Homeboyz by Alan Sitomer

This is one of Florida's Teen Reads for this school year. I was surprised at how much violence is in the book: in the first chapter an innocent 14 year old girl is gunned down in a gang related shooting. Near the end of the book, a pregnant girl is shot and killed and her boyfriend commits suicide. In between is all manner of violence. It isn't exactly "adult violence" since the details are not too graphic. But the depiction of gang activity necessitates some emotionally raw scenes, and Sitomer doesn't spare the horses especially in the early jail scenes. The book isn't a pleasant read, but it does get your attention. Still, I thought the book ended on a syrupy sweet note. Everything turns out OK, which I thought was a little unrealistic, especially given that the author was pretty harsh about realities within the plot. I also didn't think the parents were drawn too well. Both the mother and father were flat; we get things through Teddy's eyes but members of his family are stereotyped. That wouldn't be so bad if the author didn't make such a big deal about the parents' role in the story. Sitomer is rather casual about the deep grief the mother feels. I suppose since it is told from a teenager's point of view, the mother's feelings wouldn't be examined too closely. All in all, it's not the kind of book I would recommend. I guess I just don't have that much exposure to gang violence so it's hard to find a reason for the book's plot. That's not a bad problem for me to have.