay? What is her name? Would she be scared if he tried to talk to her?

Suddenly, for the first time since his mother died, Thulani finally has a reason to come down from the roof. But as much as he wants to care for this girl, Ysa—more fragile and fiercer than his birds—she will not trust easily. Is it possible to shelter someone who needs to be free?

A Difficult First Love: He’s a lonely boy lost in grief; she’s a fierce survivor who won’t let anyone get close. Their connection is as fragile as it is powerful.
Multicultural Romance: A powerful story that explores the intersection of Jamaican and Haitian cultures through the eyes of two unforgettable teen protagonists, Thulani and Ysa.
Finding Your Voice: From his silent rooftop vigil, Thulani is pulled into the world by a crime he can’t ignore, forcing him to speak up and step out of the shadows of his past.
Gritty Realistic Fiction: This unflinching young adult novel confronts the aftermath of violence with honesty and lyrical prose, never shying away from the hard realities of healing.