Title: Snitch
Author: Allison Van Diepen
Summary: Julia DiVino goes to one of the roughest schools in Brooklyn – but she knows how to take care of herself. She keeps her head down, studies hard, writes her poetry, and has nothing to do with the Bloods or the Crips – even though she has friends in both gangs. But when gorgeous, sensitive Eric Valiente shows up, everything in Julia’s life changes. When Eric gets jumped into the Crips, Julia is devastated. But when she warns him that a group of Bloods plan to attack him outside a club, Julia is branded a snitch. She is left with only one choice – and its consequences are deadly serious.
Who will like this book: Fans of realistic fiction and intense stories with twists and turns you don’t always see coming. If you love gritty, urban lit, this is a great choice.
If you like this, try this: The original ‘gang’ book: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Street Love by Walter Dean Myers. For more on the history of gangs, read Blue Rage, Black Redemption: A Memoir by Crips founder Stanley ‘Tookie’ Williams.
Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian