SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.danaldavis.com/
CITY: Los Angeles
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 370
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born October 4, 1978, in Davenport, IA; children: a daughter.
EDUCATION:Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music, Loyola Marymount University, 2006.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Actress, voice actress, and author. Actress in television series, including as Monica Dawson, Heroes, NBC, 2007; as Chastity, Ten Things I Hate About You, ABC, 2009-10; as Carmen Phillips, Franklin and Bash, TNT, 2011-13. Also starred as a voice actress on the animated series Star vs. the Forces of Evil, Craig of the Creek, and She-Ra. Has guest-starred in more than twenty primetime series, including 911, Scorpion, Code Black, Grey’s Anatomy, and CSI. Actress in films, including Coach Carter, 2005. Founder of nonprofit Culture For Kids, LA; motivational speaker for teens. Trained violist.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Dana L. Davis made the transition from well-known television and movie actress to young-adult author with her 2018 debut novel, Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now. She has gone on to pen several other young-adult titles: The Voice in My Head, from 2019, Roman and Jewel, published in 2021, and Somebody That I Used to Know, from 2022. In part, Davis got into writing because she wanted to change the narrative for people of color in television and film. In an online Cracking the Cover interview, Davis explained her move from acting to writing: “I was so tired of auditioning for stereotypical roles and shaking my head in confusion at the way some writers are writing Black women that I decided if I really wanted change, I needed to BE the change I wished to see. … That ultimately guided me to start taking my writing to the next level.”
Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now follows the trials of a sixteen-year-old African American girl, Tiffany Sly, who loses her mother to cancer. Subsequently, she moves from Chicago to California to live with the biological father, with whom she has had no previous contact. She has a hard landing in California: her father, Anthony, is married to a white woman, has four other daughters, is a devout Jehovah’s Witness, and is so strict that he makes Tiffany’s life miserable. Anthony challenges everything that Tiffany considers to be her core: hairstyle, musical choices, and her atheism—Anthony wants her to convert to become a Jehovah’s Witness. He even questions the medication she takes for OCD and anxiety. Outside the house, at school, she is also miserable because of the bigotry she encounters. One thing that keeps her somewhat sane is Marcus McKinney, the odd boy who lives across the street. As if all this is not enough to test Tiffany, there is also another man claiming to be her father and demanding a paternity test to affirm his claim. A Publishers Weekly reviewer had praise for this debut novel, noting: “Davis takes an unflinching approach to racism, religion, emotional abuse, and mental illness.” Writing in School Library Journal, Kristin Lee Anderson also lauded the novel, commenting: “What starts out as a standard fish-out-of-water story turns into a tearjerker by the novel’s end.” Likewise, a Kirkus Reviews critic concluded: “Davis’ debut novel is an honest, funny, and captivating examination of race, socio-economics, mental health, and family.”
Davis’s second young-adult novel, The Voice in My Head, focuses on African American twins Indigo and Violet and a chaotic road trip their dysfunctional family of nine takes in hopes of beating a terminal diagnosis for pulmonary fibrosis. Indigo has always lived in the shadow of her perfect sister, Violet. Now Violet is terminally ill and wishes to die with dignity via medically assisted death. Indigo is in deep despair and attempts to kill herself by jumping from a high building. Her plan is interrupted, however, by a voice in her head that tells Indigo to take her sister to Arizona and hike a rock formation there called the Wave. Violet takes this as the voice of God and convinces her family make this trip. Chaos ensues, from an attempted robbery to kidney stones. But en route, Indigo learns to see her family and life in a different light and begins to find hope in the midst of grief. Writing in School Library Journal, Laura Jones commented; “Though the novel tackles the heavy subject matter of terminal illness, mental health, and death, lighthearted, comical scenes make for a heartfelt, entertaining read.” Similarly, Voice of Youth Advocates contributor Cheryl Clark observed: “Not just a story about the loss of a loved one, this is a book about finding love and one’s place in a family.” Likewise, a Kirkus Reviews critic concluded: “Davis takes readers on an emotional, heartbreaking journey that may feel predictable at times but addresses strong themes that will resonate with many readers.”
