Unsigned Hype

Fifteen-year-old Tory Tyson knows that finishing high school isn't going to help him launch his hip-hop career as “Terror Tory” or vault him into fame and fortune. He doesn't understand why his mom is pushing him to finish school and to get him to understand the Christian faith she discovered five years ago. All he wants is to get a record deal as a rap music producer—so he pins his hopes on the “Unsigned Hype” demo contest at a local radio station. What he hasn't bargained for is all the attention he starts receiving after his beats are played, when only his family continues treating him the same, and that the one girl he truly wants isn't impressed by his newfound celebrity. This debut novel has an authentic voice, taking readers into the world of New York City hip-hop through the wide eyes of a kid who's still refreshingly innocent. Tory's Christian conversion is telegraphed from the very beginning, but readers will come to love the characters who mentor him along the way, despite the novel's didactic moments. Mattison's is a fresh voice in Christian YA fiction. Ages 12–up. (June)