Overview
Mann lost his younger brother, Jason, two years ago–an innocent bystander in a shooting on his own porch. These murders are a frequent occurrence in Mann’s neighborhood. They’re so common, in fact, that he and his best friend, Kee-lee, keep a running tally of all the deceased, since no one else seems to be paying attention. Even that is not enough.More and more, Mann escapes reality through painting and horseback riding, but eventually turns to fighting, cheap thrills, and much worse. In a last-ditch effort, Mann’s father does the one thing he thinks will teach his son how to survive. Drawing from an ancient African tradition, he abandons Mann and Kee-lee in the woods, leaving them to navigate their way home, alone.
What seems like a good idea quickly turns tragic when a father’s good intentions force his son down a destructive path. Could anything be worse than losing one son? Another wrong turn and it will all be over for Mann as well. Bang!
This realistic portrait of inner-city life is both sober and transcendent. Through its honesty, listeners are compelled to open their eyes to what’s happening in their own homes and in the world around them.
Synopsis
Mann lost his younger brother, Jason, two years ago–an innocent bystander in a shooting on his own porch. These murders are a frequent occurrence in Mann’s neighborhood. They’re so common, in fact, that he and his best friend, Kee-lee, keep a running tally of all the deceased, since no one else seems to be paying attention. Even that is not enough.
More and more, Mann escapes reality through painting and horseback riding, but eventually turns to fighting, cheap thrills, and much worse. In a last-ditch effort, Mann’s father does the one thing he thinks will teach his son how to survive. Drawing from an ancient African tradition, he abandons Mann and Kee-lee in the woods, leaving them to navigate their way home, alone.
What seems like a good idea quickly turns tragic when a father’s good intentions force his son down a destructive path. Could anything be worse than losing one son? Another wrong turn and it will all be over for Mann as well. Bang!
This realistic portrait of inner-city life is both sober and transcendent. Through its honesty, listeners are compelled to open their eyes to what’s happening in their own homes and in the world around them.
Publishers Weekly
In a contemporary, hard-hitting survival tale set in a neighborhood where people get shot "for no real reason," Flake (The Skin I'm In) follows an African-American boy's harrowing initiation into manhood. Two years after Mann's seven-year-old brother is killed in a drive-by shooting, the boys' father decides to teach 13-year-old Mann, who narrates, the same lesson received by boys in African tribes. He drives Mann and his best friend, Kee-lee, into the woods and leaves them there to fend for themselves. Wild animals prove to be less of a threat than the people the boys encounter, and once they do return to the city, Mann's father turns them out again to find out what direction they want to take in life ("You wanna be a pimp-well, there's a road that'll lead you there. Wanna be a thief, sell crack and live high and die hard-well, that road's waiting for you too," says Mann's father). The method used to induct Mann into a violent world will spark as much controversy among readers as it does among characters in the book, but in the end, Mann (who fares better than his friend Kee-lee) does learn some important lessons that go beyond survival. There is a gradual yet notable change in his morality as he searches his soul to find what kind of man he wants to be. Ages 12-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.