Davis’s 2021 novel, Roman and Jewel, is a tale of a sixteen-year-old Black singer from New Jersey, Jerzie Jhames, who has dreams of making it big on Broadway. She has high hopes in her audition for the role of Jewel in a hip-hop opera adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. She is disappointed when the role goes to Cinny, already a superstar, while she is relegated to understudy. But on her first day of rehearsal, Jerzie finds compensation in her instant attraction to the show’s male lead, Zeppelin Reid, who will play Roman. When a video of the two of them singing a duet goes online and becomes a viral sensation, online fans debate who should play the lead. Cinny takes none of this lightly, laying claim to Zepp. Now Jerzie discovers that she will need help from family and friends as she begins to learn the hard truths about Broadway and first love. A Kirkus Reviews critic had a varied assessment of Roman and Jewel, noting, “The cast of characters is racially and ethnically diverse. Like its inspiration, … this love story contains much drama and unfulfilled potential.”
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Somebody That I Used to Know focuses on teenager Dylan Woods, a Black girl who was adopted by a White family that lives in a very White small Iowa town. She has never really felt that she fits in, and that could be part of the reason she straightens her hair. She can usually be found practicing violin, getting ready for her audition with the prestigious Juilliard School. She is hoping to get in to that music school and perhaps find more of a place for herself in New York. Then her parents suddenly announce that Dylan’s ex-best friend, Langston, is coming to stay with the family for a couple of weeks. He moved to Los Angeles when they were twelve and she dropped off his radar chart when he quickly soared to fame as the best-selling R&B star, Legendary. As such, he became also a legendary bad boy, and Dylan wants no part of him, feeling that he completely trashed their friendship. But when he arrives, he assures Dylan he is no longer the bad boy of the tabloids, and instead pulls out the bucket list they compiled as kids in hopes of completing it with her. She does not trust him at first, but soon their old friendship is rekindled and perhaps more, transforming into a romance. A Kirkus Reviews critic had praise for this fourth novel from Davis, writing: “The evolution of Dylan and Legend’s relationship is a nice, slow burn. A textured story of going from friends to something more, complete with a happily-ever-after.” School Library Journal contributor Rebekah J. Buchanan also had a high assessment of Somebody That I Used to Know, commenting, “The nuances in the book make it compelling and a one that many teens won’t be able to put down.”
In a United by Pop website interview with Kate Oldfield, Davis remarked on how the character of Legendary from Somebody That I Used to Know might have been drawn from her own life: “Maybe, in some ways, even I was chasing a Legendary lifestyle when I left home at 18 to pursue my Hollywood dreams. But as I flip on my coffeepot and wonder if the egg sized roaches will chase me again tonight, I’m thinking maybe the Hollywood dream is just that. A dream.”
(close new)
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, Apr1 1, 2018, Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now; April 15, 2019, review of The Voice in My Head; November 1, 2020, review of Roman and Jewel; August 15, 2022, review of Somebody That I Used to Know.
Publishers Weekly, March 12, 2018, review of Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now, p. 62.
School Library Journal, May, 2018, Kristin Lee Anderson, review of Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now, p. 94; May, 2019, Laura Jones, review of The Voice in My Head, p. 102; November, 2022, Rebekah J. Buchanan, review of Somebody That I Used to Know, p. 67.
Voice of Youth Advocates, June, 2019, Cheryl Clark, review of The Voice in My Head p. 61.
ONLINE
Cracking the Cover, https://www.crackingthecover.com/ (May 2, 2018), author interview.
Dana L. Davis website, http://www.danaldavis.com (January 10, 2023).
United by Pop, https://www.unitedbypop.com/ (OCtober 17, 2022), Kate Oldfield, “A Day In The Life Of Author And Actress, Dana L. Davis.”*
Dana L. Davis is a novelist and Hollywood actress with previous series regular roles as: Carmen Phillips on TNT’s Franklin and Bash and modern day mimic Monica Dawson on NBC’s cult series Heroes.
She currently stars on the animated series Star Vs. the Forces of Evil, Craig of the Creek, and She-Ra. Dana has guest-starred in over 20 prestigious primetime series, including 911, Scorpion, Code Black, Grey’s Anatomy, and CSI. She made her film debut in Coach Carter with Samuel Jackson.
In addition to her work on screen, Dana has become a motivational speaker for teens. Her stirring assemblies empower and encourage youth, helping them to redefine what it means to win and lose.
