Read the Way

This book was much, much better than expected. I didn't have very high expectations and thought it would be another silly high school romance, but it really was not.

There are so many contemporary novels out there that are about the spoiled, rich girl falling for the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. But this story was so real and the stakes were so high that it was in a whole different league from the rest of those stories.

Alex is in a legitimate gang member. Brittany has her own home struggles and isn't as perfect as she tries to make people think she is, but he endangers himself on a daily basis to keep his family safe. You can't help but admire that, even as you think he is misguided for having gotten himself into that situation in the first place.

I really liked both Brittany and Alex. I liked the supporting characters, especially on the South Side, particularly Paco and Isabel. They really made the story more full and rich than it would have been otherwise.

This is a cute read that deals with some real awful issues. It isn't necessarily a light read, but it isn't very graphic either.