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All Xavier Hunter wants is to stay out of trouble, keep his grades high enough for a college scholarship—and get out of the 'hood for good. But when he spots hot new girl Samantha Fox, he'll do anything for her—even try to live on both sides of the fence. To prove he's everything she could want, he's convinced he'll have to up his game—and score way, way out of his league. . .
Samantha is used to guys thinking they can roll right up on her. But she can tell Xavier is about a lot more than just racking up mad paper. What she's starting to feel for him is getting all too real. And every move they make is bringing them—and bad news—dangerously close. . .
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Creators
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Series
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Publisher
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Release date
September 1, 2014 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781617731334
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781617731334
- File size: 767 KB
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- Lexile® Measure: 850
- Text Difficulty: 4-5
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Reviews
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August 1, 2014
A gritty yet heartwarming debut for teens chronicles the coming-of-age of 16-year-old Xavier Hunter, who navigates new love amid the challenges of drugs, gangs and other woes in inner-city Detroit.Xavier's general compassion and particular interest in the attractive Samantha become readers' entryway into a teenage underworld where conflict meets him at every corner. His path to a solution will affect not only his own future, but the futures of those he cares about the most. Using a voice that comes directly from young Detroiters, Slater (a pseudonym) mixes in the humor of the dozens, the African-American oral tradition in which two competitors go head to head in a competition of good-natured insults, to color his characters with authenticity. The novel digs deep into the lore of the Detroit inner city to offer an abrasive narrative populated by many stereotypes and one-dimensional cliches; these throw Xavier's determination to go in a new direction in sharp relief. Slater presents tough situations that lack strong context, which, combined with the stereotypes, may serve to reinforce rather than break down unwarranted assumptions.Readers who bring to the novel an understanding of the circumstances impoverished inner-city life can beget will find inspiration in Xavier's story. (Fiction. 14-18)COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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