From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds, a âfunny and rewardingâ (Publishers Weekly) coming-of-age novel about friendship and loyalty across neighborhood lines and the hardship of life for an urban teen.
A lot of the stuff that gives my neighborhood a bad name, I donât really mess with. The guns and drugs and all that, not really my thing.
Nah, not his thing. Aliâs got enough going on, between school and boxing and helping out at home. His best friend Noodles, though. Now thereâs a dude looking for troubleâand, somehow, itâs always Ali around to pick up the pieces. But, hey, a guyâs gotta look out for his boys, right? Besides, itâs all small potatoes; itâs not like anyoneâs getting hurt.
And then thereâs Needles. Needles is Noodlesâs brother. Heâs got a syndrome, and gets these tics and blurts out the wildest, craziest things. Itâs cool, though: everyone on their street knows he doesnât mean anything by it.
Yeah, itâs coolâŠuntil Ali and Noodles and Needles find themselves somewhere they never expected to beâŠsomewhere they never should've beenâwhere the people arenât so friendly, and even less forgiving.