Every Body Looking

Name: Every Body Looking
Author: Candice Iloh

Candice Iloh · 2024

Literary fiction

Banned in 1 country

About this book

A Finalist for the National Book Award When Ada leaves home for her freshman year at a Historically Black College, it’s the first time she’s ever been so far from her family—and the first time that she’s been able to make her own choices and to seek her place in this new world. As she stumbles deeper into the world of dance and explores her sexuality, she also begins to wrestle with her past—her mother’s struggle with addiction, her Nigerian father’s attempts to make a home for her. Ultimately, Ada discovers she needs to brush off the destiny others have chosen for her and claim full ownership of her body and her future. “Candice Iloh’s beautifully crafted narrative about family, belonging, sexuality, and telling our deepest truths in order to be whole is at once immensely readable and ultimately healing.”—Jacqueline Woodson, New York Times Bestselling Author of Brown Girl Dreaming “An essential—and emotionally gripping and masterfully written and compulsively readable—addition to the coming-of-age canon.”—Nic Stone, New York Times Bestselling Author of Dear Martin “This is a story about the sometimes toxic and heavy expectations set onthe backs of first-generation children, the pressures woven into the familydynamic, culturally and socially. About childhood secrets with sharp teeth. And ultimately, about a liberation that taunts every young person.

Why it was banned

In 2024, "Every Body Looking" by Candice Iloh was banned at the school level in the United States, with the banning authority citing "Other" as the reason. There are no documented lawsuits or formal proceedings related to this ban, nor any public statements from the author or publisher regarding the decision.

Censorship history

In 2024, "Every Body Looking" by Candice Iloh faced a ban at the school level in the United States, categorized under "Other" reasons, reflecting concerns over its themes of sexuality and personal identity. Specific details regarding the challengers or formal complaints leading to this ban have not been publicly documented, but it is part of a broader trend of challenges against contemporary literature in educational settings. The ban remains contested, with ongoing discussions among educators and parents regarding the appropriateness of the book in school curricula.