Extremely versatile, Dana is a screenwriter and a trained Violist with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music from Loyola Marymount University. She volunteers for nonprofits like Empowering Lives International, an organization which provides training, resources, and encouragement to underprivileged East African children.
Dana also created her own nonprofit organization Culture For Kids, LA, an organization which gifts inner city children tickets and transportation to see performing arts shows around the Los Angeles area.
Dana was raised in the Midwest and currently resides in Los Angeles with her 9-year-old daughter.
Dana L. Davis is an author, actress, and voice-over artist who lives and works in Los Angeles. She has starred in Heroes, Coach Carter, Franklin & Bash, Veronica Mars, and countless other film and TV productions. A few of her animation credits include Star vs. the Forces of Evil, Craig of the Creek, and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Dana is a classically trained violist and the founder of the LA-based nonprofit Culture for Kids, LA, which provides inner-city children with free tickets and transportation to attend performing arts shows around LA County.
Dana Davis
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Dana Davis
Born October 4, 1978 (age 44)
Davenport, Iowa, U.S.
Other names Dana L. Davis
Alma mater Loyola Marymount University
Occupation
Actressnovelist
Years active 2000–present
Dana Davis (born October 4, 1978) is an American actress and novelist, known for playing Monica Dawson on the NBC series Heroes (2007), Chastity Church on the ABC Family television series 10 Things I Hate About You (2009–10) and Carmen Phillips on the TNT series Franklin & Bash (2011–2013).
Contents
1 Biography
2 Books
3 Filmography
3.1 Film
3.2 Television
3.3 Music videos
4 References
5 External links
Biography
Davis was born in Davenport, Iowa, and attended Davenport North High School. She is a skilled violinist and attended Loyola Marymount University where she earned her bachelor's degree in Music in 2006.
Davis appeared alongside teen actress Hilary Duff in Raise Your Voice. She has also appeared in Veronica Mars, That's So Raven, The O.C., Gilmore Girls, Point Pleasant, Pushing Daisies, and Hidden Palms.
In July 2007, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Davis would be joining the second season of the TV series Heroes, as Monica Dawson, who was described as a "young hero" willing to "give up everything to help the people around her". The character is the niece of D.L. Hawkins and first cousin of Micah Sanders. She has the power of muscle mimicry, meaning she can master instantly any physical skill she witnesses.
Davis played the role of Peyton in the hit film Coach Carter (2005) alongside Ashanti. She also starred as Lisa Hines in Prom Night (2008). Davis played Chastity Church in the ABC Family series 10 Things I Hate About You (Gabrielle Union played the character in the film) appearing in all 20 episodes. According to series creator Carter Covington, Davis asked out of her contract after the 20 episodes to explore new career opportunities, so Chastity was written out as transferring to a new school; the show was cancelled shortly after the episode aired.[1]
Books
Davis is the author of Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now, a contemporary young adult novel published by Harlequin Books in April 2018.
Her second novel, The Voice In My Head, was published by HarperCollins and released on May 28, 2019.
She uses "Dana L. Davis" as her pen name, while retaining "Dana Davis" for her acting roles.
