Vigilante Nights

Gr 9 Up—After witnessing a gang initiation in his California coastal town, Lucas Alexander's '68 Camaro is hit by drag racers, killing his only passenger-his twin sister, Silver. Football career and college scholarship hopes dashed by injuries, Lucas is devastated by the loss of his sibling and begins conversing with her ghostly presence. He keeps the hallucinations secret until new neighbor, Tara, tells him that she can also sense otherwordly spirits. Along with a group of close friends, the teens form a vigilante group called the Nomads to investigate the CrimsonX gang and find out if Silver's ex-boyfriend, Raymond, had anything to do with the accident. The plot is fast paced as Lucas engages gang members head-on and is nearly killed in a fight. Red herrings throw suspicion on various characters until the action culminates in a page-turning climax. The abundant use of pop-culture references and slang feel forced, while the conflict between Latino gang members and upper-crust white teens plays somewhat on stereotype. However, subplots, including Lucas's parents' tenuous relationship, and his aunt dating his English teacher make for a multifaceted story of revenge, violence, romance-and a touch of the paranormal-that will appeal to a broad audience.—Vicki Reutter, State University of New York at Cortland