Jubilee Foster is Totally Fine
Elise Bryant 
Quill Tree Books, an imprint of HarperCollins 
Ages 13+ 
Available: January 26, 2027

Sixteen-year-old go-getter Jubilee Foster has her life under control. But her perfect life comes crashing down when from out of nowhere, she gets hives all over her body and can’t completely get rid of them. As her illness gets worse, Jubilee refuses to put her routine and relationships in jeopardy and act as selfish as her mother did when her mental illness took over. However, Jubilee will eventually need to attain the hardest goal a human powerhouse like her can accomplish: ask for and accept help. Bryant’s grounded dialogue makes every character soulful and three-dimensional. Jubilee’s feelings, especially those about Nate, her rival-turned-sweetheart, her mother, and her medical misfortune, take center stage in the story. When she realizes how her actions and words affect the people around her, the issues don’t quickly resolve themselves, which makes the story true-to-life. James Junior, Jubilee’s youngest sibling, is embarrassed that he needs extra help with his reading skills but didn’t tell his sister because he didn’t want to bother her busy schedule. It parallels Jubilee not wanting either of her siblings to tell her father about her hives because it would take time away from his work. Both James Jr.’s and Jubilee’s issues aren’t completely resolved, but it doesn’t deter from the story’s hopeful ending. The story features mostly Black and mixed-race characters. Jubilee Foster is Totally Fine, an enemies-to-lovers and medical drama, will make readers cry tears of frustration and happiness with every page turn.