First published 1988
Jamal is twelve years old when a gun enters his life and everything changes. The weapon promises power and protection, but it brings consequences he never imagined. As events spiral beyond his control, Jamal must navigate a world where childhood innocence collides with harsh realities. The gun that seemed like an answer becomes a burden that threatens to destroy what matters most to him. His friendship with his best friend hangs in the balance as Jamal learns that some choices cannot be undone. He survives what happens next, but survival comes at a cost. The boy who emerges from this experience is not the same one who began it, forever changed by the weight of decisions that no child should have to make.
Genres: american-fiction, african-american, crime, adolescence
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, survival
216 pages · Hardcover · Harper & Row
Content warnings: violence