I am thrilled that all four of my grandchildren have become avid readers, so when the 12 year old suggested this book, said to be for “14 and up”, I felt I owed him the courtesy to check it out. I expected something light and fluffy, not a dark graphic novel composed entirely of cartoons set in a black ghetto in an unidentified city.
The loose plot is of one boy in the world of street gangs warring over territory for drug dealing and includes a lot of street gang lingo, shootings, and revenge. It realistically includes the broken families and lawlessness of the setting. But it also includes some magic as the lead character plans to revenge the shooting of his older brother, uncle and father by talking to them for advice.
The artistry is more like graffiti than anything closely attached to the plot, but that is probably intentional. All in all, a dark but interesting and very uniquely American three hour read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks, Kiran.
The Passionate Reader 