My Own Worst Frenemy

Gr 8—10—Chanti is from a poor section of Denver. She is wise to the ways of the street and has one huge secret: her mother is an undercover cop. When a rumored gang member, MJ, moves to town, she saves Chanti from a fight and they become instant friends. Chanti learns that not all of the rumors about MJ are true, but that doesn't save her from being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This poor choice lands Chanti in trouble, and her mom forces her to transfer to an expensive private school, Landgon, as a scholarship student. This is a whole new world for Chanti, but the crime rate there is the same as at her old school and she is blamed for some petty thefts. Knowing how the law works, the teen tries to solve these mysteries on her own and finds herself in hot water while trying to keep her mother's identity a secret. She learns who her true friends are and that money doesn't solve all of one's problems. Her new friends are not who they seem to be, neither are her old ones from the neighborhood, and somehow they are all connected. Will Chanti learn this before she is framed for crimes she didn't commit? The story seems a bit like the book version of the 1990s movie Boyz in the Hood, but with a girl protagonist and not so R rated.—Jessica Lorentz Smith, Bend Senior High School, OR