Upstate: A Novel

· Macmillan + ORM
32 reviews
Ebook
262
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

"Baby, the first thing I need to know from you is do you believe I killed my father?"
So begins Upstate, a powerful story told through letters between seventeen-year-old Antonio and his sixteen-year-old girlfriend, Natasha, set in the 1990's in New York. Antonio and Natasha's world is turned upside down, and their young love is put to the test, when Antonio finds himself in jail, accused of a shocking crime. Antonio fights to stay alive on the inside, while on the outside, Natasha faces choices that will change her life. Over the course of a decade, they share a desperate correspondence. Often, they have only each other to turn to as life takes them down separate paths and leaves them wondering if they will ever find their way back together.
Startling, real, and filled with raw emotion, Upstate is an unforgettable coming-of-age story with a message of undeniable hope. Brilliant and profoundly felt, it is destined to speak to a new generation of readers.
"Baby, the first thing I need to know from you is do you believe I killed my father?" So begins Upstate, a powerful story told through letters between seventeen-year-old Antonio and his sixteen-year-old girlfriend, Natasha, set in the 1990's in New York. Antonio and Natasha's world is turned ups...

Ratings and reviews

32 reviews
DES
March 7, 2013
this is the second time I read this book in about 8 years and every time I read it I love it the same it reminds me of passionate romance with a tragic ending..i bought the book soo I can read it over and over again since I love it so much
2 people found this review helpful
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A Google user
October 11, 2012
Highly recommend this book. It will catch your attention on the first page not wanting to put this book down. It has alot of feelings. One of the beat teenage love stories.
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Jennifer Nazario
May 21, 2026
I have been looking for over 10 years for this book. I read this as a teen in high school. I was an emotional wreck. This book gives a flowers for Algernon feel. it's absolutely beautiful and heart wrenching at the same time! I recommend this read. It's an absolute must for those who like emotional books. The ending leaves you wrecked and maybe feeling high and dry but it's amazing!!!
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About the author

Kalisha Buckhanon was born in Kankakee, Illinois in 1977. She has been the recipient of awards and fellowships from the NAACP, Andrew Mellon Fund, Illinois Arts Council, Illinois Young Authors Commission, Mary Roberts Rhinehart Fund and the Chicago Black Writer's Conference. Her work has appeared in such publications as Michigan Quarterly Review and Warpland: A Journal of Black Literature and Ideas. She holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from New School University and a B.A. in English Language and Literature from the University of Chicago. She has taught literacy and writing to children on Chicago's South Side, in Harlem, Brooklyn and the Bronx. Upstate is her first novel.

Kalisha Buckhanon was born in Kankakee, Illinois in 1977. She has been the recipient of awards and fellowships from the NAACP, Andrew Mellon Fund, Illinois Arts Council, Illinois Young Authors Commission, Mary Roberts Rhinehart Fund and the Chicago Black Writer's Conference. Her work has appeared...

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