If We Were a Movie

In Zakiya N. Jamal's debut novel, If We Were a Movie, Rochelle "the Shell" Coleman is laser-focused on her aspirations as she navigates the challenges of high school and her rivalry with Amira Rodriguez, her charming academic nemesis. When a job at Horizon Cinemas, a cherished Black-owned movie theater, becomes an opportunity to enhance her college application, Rochelle is reluctantly drawn into close quarters with Amira, her boss. As the two work together amidst quirky colleagues and a growing mystery threatening the theater's future, unexpected feelings begin to emerge, blending romance with a heartfelt mission to save their beloved cinema. This engaging enemies-to-lovers tale captures the essence of friendship, nostalgia, and the magic of Black cinema.