The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson

In futuristic Brazil, the ritual of the Summer Kings is nothing new: they are chosen wakas, bursting with life and love, who bloom through the year and are sacrificed before Winter. It is a truth June learned firsthand when she was eight years old. This practice of sacrifice has been part of Palmares Tres for thousands of years, and while other cities decry its barbaric nature, those who understand it, who know why these young men give their lives, rejoice in the light that burns brightest before being extinguished.

June and Gil know their lives are forever changed from that first night with their Summer King. Enki is crowned, and instantly sweeps Gil off his feet. Their romance is on everyone's lips, much to the chagrin of the Aunties (and the Queen). When June is named as a finalist for the Queen's Award, she knows she has to do something big. With Enki's help, she knows it will be something worthwhile too. He isn't just a pretty face to her, he's another artist.

Enki has fought his way to the top: the exotic boy with the inky black skin. His mother fled from Salvador when he was only a child, and gained entry to Palmares Tres. He's given so much of himself: getting all the mods which allow him to talk to the city, risking the Aunties enmity to bring the truth of the Verde to light, and (last but not least) sacrificing himself. 

They plan a huge project, one that blends all their talents, one that will challenge even the Aunties themselves. She fears she may not even be able to claim this as her own work, for the risk that it puts her in, and the exhiliration warms her. She shares a moment with Enki, and wonders why it can never be more between them. Why did he choose Gil that first night?

As the weeks pass, it seems their art is no longer enough for June. She wants more of Enki, she wants more of the matriarchal society that has raised her, she wants the grandes to be responsible for their actions. Is it too much to ask? Maybe it is...

“To love light, you have to love dark. I'm not trying to be profound, I know you'll understand. I don't mean that you have to hate to love, or that you have to die to live.
I mean that sometimes, you turn out the lights just to turn them back on," (Johnson, 2013.)

*Library Link*

If you liked this, check out:

Zombies vs. Unicorns editted by Black and Larbalestier ("Love Will Tear Us Apart" by A. Johnson)
When We Wake by Karen Healy
The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

Johnson, Alaya D. (2013). The Summer Prince. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books.