Filmography
Film
Year Title Role Notes
2002 No Prom for Cindy Kris Short film
2004 Raise Your Voice Denise Gilmore
2005 Coach Carter Peyton
2008 Prom Night Lisa Hines
2010 Nick of Time Stephanie Short
2014 High Moon Yama Winehart TV Movie
2015 Right Girl Jackie Spencer Movie
Television
Year Title Role Notes
2000 The Steve Harvey Show Episode: "Player, Interrupted"
2001 Boston Public Marie Ronning Episodes: "Chapter 18", "Chapter 20"
2001 One on One Girl #1 / Meg Episode: "Playing Possum"
2002 Malcolm in the Middle Chandra Episode: "Poker #2"
2003 Joan of Arcadia Nicky Episode: "Bringeth It On"
2004 That's So Raven Jasmine Episode: "The Road to Audition"
2005 Point Pleasant Lucinda 3 episodes
2005 Cold Case Mathilde Jefferson Episode: "Strange Fruit"
2005 Testing Bob Ryan Movie
2005 Gilmore Girls Althea Episodes: "Say Something", "The UnGraduate"
2005–2006 Veronica Mars Cora Briggs Episodes: "Blast from the Past" and "Ain't No Magic Mountain High Enough"
2005–2006 The O.C. Madison (uncredited) Episodes: "The Disconnect" and "The Safe Harbor"
2006 CSI: Miami Julia Hill Episode: "Deviant"
2006–07 The Nine Felicia Jones 13 episodes
2007 Hidden Palms Michelle Meadows Episode: "Pilot"
2007 Heroes Monica Dawson 6 episodes
2008 Pushing Daisies Barb Episode: "Frescorts"
2009 Criminal Minds Andrea Harris Episode: "Soul Mates"
2009 Relative Stranger Denise Clemons TV Movie
2009 Bones Michelle Welton Episode: "The Doctor in the Den"
2009–10 10 Things I Hate About You Chastity Church 20 episodes
2010 Grey's Anatomy Gretchen Episode: "Superfreak"
2011 Body of Proof Dora Mason Episode: "Gross Anatomy"
2011–13 Franklin & Bash Carmen Phillips Main role
2012 Motorcity Claire (voice) Recurring role
2012 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Amanda Pedroia / Neon Kitty Episode: "Wild Flowers"
2014 Glee Tesla Episode: "Bash"
2016–2019 Star vs. the Forces of Evil Kelly (voice) Recurring role (21 episodes)
2018–present Craig of the Creek Kit Voice role
2018–2019 She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Lonnie Voice role, 16 episodes
2019-present The Morning Show Guest Role
2019 Suburban Swingers Club Lori Mallick Lead role in Lifetime TV Movie
2021-22 Amphibia Jess Voice role, 3 episodes
Music videos
Year Title Artist(s) Ref.
2009 "I Want You to Want Me" (10 Things I Hate About You version) KSM [2]
QUOTE: “Maybe, in some ways, even I was chasing a Legendary lifestyle when I left home at 18 to pursue my Hollywood dreams. But as I flip on my coffeepot and wonder if the egg sized roaches will chase me again tonight, I’m thinking maybe the Hollywood dream is just that. A dream.”
A Day In The Life Of Author And Actress, Dana L. Davis
"I’ve tackled Hollywood too. But I’m not so sure I’m having a “Legendary” experience."
By Kate Oldfield On Oct 17, 2022
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This post was written by Dana L. Davis, author of Somebody That I Used to Know
Somebody That I Used to Know is screaming my name. Ok, that was just a shameless plug to mention the name of my new book right away. Truth is, somebody is screaming my name. But it’s somebody I know. And somebody I’d very much like to strangle. In my new book (yep, mentioning it again), I’m writing about a young guy named Legendary, who has tackled Hollywood in such a way, that he is now the most famous teenager in the world. I’ve tackled Hollywood too. But I’m not so sure I’m having a “Legendary” experience.
“Dana!” The somebody screeches. “Dana Davis!”
It sorta reminds me of a scene where Legendary is surrounded by his adoring fans screaming his name, as security leads him to his car. In my instance though, there is no security, no adoring fans, and the person screaming my name, is my neighbor, Martha.
I pop off the couch and rub my tired eyes. I look at the time on my phone. It’s 11:11am. Normally that time makes me think of divine alignment with the Universe. But there is nothing that feels divine about Martha screaming outside my gate at the top of her lungs. I’m still wearing my pajamas, because I got off work at 7am, and didn’t climb into couch until about 9am. I know what you’re thinking—climb into couch? You mean, climb into bed? No. I mean couch! Cuz’ after working a 12-hour night shift in downtown LA, surrounded by cockroaches the size of eggs, and dust so thick I wrote my name in it, making it to bed…is a maybe. This day, I didn’t make it to bed. I hit the couch and didn’t get back up until Martha.
Speaking of Martha. I yank open the door and glare at her.
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“Dana!” She’s still screaming.
“Martha, why are you screaming my name?” I hope my stern glare says a thing or two about how I feel towards her right now.
“Your gate is locked.” She says. “And the repairman needs to get in.”
I look at the repairman as I stand in front of my house in makeshift pajamas—shorts my daughter has nicknamed “underwear pants,” a t-shirt with Waldo on it that I got from Target like 20 years ago, and a blue scarf with white polka dots covering my hair. Pretty sure I look a hot mess. But I can’t make Martha or the repairman unsee this, so I unlock the gate, and he skirts around me to tend to whatever he needs to tend to that could’ve waited until tomorrow.
