Reviewers are calling it a "coming of age" novel. If I had seen that ahead of time I might not have gotten it. Or if I had seen that it is pretty dark, who knows? I like dark but not too dark.
A young man, East, lives in L.A. and is a proud member of a gang. He follows the rules, he does what's required, and he doesn't question. The leader of his gang is his uncle, and he never wants to disappoint him. So when this uncle sends him to another state to kill a witness he heads off without question. What he does question is why he is part of a gang of four, including his younger brother.
East's bro is Ty, and he's a tough guy. He's the one who knows guns. He may be young but he is never afraid. There is bad blood between the two and East is bothered that Ty is part of his little gang.
The four set off in a car that looks like a clunker but is well maintained. No point drawing attention to themselves. They get to go on a road trip. The trip is fraught with problems and it may be a little wishful to think nobody has noticed these boys.
They plod on in spite of setbacks. Nothing goes as planned. But ultimately it is indeed a coming-of-age story.
This one stuck with me for quite a while. I became fond of East and wanted the best for him. Such wants only make one tense when reading. But it was worth it.
A young man, East, lives in L.A. and is a proud member of a gang. He follows the rules, he does what's required, and he doesn't question. The leader of his gang is his uncle, and he never wants to disappoint him. So when this uncle sends him to another state to kill a witness he heads off without question. What he does question is why he is part of a gang of four, including his younger brother.
East's bro is Ty, and he's a tough guy. He's the one who knows guns. He may be young but he is never afraid. There is bad blood between the two and East is bothered that Ty is part of his little gang.
The four set off in a car that looks like a clunker but is well maintained. No point drawing attention to themselves. They get to go on a road trip. The trip is fraught with problems and it may be a little wishful to think nobody has noticed these boys.
They plod on in spite of setbacks. Nothing goes as planned. But ultimately it is indeed a coming-of-age story.
This one stuck with me for quite a while. I became fond of East and wanted the best for him. Such wants only make one tense when reading. But it was worth it.
