Finding Mighty by Sheela Chari

I grew up in the 80s and was always fascinated by the emergence of the hip-hop movement. From afar I watched as b-boys used the tenets of the movement (rapping, djing, b-boying and graffiti) to express themselves in the dawn of a new era. Thus, when I saw Sheela Chari's new book, Finding Mighty I was instantly drawn to the cover and the book did not disappoint.

Chari is of East Indian descent and the main protagonists are of East Indian descent as well, something that I had not seen in many middle grade novels but which was a refreshing change as I feel it is critically important for kids to read about different perspectives and cultures.

The story is told in alternating viewpoints- Myla, Peter and his older brother Randall, and centers around the mysterious death of the boys' father, Omar. Randall has joined a group of graffiti artists who tag different parts of the city at night. One night Randall disappears and leaves cryptic clues to help his brother find him. Peter starts to search but soon realizes that he can't do it alone.

In addition to all of the above, Myla and Peter have to deal with being new sixth graders and the transition that this entails. Myla for her part feels invisible and in one interesting exchange between her and Peter they reflect on the pros and cons of the different neighborhoods. Chari does a wonderful job of touching on some deep issues in a very sensitive manner.

There are more characters too including the boys' weird uncle, an ex-con called Scottie Biggs and a nosy reporter called Kai Filnik who has a knack of popping up in the most unexpected places. This is a mystery with twists, turns and a great deal of heart. Highly recommended.  Natasha Tarpley's The Harlem Charade is is another great mystery set in the Big Apple. Blue Balliett's Chasing Vermeer series is a wonderful series of intricately plotted mysteries for middle grade readers.

Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera

Most Americans probably don't even give the prison at Guantanamo Bay Cuba a second thought. Why should they? Supposedly it's filled with enemy combatants, men who, even if they aren't guilty of plotting against the U.S. and its allies probably know something.  They deserve whatever they get don't they.

What if there are teens at that prison however.  Teens who are innocent and are being held there while their rights are being denied. This is the premise of  Anna Perera's teen novel Guantanamo Boy in which Khalid a fifteen year old second generation Pakistani immigrant living in Rochdale is taken to Cuba in the most bizarre circumstances.

As you would imagine, Khalid's journey is a rough one and it is heartbreaking reading to see what he endures during his time in confinement. Perera spares no detail so be warned if you are easily grossed out or are faint of heart. Confinement, even under the best conditions is a trying experience for any being and that is definitely the case here. Guantanamo prison is in many ways a sort of limbo place both due to its location and due to the often extreme measures required to capture the folks that are housed there.

I definitely recommend this book for teens looking to broaden their view of the world. This book would also be an excellent read in high school social studies and current affairs classes. A read alike to this book in the sense of covering topics that force teens to think about the wider world is The Tyrant's Daughter by J.C. Carleson.

Liccle Bit by Alex Wheatle

Growing up as a fourteen year old is hard in any country. There are hormones, peer pressure and of course schoolwork to deal with. For Lemar his height is also a major disadvantage and he is sometimes called many nicknames (none of them complimentary) but the worst of them all is Liccle Bit ("liccle" being the Jamaican patois from of "little").

As if he didn't have enough problems, Lemar's older sister Elaine has just had a baby with Manjaro the baddest gangster around much to his parents' chagrin. Even though Lemar knows he shouldn't associate with Manjaro (his friends and family repeatedly warn him) he doesn't have the courage to say no when Manjaro asks him for a favor. That's when the trouble starts.

Wheatle's prose is razor sharp and Lemar's descriptions of his estate (known as housing projects here in the US) convey all the dreariness and hopelessness the residents feel. Lemar's friends to me served as both comedic foils and the differing sides of his conscience as they gave him advice on everything from family matters to matters of the heart.

I am going to be making many interlibrary loan requests for Wheatle's books (he's been writing for some time now) as they are a great perspective on  life outside North America and particularly on life for young people of color in London. I recommend this book for tween and teen readers worldwide as it shows how the power to choose rests within every individual.

The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds

One thing that is certain about life is that we will lose loved ones. However despite this fact when we do lose someone there is always a mourning period of some sort. This is the premise of this great novel for young adults written by Jason Reynolds.

