Soulfire by Lorri Hewett

() This narrative takes place in a very racially and class diverse community. The main character, Todd, is a boy from a broken family in a dominantly-black neighborhood that is rampant with gang violence. Todd is a quiet honor society student who hangs with a crowd of close-knit friends. His best friend is the son of the local reverend, and is just as loud and as passionate as his father when he speaks. Unfortunately, his confused youth combined with his uninhibited expression gets him into big trouble, and Todd witnesses the worst parts. Through this experience, Todd matures and finally begins to value his own self-expression. A little romance also ensues.
I especially enjoyed this book because of how realistic the story was, which I value a lot in my reading. Not every little aspect of the book had literary meaning: this made the story even more down-to-earth. Delicious read.