Sunday, September 16, 2018

TIGHT by Torrey Maldonado

Tight
Bryan loves quiet places and quiet times that allow him to read and draw in peace. Why does that earn him the name Nerd from the other dudes? He likes to hang out with his mom at her work where he gets his own little "office" for homework and reading comics. Why does that seem strange to his frequently incarcerated father?

At the urging of both his parents, Bryan hooks up with a kid named Mike. He and Mike have some common interests - comics and drawing. They love quizzing each other on superheroes and which ones they wish they could be. It seems like the perfect friendship until Mike's true nature surfaces.

When Mike suggests cutting school, hopping the subway for free, and more, Bryan joins right in, but his own conscience questions the actions. Breaking the rules and acting tough is what his father does all the time, but Bryan knows it means trouble. He knows he should stop hanging out with Mike, but his mom and pop still think Mike is helping Bryan change his quiet ways.

Torrey Maldonado, also the author of SECRET SATURDAYS, captures the frustration of a young boy living in a poor neighborhood in NYC as he struggles to find what's right for him in a world of peer pressure and parental expectations. Readers will immediately connect with Bryan and his love of comics as he explores an alternative that he recognizes may lead him in an unwanted direction.

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