We meet a young man called Matt grieving after the loss of his mom. Matt was an only child and was very close to his mom so of course he takes her loss very hard. His dad, grieving himself doesn't quite know how to communicate with Matt. Then Matt gets a job at a local funeral parlor and finds that wearing the black suit is comforting...so he begins to wear it all the time.


Though he is grieving, Matt never really lets it out and continues life as usual, going through the motions more than anything else and hanging out with his best friend Chris. Matt does develops a strange obsession though, at the funerals he attends he starts searching out the faces to find the one person who is really, truly sad. This is comforting for him and he develops an eerie sense of who this person is. Then at one funeral he meets someone who will change his life and help him to deal.

Reynolds takes a tough subject but adds enough humorous touches here and there so as to not make the book totally depressing. In fact as we read the book we discover people who are grieving for many things and who have never really gotten over their grief but who make an effort day after day. This, I think is an excellent lesson indeed. I highly recommend this book.

The Rest of us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

This is a clever novel unlike many I have seen before and I won't be surprised if it gets on many "must read" lists. I say that because while it mentions many of the popular YA tropes of the past few years, the overall theme is that real life is a much scarier proposition for teens to navigate.       

Mike and his older sister Mel have their own problems for which they have sought help. Their mom is determined to achieve her professional goals and perhaps this has caused her to shirk some of her motherly duties. Their dad is little help since he has his own demons to manage. 

Mike's best friend Jared, a giant teddy bear of a kid is a loyal and supportive ally even though he has his own issues. Mike is also experiencing the classic teen conundrum- how to tell someone you've known alllll your life that you may have feelings for them. While all this is going on, there are some weird happenings in the town and some weird flashing blue lights are seen at night. 

 I admire Ness' forthrightness. The characters in this novel are on the cusp of adulthood but they are just as scared as little kids.  They do however have a variety of coping mechanisms some good some bad and they will have to learn to distinguish between the two.  Dealing with feelings is perhaps the most difficult part of adolescence and even smart kids have a tough time with that. Ness' characters do end up much better for their experiences however. This was a great read but because of some language and other sensitive material I think this book is best served for kids 13+. 

The Bubble Wrap Boy by Phil Earle

By day, Charlie Han is a regular kid who despite his best efforts is rather clumsy. By night he is a delivery boy for his parents' Chinese takeout restaurant. He does have one secret however; and considering that his mom is a helicopter parent like no other (he's fourteen years old and there's still a baby gate at the top of his stairs) this secret could land him in big trouble- Charlie Han loves to skateboard and is actually quite good at it.

There is something else going on however. Charlie's mom is getting increasingly tired and Charlie suspects that it may be because those night classes that she signs up for may not be classes after all. What he finds out however may be more than he can handle.

Every family has secrets and skeletons in the closet but of course some are more serious than others. Secrets in and of themselves aren't bad but usually people are more annoyed that they haven't been told things. Charlie falls into this category and he must learn how to cope.

Coming of age novels can sometimes be very dark and heavy reading. Earle gets around this by starting off the book very lightly. I almost thought it would be one of the books with lots of shenanigans and cheap guffaws throughout and yes there are light moments but Charlies life definitely changes irrevocably by the novels end.

This book was written in England and has two covers, one for overseas and one for North America. I was amused when I saw the blue cover as it actually had a boy wrapped in bubble wrap. This book would be appropriate for ages 11+ as I think children of that age would be able to make sense of the many complicated emotions Charlie experiences and his evolving relationship with his parents and in particular with his mother.

All-American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kelly

Recent events in our country have shown that despite the election of the country's first African-American President, the spectre of race still has not disappeared. The police are an important and necessary public institution but perhaps some of the methods used to police poor and minority communities need to be reexamined. One wonders also how many instances of police brutality would go unpunished if there were no such thing as camera phones. It is no wonder that police departments nationwide are adopting body cameras.

 All-American Boys is co-written by two authors, one African-American, one White and I think this lends some authenticity to the narrative. Cover images are so very important in attracting readers and this book does a good job in that regard with the novel's title in red and blue and a young man standing with his hands raised.

Told from two viewpoints, the young African-American youth Rashad is for all intents and purposes an All-American teen. He is active in sports, is gregarious and is enrolled in ROTC. His dad was both a former soldier and police officer and firmly believes in both institutions. The young white teen Quinn could also be described as an All-American kid as he also plays sports (on the same team as Rashad), is a dutiful older brother to his pesky brother Will and is a good son to his widowed mom.  Those similarities are the only things they have in common however.

