Fake ID

This engrossing thriller blends gritty crime storytelling with solid, realistic family drama. "Nick" and his family are in the Witness Protection Program, due to his father's past association with a dangerous crime boss. However, they are continually forced to move and switch identities because of Nick's father's continued criminal ventures. Nick worries that another move will destroy the renewed sense of possibility that he's found through his job on the school paper, his friend Eli, and Eli's attractive sister, Reya. That's before he finds Eli's body and begins to suspect that Eli's death isn't the suicide it's made out to be. Nick's attempts to investigate lead to revelations about the town, his friends, and his family. Giles ably handles multiple themes, not shying away from the racial tension that exists in the small southern town (Nick is African-American, and Eli and Reya are Latino), while avoiding making it a primary focus. This mature crime story expands beyond high school walls to address the challenges of maintaining meaningful relationships and the cost of loyalty. Ages 13%E2%80%93up. Agent: Jamie Weiss Chilton, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (Jan.)