In the Silences

Kaz Adams wants to spend time reading comics with Aisha Warren and, perhaps, work out whether Aisha might want something more. Questions about gender already make adolescence complicated, but falling for Aisha also draws Kaz's attention to the racism shaping her daily life. As the two grow older, problems at school become harder to treat as isolated incidents. Kaz notices that other white people are unwilling to acknowledge what Aisha faces, even when confronted with it directly. Protecting their connection requires more than private understanding. Kaz must decide how to challenge friends and institutions whose refusal to listen is helping make Aisha's world smaller and more exhausting.