📔 Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez

🚫 Banned for telling the truth about racism, abuse, and American history.

Set in 1937 Texas, Out of Darkness follows a forbidden love between a Black boy and a Mexican American girl, colliding with one of the worst school disasters in U.S. history. This novel doesn’t sugarcoat the deep rot of racism, segregation, and generational trauma — and that’s exactly why it’s been yanked off shelves.

Why it was banned: For "sexual content" and "graphic depictions of racism." Really, it’s because it exposes the hate woven into history and dares to give voice to those silenced.

Recommended for: Brave readers who want to see what happens when love, pain, and truth refuse to stay buried.

Recommended for: Mature teens, educators, and readers who know that silence doesn’t protect anyone — truth does.