Tight

Set in Brooklyn public housing, this novel by Maldonado (Secret Saturdays) centers on Bryan, a Puerto Rican sixth grader grappling with a volatile home life, a friend he can't trust, his conscience, and his identity. Since leaving jail, Pa hasn't done much except "hanging in the streets with his homeboys," but he "still spends zero time" with Bryan and his sister. His level-headed, loving mother has always counseled her son to focus on school rather than friends, since the "wrong friends bring drama," which proves true when Bryan meets Mike, an edgy, older schoolmate who shares Bryan's love of reading superhero comics and drawing. Wary of Mike's mood swings and manipulative behavior yet fearful of being labeled "soft," Bryan follows Mike's lead--skipping school and riding the subway by hanging out the back car--while feeling "far away from who I am." The author shrewdly builds suspense, fueling readers' dread that Bryan's poor choices will have dire consequences, but lands Bryan in a satisfying place. This is a psychologically intricate story of the challenges and rewards of family, friendship, and discerning one's true self. Ages 10-up. (Sept.)

Gr 4-7--The complex emotional lives of young boys of color are portrayed through a nascent friendship. Bryan is constantly teased for being "soft," thanks to his preference for comics, drawing, and spending quiet moments with his mom. Through his mother's work at a Brooklyn community center, he meets Mike, an older, "harder" schoolmate whom he's never socialized with before and is apprehensive about befriending. Slowly, Bryan finds they have much in common and begins spending more time with Mike. When Bryan's recently paroled father is re-incarcerated, Mike offers him an emotional outlet in the form of ditching school, the first of several exploits the pair undertake. Pushing of boundaries as an emotional response to trauma, vulnerability, and societal pressures is an overarching theme of the novel, pressing readers to consider the impetus of what is deemed "bad behavior." Regrettably, Mike, who faces many of the same emotional struggles and home life difficulties as Bryan, is not allotted the same degree of sympathy. Maldonado, however, excels at depicting realistic and authentic interactions between middle school boys. VERDICT An excellent addition to libraries with fans of David Barclay Moore's The Stars Beneath Our Feet, Jason Reynolds's Ghost, and character-driven realistic fiction.--Jessica Agudelo, New York Public Library