In many senses this is a coming of age story because Rashad is forever changed (physically and mentally) and Quinn's relationship with his own friends and with Rashad is altered dramatically. The authors give a very accurate portrayal of the inner torment both characters experience as they begin to change their world view and alter their beliefs.

Some of the language and situations described are a tad graphic and for this reason I would recommend this novel for ages 13+. Some read alikes are How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon and Tyrell by Coe Booth. One quote from the novel resonated very deeply with me "If you are neutral in times of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." Very true indeed.

The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall

Historical fiction reads for younger reads aren't always the most popular or entertaining reads I must admit. I can't remember the last time a young customer has requested one of them in the library. However, when one does find a book that is not only based on historical events but is also a transcendent story then it must be lauded. Shelley Pearsall's The Seventh Most Important Thing is one such book.

Set in a grittier part of Washington DC we meet young Arthur T. Owens just after he threw a brick at a man known as Young Man. Arthur's life changes after this not only because he has to work for the Junk Man (collecting various materials) but also because he has to report to a no nonsense probation officer called Officer Billie. Arthur's life at school changes as well when he befriends a strange kid called Squeak. True to his name, Squeak is small, mouse-like in his demeanor but he also proves to be a loyal and devoted companion.

The central theme of the book however is Arthur's relationship with the Junk Man. The latter harbors no ill will toward Arthur and instead is glad for assistance with his project which is complex in its execution and grand in its scope. Arthur's view of the world will never be the same after his experience with the Junk Man.

I recommend this book for ages 10+ due to some language and the content. It is a well-written book and one that made me feel very positive after reading it. I say this because there was no superhero or deus ex machina to save the day. Instead, introspection, personal growth and accountability were the powers used to solve problems.

Some read likes for this book are The Paper Cowboy by Susan Levine, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass and Kizzy Ann Stamps by Jerry Hanel Watts.

Galgorithm by Aaron Karo

    Imagine that there was a formula that you could use whenever you had a crush on someone that was almost guaranteed to work. Imagine if there was a list of techniques that, if followed faithfully would eventually make the cutie you were eyeing start to like you back. Now imagine if a high school senior was the one who had devised such a strategy. What do you think he would do with it? Galgorithm by Aaron Karo explores what could happen if such a scenario were to occur.


 Shane is a high school senior in a cushy middle class  suburb in California. He makes good grades, stays out of trouble and is generally well-liked. He hangs out with his best friend Jak (Jennifer Annabelle Kalkland) mostly but he has a secret that even she doesn't know- he is a dating consultant sought out by lovelorn students throughout the school.

   Shane's methods seem to be very effective however- he has hooked up the most unlikely couples. Balloon and Hedgehog, Reed and Marisol to name a few. But soon things start getting weird. A staff member at school seeks Shane out desperate for help with a colleague and Shane must decide if he wants to help a grown up.Then one of the most attractive girls at school falls for Shane but he can't shake the nagging feeling that he likes someone else. He will have to make some hard decisions.

If you are looking for a book that analyzes teen problems and tries to find a cause for their angst then this book isn't for you. This was a breezy read filled with beautiful, high-achieving kids. Although I don't usually read books like this I admit that I enjoyed it very much. I highly recommend this book for readers aged 13+.

The Worst Class Trip Ever by Dave Barry

The Worst Class Trip Ever by author Dave Barry is a story about friends, terrorists and farts...I kid you not. A group of middle schoolers go on a field trip to Washington D.C. hoping to learn more about the history and see some of the many tourist attractions there.  Told from the point of view of Wyatt Palmer, an ordinary eighth grader whose parents are loving if not a bit zany. His mom is a loving, doting parent...but she doesn't suffer fools gladly as his father finds out early in the book.


Wyatt is a typical student, not too good but not too bad. Things get off to a bad start literally from the time the kids get on the plane when he and his best bud Matt get into a minor tiff with some strange guys sitting next to them try to flout the rules about baggage. The guys want to put a bag somewhere but are told not to by the stewardess. Things don't end there however because Matt, the goofy friend takes something out of the bag. This leads to perhaps the weirdest sequence of events I have read in some time.

