Drive-By

""Jimmy always told me there were only two kinds of gangbangers: those who were dead and those who were going to die."" So thinks Tito, the forthright narrator of this piercing novel, just minutes after he witnesses his older brother's death in a drive-by shooting. Given Jimmy's credo and zest for life, Tito is incredulous when the police tell him that Jimmy belonged to a gang, ""jacking people for their money and rolling with some dope-dealing killers."" But Tito can't dodge the truth for long, and must make some very tough decisions when members of Jimmy's gang drag him into their search for drug money that Jimmy had skimmed. An unambiguously upbeat conclusion resolves the conflicts tidily. Ewing's fast-paced first novel offers distinctly drawn, affecting characters and lots of action, but stops short of evoking a sense of place--almost like a teleplay that leaves the scene-setting to a camera. Ages 10-up. (June)