For this installment of our weekly book reviews from Booklist, the American Library Association’s nationally distributed book and media review publication, we have Sarah Hunter’s review of “Wake Now in the Fire,” written by Jarrett Dapier and illustrated by AJ Dungo, first published January 16, 2026, on Booklist Online.
Enjoy.
Wake Now in the Fire.
By Jarrett Dapier. Illus. by AJ Dungo
Feb. 2026. 464p. Ten Speed. Grades 9-12.
Inspired by real accounts of the Chicago Public School system’s attempt to ban Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis” in 2013, Dapier blends fact and fiction to offer a kaleidoscopic picture of the experiences of students who investigated the circumstances of the book’s removal and initiated protests against censorship. Students in Ms. Mill’s class are outraged when they first learn about the district ordering the book’s removal, and they immediately recognize the hypocrisy inherent in unceremoniously banning a book about an oppressive, censorious regime and its impacts on one Iranian teen. From there, Dapier moves from student to student, depicting not only their reactions to the event but how the book affects their lives and the myriad reasons they choose whether or not to participate in the pushback. The student journalists who dig into the details surrounding the order are a particular highlight, since their discoveries parallel coverage of the actual event, but all the students’ stories together dig deeply into issues of censorship and protest, of course, but also of how healthy, supportive school systems and social networks can be lifelines for teens. In soft, thickly outlined, grayscale artwork, Dungo adds emotional depth to the plentiful cast of characters. This thoughtful, personal, and deeply relevant account of book censorship and the power of collective action to fight against it will be acutely empowering for teens, many of whom are facing similar censorship fights in their own schools today. — Sarah Hunter
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