The novel tells the story of a 12 year old boy (Jamal Hicks) from Harlen who is having a hard time in life. Jamal is having a hard time at school, home, and in the streets. The only person he can count on is his best friend Tito.
The main problem in his life is trying to get his brother, Randy, out of jail. Randy is a 17 year old who is the leader of the "Scorpions" gang. The gangs motive is to make money by selling cocaine.
His family includes himself, Mama, his 8 year old sister Sassy, Randy, and his father, Jevon Hicks. Jamal's father used to be an alcoholic after losing his job and started being mean to Mama until she moved away from him with the kids. This happened while Jamal was very young. Now Jamal's father only comes to visit the family once in a while.
Jamal, in his quest to get Randy out of jail has to become the new leader of the Scorpions. This is terrifying, and the rest of the gang doesn't respect Jamal until he gets a gun from Mack, a guy that Randy told Jamal to go and see. Jamal's new gang affiliation is causing him problems everywhere, even with his friends. Tito tries to help Jamal but ends up being caught with the gun and gets sent back to Puerto Rico.
This story is a good read on why gangs and drugs are bad. It is entertaining and short, but very dramatic and emphasizes how things like gangs and drugs can really mess up a person's life.
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