In addition to this Wyatt has to deal with his affection for a girl who for all intents and purposes is unattainable. She is taller, smarter and more worldly than he and she also doesn't know how he feels about her. But this situation is so crazy he just might be able to use it to his advantage.

The kids find themselves having to make some serious decisions and I like how Barry was able to frame the decision. On one hand they realized when things got serious and that they would need grown up help but on the other hand theywant to follow instructions they received This for me is adolescence in a nutshell; yes there are some things that can be done on your own but there will still be times when adult assistance will be required.

This is a good summer read for kids aged 10+. I enjoyed it and I think middle grade readers will identify with the social scenarios and mild friend drama described in it. This is a good summer read.

Ferals by John Grey

Caw is a young boy who was abandoned by his parents who he assumes are dead. He has been taken in by three crows, the aptly named Glum, young upstart Screech and old, stoic Milky, a white crow who is blind. Caw can communicate with the crows in a language only they understand and their relation is mutually beneficial in that they help him keep out of trouble and he helps them scavenge dumpsters and other places for food.

Caw is content to continue with this peripatetic existence until one night he witnesses a jailbreak by three sinister individuals. This leads him into contact with a headstrong girl called Lydia whose father is the prison warden.  It soon becomes apparent however that the three escapees are not regular people- they have the power to control animals. Caw and Lydia begin to seek help to find out more information about the trio and this leads them to a sympathetic librarian, another street dweller among others.

As they learn more about the sinister trio they discover that there is a fiendish plot underway and that those events are connected to the disappearance of Caw's parents. They also learn that Caw himself has some supernatural powers when it comes to animals but he will have to learn how to control it. More importantly Caw has lived most of his life on the fringes of human society so he will have to learn to collaborate with humans.

There are some truly touching moments in this book where matters of class and belonging are explored. My heart went out to poor Caw when he visited Lydia and displayed absolutely no social grace. The librarian proved to be a very helpful character and showed that librarians in modern society are very different from the shushing, reserved characters that come to mind when one thinks of librarian. Caw's interactions with the crows was entertaining as well. Screech is aptly named and has some very funny lines.

Although the end was a bit strange I had to remind myself that this was after all a fiction novel. Caw is only thirteen years but yet survives on the street without anyone realizing. This brought to mind the increasing problem of homelessness in America's suburbs. Grey did a fantastic job of portraying a dark, foreboding city but the book is not too menacing for young readers. I recommend this book for ages 10+.

Stealing the Game by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld

Stealing the Game is co written by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld a duo that has collaborated on a few other books for young readers. This book however is their first novel aimed at middle grades and uses the sports theme as a way to get readers to explore other themes such has belonging, family issues, friendship and identity. This book features a wide array of nuanced characters which I found very appealing.

The kid is shy but well-adjusted teen who is going through typical early teen adjustments. He plays basketball and is a decent player but more than that he is a good kid. He struggles with communication and knowing when to speak up but over the course of the book he gradually emerges from his shell. Jax, his older brother has long been the star of the family, good at sports and academically and was well on his way at a prestigious law school.  He is a good student but he keeps secret from his folks the fact that he likes to read and write comics.

His parents are serious law professionals and as parents they are very much of the helicopter variety and this makes him chafe at the level of control they want to exert. They schedule tutor time for him, bring brochures for schools and worst of all want him to quit his school team.  Things are okay at school but a series of robberies begin to occur in the neighborhood. This coincides with his older brother's reappearance at home and he is acting very strangely to say the least. Kid begins to suspect the worst when his brother shows him bruises that he received at the hands of a local tough. Then out of the blue Jax proposes a hair-brained scheme to get money for a debt. He must make some tough decisions.

I liked the fact that he ventured out of his comfort zone and out of his neighborhood and in the process gained a different view of a  classmate's life. Although towards the end things seemed to wrap up just a bit too smoothly leaving zero loose ends the conclusion was satisfactory enough for me.

This is one of those books where basketball is part of the narrative but if you are looking for a book where the kid hits the winning shot and then lives happily ever after then you may be disappointed. I recommend it for readers aged 12+.

Vacation bible school crafts

   The kids are out of school and for many the summer months are a good time to learn a little more about the Christian faith. Songs, games and other group activities are always a large part of this. Crafts are cool and the good thing about them is that they can be modified or adjusted according to the skill level of the kids.