“Martha, I was sleep.” I mumble.
She shrugs. “Well…go back to sleep then.”
I heave the heaviest sigh. Also, I don’t strangle Martha. Mostly because she’s walking away and I’m still wearing underwear pants. I just move back inside the house and decide sleep is an exercise in futility, because there is work to do. I am on deadline for a new book after all. But I bet you’re wondering what work I’m doing surrounded by egg sized cockroaches in downtown LA. Well. I’m also an actress. So…I’m shooting a movie. Not the glamourous lifestyle of Legendary. He would never work in such conditions. Legendary is an international superstar R&B singer. Think…Justin Bieber and Stevie Wonder had a baby. Actually don’t think that. That’s weird. Anyway, Legendary’s insanely talented, he can sing like Stevie Wonder, and he has cool hair (cool hair is very important when you’re a teenager). He owns a private jet and a condo in one of those swanky New York City neighborhoods where 33 million dollars gets you 1500 square feet of tiny space on like…a 76th floor. He hobnobs with the stars. He’s planning a big world tour. His right shoe cost two thousand dollars and he doesn’t even wear a left shoe, cuz that’s just how cool he is (kidding about that last one). Anyway, Legendary has it all. At least that’s the way it seems. In fact, I think that’s why so many people wanna make it in Hollywood. Cuz maybe… we’re all chasing a “Legendary” lifestyle.
Maybe, in some ways, even I was chasing a Legendary lifestyle when I left home at 18 to pursue my Hollywood dreams. But as I flip on my coffeepot and wonder if the egg sized roaches will chase me again tonight, I’m thinking maybe the Hollywood dream is just that. A dream. My phone is ringing as I stare at my percolating coffee pot.
“Hello?” I say with a big yawn.
“Hi, Dana. Are you…on your way to RecordLA?”
It’s my Voiceover agent, and I have no idea what she’s talking about. “On my way to RecordLA?”
“Yes. You’re recording the video game today.”
Oh.
My.
Gosh!!!
“I thought that was tomorrow?!”
“It’s today. It’s…now. They’re waiting for you.”
Uggh. “My brain is fried because I’m working nights. Today is tomorrow. Tomorrow was today or…yesterday. I’m so confused. I’m on my way!”
I dial my cousin. The only family I have who lives in Los Angeles.
“Can you please take Cameron early cuz’ I’m late for a job!” I’m crying because in all my 26 years working as an actress, I’ve never been late to work before. Thankfully, my cousin is available.
“Dana, don’t even bother dropping her off at my place. I’ll meet you at RecordLA.”
Gosh, I love family. And also…I love Martha. If she hadn’t have been screaming outside my house like a crazed maniac, I would have absolutely let the creators of this video game down when their lead voice just…failed to show up. After I take the quickest shower known to womankind, and throw a bagel at my kid’s head for breakfast. We’re in the car and I’m flying down Laurel Canyon to get to the recording studio. My child is consoling me.
“It’s ok, Mom. People make mistakes.”
“Thanks hon.” I reply as I wipe my eyes.
“I hope your bosses understand that you just forgot to come to work.” She adds. I groan. Kids have a way with words.
When I make it to the studio, my cousin just waves at me, cuz’ she can see I’m a wreck. I toss my kid in her car and run to the studio.
“Hi, Hi. I’m here.”
The lady at the door smiles and proceeds to ask me if I’ve traveled to any places in the observable Universe where people maybe had Covid. I assure her that yes, obviously I have. But, I still don’t have Covid.
“Can you spell Covid? Do you think maybe you had Covid in a past life? Do you think you’ll get Covid again? Can you say Covid while walking backwards?” She continues reading from her list of questions.
“Nope. Nope. Nope. And nope.” Unless Los Angeles roaches get Covid, I’m good.
I finally get the all clear and enter into the studio. And in spite of forgetting what day it was, I’m only 35 minutes late. The record goes well. Actually it’s a blast. I love video games and voice overs. That should be the title of my memoir. I finish at 5pm and am back in LA traffic headed downtown to my movie shoot. I stop at Gelson’s Supermarket and get one of those purple energy drinks that I’m pretty sure are shaving years off my life. But whatever. I’m exhausted!
When I arrive to set and pull into the parking lot, the friendly Production Assistant waves at me.
