I wanted to like this book more. I really did. I'm about as far from the target audience as you can get. The target audience is probably inner city kids, middle school age, mostly male. I'm a 50 year old middle class white guy in a small town.
Justin (first person narrator) is worried about his friend Sean, who has been sneaking away Friday nights sometimes with his mother and then lying to his friends about why he wasn't around. At the same time this starts, Sean's schoolwork and behavior begin to spiral downhill. That pretty well summarizes the first 90% of the book.
That said, the book had a message. Torrey Maldonaldo grew up in the environment he writes about, so I trust he knows what he's talking about. However, great stretches of the book just seemed to drag on and on saying the same thing over and over again. The characters got very little development and felt one-dimensional. Wanted to really care about the characters - that's vital for enjoying a book. I had some compassion for the narrator, but none of the other characters touched me in the least. ( )

Here's one for the kids from the 'hood who think they're too cool for reading: a hip, urban novel that's tough but not profane, realistic but with a positive bent. Justin's best friend Sean is acting out in a way Justin has never seen before, getting into fights, doing poorly in school, and disappearing in the middle of the night. Out of concern, Justin and his friends Kyle and Vanessa do a little snooping around to try and figure out what's going on. The novel slides into the pedantic at the end with the message that it's OK for boys to talk about what's on their minds instead being "hard," obviously an aspect of boys the author has seen too much of in his Brooklyn neighborhood. But I forgive it that one flaw if only because this book will reach a lot of kids and it models positive ways of living even in the shabby projects. ( )

Do you like the Bluford series? If so, try this book! ( )

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Friendship can be tricky. BFF has certain conditions that it sometimes takes a lifetime to understand. Being there for a friend seems simple - until it's not.

Justin and Sean have a lot in common. Both are half Black and half Puerto Rican. Both are being raised by single mothers intent on raising good, upstanding sons. Both are good students and behave in school. However, all that is beginning to change.

Justin knows that Sean is an expert at dissing. Sean's mother has always said disputes should be handled with words, not fists. Recently, Sean's words have become vicious and are handing out hurts that sting as much as punches. Sean's taunts are aimed at kids without fathers or at those with deadbeat dads. This gives him plenty of targets, but Justin wonders about the fact that Sean's own dad is absent from his life.

When Justin and another buddy, Kyle, witness Sean and his mother leaving the housing project in the wee hours of the morning, they feel a bit betrayed, since Sean was supposed to have been with them for the evening. When the two friends confront Sean, he boldly lies.

That lie is just the beginning. What follows is even more shocking for those who care about Sean. His behavior is changing dramatically. His taunts have turned to fist-fights resulting in detentions and even a suspension from school. His grades tank as the mysterious trips with his mother continue. Justin doesn't understand how best friends who previously trusted each other with everything can have secrets like the ones Sean is keeping.

Debut author Torrey Maldonado takes on teens and teen relationships in the inner city. He has firsthand knowledge of just how tough it is to grow up surrounded by negative influences and how hard it is to resist temptation when there is no male role model to look up to. Justin and Sean and their other friends realistically depict the difficult times friends can face when it comes to family and secrets meant to save face or protect. Maldonado presents his story so readers can feel both sides of the situation as they listen to Justin's narration and as they try to puzzle out Sean's secret life. ( )

Justin and Sean have been friends forever. Sean has always had Justin’s back. Instead of fighting with fists, Sean has always fought with words. Lately something has been bothering Sean. Lately his dissing has become mean and hateful. He has begun using his fists. Justin, Vanessa and Kyle are concerned. Then Justin and Kyle notice Sean and his mother sneaking out at night and no one knows where they are going or why. Could this be the reason Sean has changed?

Torrey Maldonado has crafted characters that are right on target. By this I mean they are very believable. As a teacher I see similar behavior all the time. I’ve never taught in the type of school Maldonado has created for his characters. I know they exist in larger areas around me. I believe this is a book that should be in every school. We have a bully program and I will be recommending it to those in charge of the program. I am going to promote this book to all of my fellow teachers and my students. This is one that must be read. It has a message that is so important to our youth today. ( )