Unchained

Gr 7 Up—Ever since he was a little boy, TJ knew that he had to act out to get his parents' attention. Now, as a teenager, he starts skipping school to hang out with the Hillside Vipers. Then, after his father dies of a drug overdose, TJ is taken away from his mother and sent to a foster home. Miss Dixie is extremely caring, and, after a short period of struggle, TJ becomes close to his foster siblings and adjusts to his new school. After two years pass, his mother is clean, so he must leave Miss Dixie's home and return to his side of town to finish high school. In doing so, TJ is back on the Vipers' radar and forced to act like an aspiring member of the gang. Eventually, he realizes that his life is in his own hands and that his choices are his and his alone. Readers will be pleased to see TJ return to Miss Dixie's and move on with his life in a positive way. This novel delivers a strong message without being preachy. Although the ending may seem a bit sugarcoated, it is uplifting and motivating. A good, positive choice for hi/lo readers.—Lindsay Klemas, JM Rapport School for Career Development, Bronx, NY