# The Voting Booth

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***The Voting Booth*** is a 2020 young adult novel by [Brandy Colbert](/source/Brandy_Colbert) about two 18-year-olds on their first election day as registered voters.

## Plot

*The Voting Booth* centers the perspectives of two young adults, Marva Sheridan and Duke Crenshaw, who do not initially know one another. Marva, who is Black, spends her free time helping other register to vote and is excited for her first opportunity to vote, even after she learns that her white boyfriend, Alec, has decided not to vote as a protest against the two-party system. Duke, who is mixed race, feels the need to vote given his late brother Julian's political activism but is more excited about playing for his band's first paying gig. On the day of the election, Marva sees Duke turned away from the polling place. Marva's social justice instincts kick in, and the two make it their goal to help Duke discern his voter registration issues. Throughout the day, they "discuss race ..., privilege ..., and their different family dynamics",[1] and turn from strangers to something more as "Duke falls hard for passionate, driven Marva, and she begins to appreciate his laid-back charm".[2]

## Reception

*The Voting Booth* received starred reviews from *[Booklist](/source/Booklist)*,[1] *[Kirkus Reviews](/source/Kirkus_Reviews)*,[3] and *[Publishers Weekly](/source/Publishers_Weekly)*.[4]

On behalf of *[Shelf Awareness](/source/Shelf_Awareness)*, Jaclyn Fulwood described *The Voting Booth* as a "sweet, politically minded YA romance".[2]

According to *Booklist*'s Maggie Reagan, the book's alternating perspectives allow Colbert to "warmly and appealingly [address] issues that many teens, especially those considering how their own first vote may play out, are facing".[1] *Publishers Weekly* similarly highlighted how Colbert "aptly discusses matters of civil disobedience and social justice—including police brutality and voter suppression—without sacrificing the delicate, lighthearted relationship at the story’s center".[4] *Kirkus Reviews* praised Colbert for how she "skillfully manages both serious and playful elements throughout the novel".[3] Beyond the political element, Fulwood highlighted how "Colbert gently but thoroughly addresses the strain of grief, the relief of having someone to lean on and the importance of involvement even in an imperfect system".[2] Writing for *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*, American young adult novelist [Nicola Yoon](/source/Nicola_Yoon) noted that "in less skilled hands", the book's "premise could easily have become didactic", but found that "Colbert is deft at making the political feel truly personal".[5]

Both *Kirkus Reviews* and Reagan found Marva and Duke to be well-developed and realistically portrayed.[1][3] Yoon described Marva and Duke as "smart and highly opinionated, making for plenty of zippy and infectious dialogue".[5] *Kirkus* also found that the "secondary characters add rich texture to and understanding of the primary characters", and that the novel's use first-person perspective for both characters gave "the novel an intimate feel".[3]

*[School Library Journal](/source/School_Library_Journal)*'s Talea Anderson also reviewed the novel.[6]

Reviewing the [audiobook](/source/Audiobook) narrated by [Robin Eller](/source/Robin_Eller) and [Cary Hite](/source/Cary_Hite), *[AudioFile](/source/AudioFile_(magazine))* indicated that "Hite is especially convincing and appealing as Duke".[7]

## Awards and honors

*The Voting Booth* novel and audiobook are both [Junior Library Guild](/source/Junior_Library_Guild) books.[8][9]

In 2020, *[Booklist](/source/Booklist)* included *The Voting Booth* on their [Booklist Editors' Choice](/source/Booklist_Editors'_Choice): Books for Youth list,[10] as well as their list of the top ten romance novels for youth.[11] The following year, it was included on [Young Adult Library Services Association](/source/Young_Adult_Library_Services_Association)'s (YALSA) list of the [best fiction for young adults](/source/Best_Fiction_for_Young_Adults).[12]

## References

1. Reagan, Maggie (June 1, 2020). ["The Voting Booth"](https://www.booklistonline.com/The-Voting-Booth-/pid=9728918). *[Booklist](/source/Booklist)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20231212040638/https://www.booklistonline.com/The-Voting-Booth-/pid=9728918) December 12, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 12, 2023.

