Into the Dangerous World

Gr 9 Up—Ror is an artist. Growing up on a commune on Staten Island during the 1970s and 1980s allowed her to explore this aspect of herself. Her father, also an artist, burns down their home while he is inside it. Now Ror, her mother, and her sister, must learn to live in Regan-era Brooklyn with very limited resources. The teen has never been to high school but has learned much about art and literature from her father. The only course she cares about is her art class. There she meets Trey. He is a street artist, and Ror becomes fascinated with graffiti and is eager to join his crew. The protagonist learns to appreciate this new art form but is also scared of the risks associated with getting caught. Eventually, she recognizes that she needs to trust her own instincts, listen to mentors, and not rely entirely on her growing feelings for Trey to guide her art. Ror is a prickly but fully realized character to whom artistic teens will relate. Superville Sovak channels Ror and provides images that illustrate how the teen is experiencing and interpreting the new world around her.