Soulfire

Despite its violent subject matter, this insightful story is less of an action novel than it is a psychological study of anger and despair. In the tradition of S.E. Hinton, Hewett (Coming of Age) expresses the private battles of tough-skinned youths through a convincingly gritty first-person narrative. Growing up in a rough section of Denver, Todd, an African American honor student, seems resigned to neighborhood fights and shootings: ""Sometimes it's somebody you know, and then you just shake your head and say, `Damn.' And when somebody dies, which happens a couple of times a year, well, you go to the funeral and watch people cry. Then you go home."" But when a fight between Todd's brother Marcus and cousin Ezekiel ends in a blood bath, Todd is profoundly shaken. Although all characters experience the same sense of despair, their reactions could not be more different. Ezekiel's father, a religious leader, seems to lose his strength; Marcus runs away from truth; and Todd turns inward. Through Todd's strongly urban voice, Hewett conveys abstract social issues on a personal level. The final resolution does signify hope, but readers will most remember the shadow of futility that darkens this impressive novel. Ages 12-up. (May)