Trell

Gr 6–10—In 1990s Boston, 13-year-old Trell has spent every Sunday of her life traveling by bus to visit her father in prison. Though her father dealt drugs, he did not commit the murder for which he was convicted: in the late 1980s, a young girl was accidentally killed during a gang shooting. Only investigative journalism is able to cut through the layers of political expediency and police bias that led to the wrongful conviction. In the end, justice prevails, Trell's father is freed, and the real shooter is uncovered. Based on events involving the accidental shooting death of an African American girl, the crack-fueled gang culture of 1980s Boston, and the ensuing outrage, this book will resonate with today's teens. Trell is an appealingly gutsy heroine whose belief in her father is strong enough to drag an attorney and a down-on-his-luck journalist into her orbit. Ultimately, this title reads more like a middle grade novel than a teen one, with the heroine far more interested in her family relationships than in her friendships. Without hand-selling, this selection might get lost on YA shelves.