Review: Great Read!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 7, 2012
This book is definitely off the beaten path when it comes to Young Adult fiction. It's very different and I really enjoyed it. Ari is a honors student and a drug dealer. Both sides of her are completely different and completely unexpected.Because of the heavy subject matter, I would caution readers. While this book doesn't really depict drug use, only drug selling, it still does discuss drugs. This is very, very mature subject matter and should be read thusly.I think the most interesting part of the book is Ari's struggle to reconcile the two parts of herself. She has dreams of becoming a journalist and newscaster. She wants to go to Northwestern, a very prestigious university. She goes in to selling drugs in order to give her mom money so that they can stay in the apartment that allows Ari to go to a very good high school. It's a hard load to bear but Ari is strong and makes it work until everything crumbles around her. But, luckily, there is redemption and it makes the ending better.There were a couple loose ends that it would have been nice to see tied up; however, the story matter is so compelling that the loose ends really don't take away from the book.Bottom line: This is a good book with a very mature subject matter.