11/08) complicated by an old girlfriend’s continued presence and by new feelings for Jasmine, a girl he befriended in the first book. While his father causes him all kinds of trouble, Tyrell also finds himself inadvertently (at first) drawn into his friends’ drug-dealing and finds his new romance with Adonna (also seen in Kendra, rev. 1/07) has a whole new set of problems, especially since his pops gets right back into the kind of behavior that got him incarcerated in the first place, thus endangering Tyrell’s wish to get his little brother Troy released from the foster care system. Now that his father is out of prison, Tyrell (from Tyrell, rev.

She has created a compelling tale of a teen still trying to make the right choices despite the painful consequences.- Chris Shoemaker, New York Public Library Action scenes combine with interpersonal exchanges to keep the pace moving forward at a lightning speed, but Booth never sacrifices the street-infused dialogue and emotional authenticity that characterize her works. Returning to the inner-city setting that is as much a character as any of the individuals, Booth builds up the conflict brought on by Tyrell’s temptations-the drug dealers are more violent and persuasive, the girls are more enticing, and the family dynamics are more charged. When the decision comes down to what’s best for his little brother, Troy, and what’s best for Tyrell, the tough choice will change his life. He quickly realizes that without his own DJ equipment, he can’t make the money he needs to support himself and take care of his girlfriend, Jasmine. Now his father’s out of prison and wants to reunite the family, but Tyrell finds the rules and posturing too much to handle and stays out on his own.

He set up a new life in Bronxwood, crashing with two friends who are heavily involved in drug dealing. In Tyrell (Scholastic, 2006), the teen dumped the girl who lied to him and left his mother to her own devices.

Kendra by Coe Booth