For this door hanger, used cds are perfect. Add some decorations, color and a verse of scripture of your choice and voila!




Some scriptures are so powerful that reading them every day can provide a level of comfort. Little ones can make their own praying hands complete with scripture. I think for this one you can have the kids trace their hands or if not then they can use a template.



Also since most of the kids will probably have on flip-flops or sandals anyway you might as well do a foot scripture.  I am thinking that you can get the kids to trace their foot on a piece of construction paper or some other sturdy material, cut it out and then decorate it. For extra longevity you can laminate it as well.




A VBS camp craft list would not be complete without a cross of some sort and I found two that I like. This one is made out of construction paper and regular paper. You can print the verses on the colored paper or have the kids write  those out before pasting them on the cross.


This second cross is really simple as well and you can use pallets of different sizes for this. The kids can color them with markers (paint is really messy) and then paste colored beads, buttons or some other embellishment on it. They come out really nice.

The Cemetery Boys by Heather Brewer

This novel's title is dark and foreboding and I honestly thought that I would be in for a fright-fest but thankfully this was not the case.  Stephen's mom is very sick and due to some huge medical bills he and his dad have to move  from Denver, Colorado to the small town of Spencer. (As a Denver resident I was chuffed to see the Mile High City play a role in this narrative)

The residents of Spencer are like those in small towns anywhere-friendly enough but leery of strangers, provincial and protective of their own.  Stephen does manage to make friends fairly quickly but as time passes he begins to feel that this sleepy town has some dark secrets.

Brewer uses myth and legend as the backdrop for the story. The Winged Ones are some weird creatures who crave human sacrifice.  Supposedly after they have had their fill of human blood things go well in the town financially. Stephen is a skeptic and does decide to look up information about past goings on in Spencer and at one point researches information in the stacks (how cool is that!)

The requisite twist ending didn't catch me completely by surprise but was still thrilling enough. I couldn't help wonder if the book should have been titled The Winged Ones instead since the mere mention of them fills the reader with dread. Due to some drug use and other teen behavior I would recommend this book for ages 13+ since it isn't very scary at all if it were a movie it might be rated PG-13 at most.

Tunnel Vision by Susan Adrian

Jake has powers. No one knows about it except his dad and his grandfather. The former is dead, the latter lives in a secluded cabin in New York. Jake is a senior in high school and his life is full of school work, tennis practice and working hard to get into his preferred colleges.

 One night at a house party against his better judgment he uses his powers and freaks his friends out. Even worse, word leaks and then all kinds of strange suited people begin following him. Soon he makes a deal with a strange organization who promise to help him harness his powers to help save people from bad guys. Part of the deal involves some of the suit's "handlers" embedding themselves in Jake's life.


This novel is engrossing because the tension between Jake and his handlers is apparent. He chafes at the extent to which they come into his life. It is not only that they encroach upon his privacy but the transition is so sudden and so seamless. Jacob has been taught all his life to respect authority, moreso since his father was in the service and was proud to serve his country. This group of grown ups is not entirely trustworthy however and slowly Jake begins to discover some ugly truths.

As you would expect there are some twists along the way and Jacob has had to make a series of very tough decisions by the end of the story.This novel is well-written and balances elements of  espionage, conspiracy theories, current events, teenage drama and then some. I highly recommend it for teens aged 14+.

Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Ancient Rome was an incredible place; but not if you were a slave as is the case with Nic. He works in mines ceaselessly and has never even taken a bath, Luck is when preparation meets opportunity though and when Nic is ordered by his cruel boss Sal to go into an underground chamber, his life changes suddenly and completely. In an underground cavern he meets two things that are going to forever be a part of his life- a griffin which he names Caela and a bulla that belonged to Julius Caesar.

Through a combination of bravery and naivete Nic ends up with a mark on his body that gives him magic powers. He is not an instant superhero however and his efforts are bumbling to put it mildly. He is motivated to free himself and his sister from slavery and seeks to do so with a laserlike focus, Nic is not alone however. As he tries to find his sister he meets two other people who befriend him. He and Aurelia don't hit it off immediately but gradually they grow on each other.

As you would imagine mythology and ancient history are integral parts of the story. One can hope that younger readers who may not have read these tales from antiquity would be inspired to do so after reading this book.

