The Verdict of My Heart by Laura Shouse
A YA Short Book published on (06/07/25)
I received an Advanced Review Copy (or ARC) on Reedsy Discovery
Summary:
“The Northwood Public Library wasn’t just a building to Maria; it was a sanctuary, a lifeline, a second home.”
Teen activist Maria fights to save her town’s library from a greedy developer, clashing with easygoing Sean as they navigate activism, identity, and unexpected connection.
Keywords:
Short Book, Teen, Activism, Romance
My Review:
From the very first page, this book drops readers directly into the heart of the story, opening with a “chapter 0” that lays out the stakes and summarizes the upcoming story. Main character Maria, often dismissed as the “weird activist girl,” is on a mission to save the Northwood Public Library and green space next door from a predictably profit-hungry developer who only cares about the money.
Maria is portrayed as sharp, independent, and fiercely committed to her cause. Her unwavering passion and need for control make her both admirable and, at times, difficult to connect with. Her character is rigid. She struggles to give others the benefit of the doubt and occasionally comes off as self-righteous or robotic. She has a lot of potential for character growth. While she initially comes across as intense, moments of humor and witty turns of phrase help soften the otherwise stiff tone.
Sean is another main character, but not the focus of the story. Maria’s strategic, hyper-focused activism contrasts with Sean’s more emotionally driven, human-centered approach, offering an interesting dynamic between the two approaches (what feels like right-brained vs. left-brained).
The writing itself favors telling over showing and sometimes lacks specificity. For example, they add music to a presentation but only describe it as Indie. Or they see a movie but don’t specify what it is. This reduces the visual impact but heightens the emotional focus for Maria, Sean, and the reader. As a result, the novel reads more like a middle-grade story. Its simplicity and structure feel more like a single episode than a full-length book, though it still stands alone with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Still, the story tackles compelling themes. It blends civic urgency and duty with a slow-burn friendship to newly dating romance (light and age-appropriate without any steamy bits). It also explores the tension between community and capitalism, as well as different types of activism.
In the end, the story’s strength lies in its message more than its execution, and I would recommend it more for younger readers (middle-grade) versus young adult readers.
This novel was published on 06/07/25 and is available on Amazon here.
TL;DR Star Rating: 2.75
Links for more information:
Rachel Author Barnard 