Takedown
Gr 9 Up-When he was 15, Darren was locked up for his involvement with Toronto's most notorious drug cartel, despite the fact that he was only working as a lookout at the time. He knew that talking was suicide, so he kept his mouth shut and served his time. But during his two years in juvie, Darren quietly plotted his revenge. Now, he's a confidential informant for the police, working to take down the cartel's kingpin, a powerful drug lord named Diamond Tony. Darren finds himself in dangerous territory, however, when Tony's men gun down his supervising police officer for getting in their way. Darren is terrified that it's only a matter of time before his secret is out. Left on his own, caught in the middle of a turf war between Diamond Tony's operation and the Bloods, he has a decision to make. Should he continue with his plan to take down Diamond Tony, or should he get out while he can, before his family or his girlfriend is caught in the crossfire? Van Diepen has created a gritty, suspenseful, character-driven story that reveals the complexity of life in the projects in a major city without coming across as preachy. Drugs and violence are never glorified or presented in an overly graphic manner, and sexuality is also downplayed. This is a strong choice for reluctant readers. Purchase where urban fiction is popular.-Liz Overberg, Darlington School, Rome, GAα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.