Not only does Nielsen paint a realistic picture of Rome at the time but she also conveys the instability that was a feature of life in the empire. Plots and counter plots galore are revealed throughout the story and it ends with one final stunning revelation that is a cliffhanger and a door into more books in the series. This was a good read and I recommend it for ages 10+

Bad Boy by Walter Dean Myers

Myers was a literary giant and extremely prolific author who wrote boks in a variety of genres. He wrote some books that dealt with inner city life and you felt that he knew what he was talking about, that he had lived that experience. In this autobiographical book he talks about his life in an accessible way. A young reader can empathize with some of the themes he discusses despite the fact that Myers is a child of the post World War II era. We learn some interesting facts about young Walter in this book, such as why he uses all three for example.

Myers recounts his academic prowess and subsequent realization that such behavior was deemed masculine. A telling line in the book is when he describes having to carry books home in a bag so that the neighborhood boys would not tease him or worse. Another aspect of the book that young readers may empathize with is his awkwardness around girls, he does not talk about a girlfriend or serious relationship.

Though Myers does not go into detail about segregation and the unfortunate treatment of non whites during that era, he describes his best friend Eric *a white boy) with whom he gets along really well. As the boys grew older,  there are places that Eric can go where young Walter was unwelcome, a difficult realization for him.

His parents wanted to see him succeed in school and Myers realized early on that education was the only way for him to not have a tough time as his parents did. His father could not read and was proud of his son's accomplishments but one gets the sense that he was somewhat unsure of how to feel. It is Myers' mom who seemed to be his true champion as she is the one who intervenes when Myers interest in school began to wane.

Overall this is a good read with the compelling writing which we are used to seeing in Myers' books. It is not a stirring book however when compared to other coming-of-age novels by other African American writers. I do however recommend it for readers aged 11+.

Beneath by Roland Smith

I have traveled on many subways and trains across this country and whenever I  caught glimpses of tunnels as the train whizzed by I couldn't help but wonder about life in that subterranean maze. There are people who frequent the nether regions beneath our society but to have an actual functioning society down there is something that is hard to imagine...or is it?

Young Pat loves his older brother Coop despite the latter's quirky nature. The boys come from a loving if slightly weird family with two extremely smart parents who are good at their jobs but not so great at raising kids. Then one day his brother disappears and then Pat begins receiving some strange communiques from him. This leads him to New York city where the mystery deepens.

Pat finds not one but two societies underground with a hierarchy, strict laws and  some strange characters. It is his luck that he enters that world at a time of upheaval and although he makes alliances he doesn't know who to trust. There are some dangerous people in the world below, and some of them may be a threat to the world above ground.

Smith does a good job of showing how Pat begins to act like a person from down below after just a short time. While I must admit that Coop seemed just a bit too reckless for my liking he was a good foil and without his shenanigans we would have no story.

I like this book since not only does it show a young protagonist who must be brave in the face of terrible adversity, but he also must conquer some very real phobias that have dogged him his entire life. There are multiple literary references as well and the author is obviously an avid reader. I recommend this book for readers aged 10+

Fake ID by Lamar Giles

Fake ids are a big thing in our country for so many reasons. People use them to work legally and to get into clubs and bars to drink. I know of a few people that have used these things to get into night clubs and other places. I have never thought about someone who was forced for various reasons to adopt a new identity.


This is the case with Nick whose dad can't seem to keep out of trouble and so the family is moved around many times by the Federal Witness protection program. Nick goes through the motions at his new school trying to stay low but immediately meets a boy called Eli and his sister Reya. He gravitates towards them both-for different reasons- and ends up spending a lot of time with Eli who is a quirky but kind kid. Things take a deadly turn however when Eli is found dead in the school's newspaper office. As Nick tries to solve the mystery it becomes clear that there is a larger problem going on in the down and the web of secrets is stickier than he could have imagined.

The novel centers on twin narratives, one is the larger issue of the sinister events in the town but Nick is also dealing with family unrest. His parents' relationship (strained no doubt by countless moves) is on shaky ground and he fears that either one of his parents could bail on the family at any time. Apart from the more serious, criminal aspects of the novel Nick is also African American although this fact is not mentioned many times in the narrative and truth be told we forget about it except a few times when this fact influences the plot. This protagonist is one that happens to be African American and not an African American protagonist.

Overall this was a good read and due to some language and the heavy thematic content I would recommend this for ages 14+