“Hey Dana. Welcome back. Hope you got sleep.”
“I got two hours. You?”
He shrugs. “I got a solid three. So, I could go all night.”
We chat about this and that and just how annoying our children are and also how much we love them because they’re perfect. One of my co-stars show up and he’s pretty much the funniest person I know. I can’t stop laughing. And even though I’m deliriously tired and that purple energy drink just gave me the shakes, not energy, I’m so happy to be back at work. The director arrives and we discuss a scene that involves stunts and people (that aren’t me), falling off balconies. We also talk about the roaches. Why are they so big?!
Then my daughter texts me.
“How was the video game, Mom? Did they fire you?”
I text her back and let her know it’s all good.
“I love you.” She says. “Have fun at work.”
I smile. How would I describe my lifestyle? Maybe not what I had in mind when I left my small Midwest town 26 years ago. But it’s what I’ve got. It’s the dream I dreamed. It might not be exactly “Legendary,” but it sure feels legendary…to me.
*Names have been changed to protect the guilty—like Martha.
QUOTE: “The evolution of Dylan and Legend’s relationship is a nice, slow burn. A textured story of going from friends to something more, complete with a happily-ever-after.”
Davis, Dana L. SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW Skyscape (Teen None) $16.99 10, 18 ISBN: 978-1-5420-3874-4
Two musicians find their ways back to each other.
As a Black girl adopted by a White family, Dylan has always felt like an outsider in her small town. She feels like a piece of her is missing but thinks she will find her place when she is accepted into Juilliard's music program. When her ex-best friend, who ghosted her six years ago, temporarily moves into the family basement--her practice room--for unknown reasons, Dylan's perfectly planned senior year gets hijacked. Langston, who now goes by Legend, has become an R&B superstar, but lately he has been in the tabloids for all the wrong reasons--parties, fights, and a car accident. His mom now has a conservatorship and will only agree to his upcoming world tour if he proves to her that he has his life under control. Legend hopes that returning to Iowa and fixing things with Dylan will show that he has changed his ways. He wants them to complete their childhood bucket list, but between practicing the violin for three hours a day and not trusting him, Dylan struggles with taking a chance. Davis meaningfully explores the complexities around transracial adoption in ways specific to the Black community. Dylan's friends are well developed and contribute to the storyline and growth of both main characters. The evolution of Dylan and Legend's relationship is a nice, slow burn.
A textured story of going from friends to something more, complete with a happily-ever-after. (Fiction. 14-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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Source Citation
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"Davis, Dana L.: SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Aug. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A713722721/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8b0fbe5c. Accessed 16 Dec. 2022.
QUOTE: “The nuances in the book make it compelling and a one that many teens won’t be able to put down.”
DAVIS, Dana L. Somebody That I Used to Know. 366p. Amazon/Skyscape. Oct. 2022. Tr $ 16.99. ISBN 9781542038744.
Gr 9 Up--Dylan Woods spends most of her days practicing violin and preparing for the audition that is her one-shot at her dream school--Julliard. As a Black girl adopted by a white family, Dylan loves them very much, but she has never felt entirely content; maybe that's why she straightens her hair and wears extensions and colored contacts. She knows there is something more out there than small-town Iowa and hopes to find it in New York City. Then Dylan's parents announce that her ex-best friend, Langston, the one who ghosted her when he moved to Los Angeles when they were 12 and became the bestselling R&B artist Legendary, is going to stay with them for two weeks. Everyone in the family but Dylan is ecstatic. Legend wants to prove to her that he has changed and is no longer the out-of-control star plastered all over the tabloids, but Dylan isn't sure. Even when he pulls out their childhood bucket list in hopes of completing it with her, she is not entirely convinced. Yet the more time they spend together, the more she realizes she cares for him, and hopes he cares for her, too. Davis thoughtfully tackles the complexifies of transracial adoption, friendship, and not giving up yourself for love. VERDICT The nuances in the book make it compelling and a one that many teens won't be able to put down.--Rebekah J. Buchanan
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
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Buchanan, Rebekah J. "DAVIS, Dana L.: Somebody That I Used to Know." School Library Journal, vol. 68, no. 11, Nov. 2022, pp. 67+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A724886681/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=7a066117. Accessed 16 Dec. 2022.