Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Sweet 16 to Life-Kimberly Reid

Sweet 16 to Life


Kimberly Reid

Kensington K-Teen/Dafina, Jan 29 2013, $9.95

ISBN: 9780758267429



After solving several crimes at her school Langdon Prep (see Creeping with the Enemy and My Own Worst Frenemy), teenager Chanti Evans’ ex quasi boyfriend Marci Ruiz and her mom undercover vice cop Lana demand she stop her investigations though she has saved lives. The relationship between Chanti and Lana is further strained because the teen’s absentee father wants back in the lives of mother and daughter just before her sixteenth birthday.



In her Denver Heights family house, Chanti follows the smell of smoke until she sees a fire two houses over. She calls 911 while grabbing a fire extinguisher as the home of her friend MJ and Big Mama is on fire; no one is inside. Chanti knows the fire was deliberate and probably aimed at MJ by her former gangbanger pals. Unable to ignore the arson, Chanti enlists Marco as she tries to help MJ deal with an angry gang member Lux. However the situation turns nastier when Lux vanishes. The cops and the gang suspect the worst from Chanti and MJ.



The latest Langdon Prep young teen street noir is a super suspense with an extremely complex investigation as the intriguing case is far from linear (young readers and us geriatric boomers will need deep concentration). The support cast is solid and the heroine displays depth as leads the inquiry. Readers will enjoy Sweet 16 to Life.



Harriet Klausner



No comments: