Overview
Coming up in the inner city, Kwame and Romeo Braxton never had anyone except their Nana and each other. So when big brother Kwame caught two years for doing nothing but keeping the wrong kind of friends, their lives were turned upside down. And things are about to get shaken up one more time...
Romeo is seventeen and the star quarterback for the Tucker Tigers. He gets all the attention he can handle from the honeys—and the big-time college football programs. Deciding where to take a scholarship should be Romeo's biggest problem, but these days it's the last thing on his mind...
Not only is Kwame finally getting out of jail, their absentee mother Pearl is back on the scene, and Rome's girl Ngiai says she's ready to get serious. Oh, and a couple of thugs beat Pearl nearly to death and wrecked Nana's crib.
With everything in their lives out of control, Kwame and Rome are at a serious crossroads. Now they'll have to decide who's really got their backs, and what kind of future they're ready to step up to...
"Gritty, realistic, and unforgettable, Travis Hunter knows the urban teen scene." —Ni-Ni Simone, author of Teenage Love Affair
Travis Hunter is the founder of the Hearts of Men Foundation, through which he mentors underprivileged children. He is also the author of eight novels for adults: The Hearts of Men, Married But Still Looking, Trouble Man, A One Woman Man, Something to Die For, A Family Sin, and Dark Child. Hunter graduated from Georgia State University with a bachelor's in Psychology and is a veteran of the U.S. Army. Hunter lives in a suburb of Atlanta with his son Rashaad.
Synopsis
Coming up in the inner city, Kwame and Romeo Braxton never had anyone except their Nana and each other. So when big brother Kwame caught two years for doing nothing but keeping the wrong kind of friends, their lives were turned upside down. And things are about to get shaken up one more time...
Romeo is seventeen and the star quarterback for the Tucker Tigers. He gets all the attention he can handle from the honeys—and the big-time college football programs. Deciding where to take a scholarship should be Romeo's biggest problem, but these days it's the last thing on his mind...
Not only is Kwame finally getting out of jail, their absentee mother Pearl is back on the scene, and Rome's girl Ngiai says she's ready to get serious. Oh, and a couple of thugs beat Pearl nearly to death and wrecked Nana's crib.
With everything in their lives out of control, Kwame and Rome are at a serious crossroads. Now they'll have to decide who's really got their backs, and what kind of future they're ready to step up to...
"Gritty, realistic, and unforgettable, Travis Hunter knows the urban teen scene." —Ni-Ni Simone, author of Teenage Love Affair
Travis Hunter is the founder of the Hearts of Men Foundation, through which he mentors underprivileged children. He is also the author of eight novels for adults: The Hearts of Men, Married But Still Looking, Trouble Man, A One Woman Man, Something to Die For, A Family Sin, and Dark Child. Hunter graduated from Georgia State University with a bachelor's in Psychology and is a veteran of the U.S. Army. Hunter lives in a suburb of Atlanta with his son Rashaad.
Editorials
Kirkus Reviews
High-school football star Romeo Braxton has more than the game on his mind. His older brother, Kwame, jailed on a disputed drug charge, is up for a parole hearing, his unreliable mother has come around and there are rumors that he is going to be a father. The excitement of Kwame's return is shattered when their mother is found beaten, and the brothers must try to unravel an incident that is more than a case of random street crime. In this example of urban literature, Hunter does a fine job of illustrating how easy the dreams and aspirations of black males can be derailed by societal pressure, family issues and bad decisions. The two main characters are well rounded, and secondary characters are colorful and integral to the plot. The Atlanta setting provides an additional level of rich detail. The dialogue is authentic, and the relationships ring true. The didactism that is an element of this genre is here handled with a deft touch and never gets in the way of the storytelling. (Fiction. YA)