This is my review for MCBD2018.The Latte RebellionSarah Jamila Stevenson“What are you?” Seventeen-year-old Asha Jamison is tired of answering this question. Being a mixed-race person, she constantly feels that both she and others like her have to pick sides in order to fit in. Asha describes mixed-race people as “human lattes”, coming in all shades. From these experiences, Asha and her best friend, Casey, create the Latte Rebellion, a club that raises awareness of mixed-race students as well as help her make money for a trip to London. The book The Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson tells the story of how a small idea brought to life by two high school girls turns into a social movement far beyond what Asha and Casey could have ever imagined. The movement, which started out as just a marketing plan for them to take a trip to London, turns into something Asha truly believes in. And when the movement gets out of their hands, Asha realizes there are too many things she must sacrifice to keep this “rebellion” alive.This book sheds a lot of insight on the whole concept of race, and defining yourself based on it. I am not a mixed-race person, and this novel helped me understand what the true struggle of what being multiracial is. I had never really considered how being multiracial could isolate people in such a glaring way, and The Latte Rebellion opened many new windows of thought for me. Others who are not multiracial can benefit greatly from reading this book. They can develop empathy and understand the struggles of their peers, which may help those who are multiracial feel more accepted in their schools and friend groups.For readers who are of mixed race, this book is an especially significant read. It shows readers that their experiences are important, and that they are not alone in their emotions and struggles. It is crucial to be able to see yourself reflected in the books you read, validating your sense of self and identity. This is such an important book for those who are underrepresented in literature. Not only does The Latte Rebellion show many diverse characters, it also portrays high school students and their parents in a believable manner. Many of the problems they face are very real to high school students, such as struggling to keep their grades up, participating in extracurriculars, university applications, and trying to fulfill their parents’ expectations. Asha herself is also a very relatable character - she is terrified of failure and disappointing her parents, and her changing friendship reflects many experiences that I have gone through as well. This book will appeal to most young adults as they can relate to the experiences of Asha and her peers.The real impact The Latte Rebellion left on me was how Stevenson crafted and used her characters in a way that illustrated diverse racial backgrounds without becoming preachy and self-righteous. She not only created a book with a powerful social message, but also a coming-of-age story bridging the time between childhood and adulthood. I hope that any person, whether they come from a single ethnicity or many, will be able to pick this book up and enjoy it.