Untraceable

Gr 6 Up–Fifteen-year-old Amani Kendall receives the shock of her life when she discovers her parents are secret undercover agents of the Factory—an international organization of spies protecting people of color. She and her Mom are forced to move suddenly when their cover is blown, and they settle with a family friend, Sister Niema. Amani, using the name Imani, struggles to adapt to the abrupt cultural differences in being surrounded by Black students at her new public school in contrast to her former all-white elite private school. Eventually meeting up with her missing father, the family must embark on a dangerous journey that forces Amani to make some tough decisions. Amani’s voice rings true as a plus-size Black adolescent struggling to accept her own beauty in a world where skinny and white represent the ideal. She is her own worst critic; young readers will identify with her anxieties. Amani’s thought processes as she puts two and two together about her parents steadily builds the suspense through the narrative. There are multiple social issues covered, such as abortion and racism. The plot is extremely busy, and it may be hard for readers to keep up with the rapid fire action. This is a prequel companion to the author’s Undercover.