Response

Noah and his friends go to a predominantly all-white neighborhood with a plan: steal a car, sell it to a chop shop, and make some fast cash. But that never happens. Instead, Noah, a teen father, becomes the victim of a vicious beating that leaves him with a fractured skull. The question is, was the attacker protecting his turf, or did he target Noah just because he's black?

BCCB

Noah's epiphany concerning his roles as son, friend, father, and lover is convincingly handled, and readers will hail his graduation from an alternative high school-program as an authentic victory.

Paul Volponi lives in New York City.