1. Fulwood, Jaclyn (July 7, 2020). ["The Voting Booth"](https://www.shelf-awareness.com/readers-issue.html?issue=933). *[Shelf Awareness](/source/Shelf_Awareness)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20231120122559/https://shelf-awareness.com/readers-issue.html?issue=933) November 20, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 12, 2023.

1. ["The Voting Booth"](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/brandy-colbert/voting-booth/). *[Kirkus Reviews](/source/Kirkus_Reviews)*. 2020-05-01. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220526023458/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/brandy-colbert/voting-booth/) 2022-05-26 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 12, 2023.

1. ["The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert"](https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781368053297). *[Publishers Weekly](/source/Publishers_Weekly)*. June 10, 2020. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230909212932/https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781368053297) September 9, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 12, 2023.

1. Yoon, Nicola (2020-08-01). ["For Two Teenagers on Election Day, the Political Gets Personal"](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/01/books/review/brandy-colbert-the-voting-booth.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. [ISSN 0362-4331](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20201104004143/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/01/books/review/brandy-colbert-the-voting-booth.html) 2020-11-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-01-28.

1. Anderson, Talea (July 10, 2020). ["The Voting Booth"](https://www.slj.com/review/the-voting-booth). *[School Library Journal](/source/School_Library_Journal)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20231214015056/https://www.slj.com/review/the-voting-booth) December 14, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 12, 2023.

1. ["THE VOTING BOOTH by Brandy Colbert Read by Robin Eller Cary Hite | Audiobook Review"](https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/182095/the-voting-booth-by-brandy-colbert-read-by-robin-eller-cary-hite/). *[AudioFile Magazine](/source/AudioFile_Magazine)*. July 2020. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210803145546/https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/182095/the-voting-booth-by-brandy-colbert-read-by-robin-eller-cary-hite/) August 3, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-05-29.

1. ["The Voting Booth (Audiobook)"](https://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/the-voting-booth-audiobook-9781954659285j). *[Junior Library Guild](/source/Junior_Library_Guild)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20231212040136/https://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/the-voting-booth-audiobook-9781954659285j) December 12, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 12, 2023.

1. ["The Voting Booth"](https://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/the-voting-booth-9781368053297j). *[Junior Library Guild](/source/Junior_Library_Guild)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20231212040137/https://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/the-voting-booth-9781368053297j) December 12, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 12, 2023.

1. ["The Voting Booth"](https://www.booklistonline.com/Booklist-Editors-Choice/pid=9743352). *[Booklist](/source/Booklist)*. January 1, 2021. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220131155419/https://www.booklistonline.com/Booklist-Editors-Choice/pid=9743352) January 31, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 12, 2023.

1. Smith, Julia (September 1, 2020). ["Top 10 Romance Fiction for Youth: 2020"](https://www.booklistonline.com/ProductInfo.aspx?pid=9739477). *[Booklist](/source/Booklist)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20231011232922/https://www.booklistonline.com/ProductInfo.aspx?pid=9739477) October 11, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 12, 2023.

1. ["Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2021"](https://www.booklistonline.com/Best-Fiction-for-Young-Adults/pid=9744798). *[Booklist](/source/Booklist)*. March 15, 2021. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220606034410/https://www.booklistonline.com/Best-Fiction-for-Young-Adults/pid=9744798) June 6, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 12, 2023.

## External links

- [Brandy Colbert explains how 'The Voting Booth' takes two teens on an election day adventure](https://web.archive.org/web/20210112210122/https://www.ocregister.com/2020/07/04/brandy-colbert-explains-how-the-voting-booth-takes-two-teens-on-an-election-day-adventure/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The Voting Booth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Voting_Booth) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Voting_Booth?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.