Friday, November 14, 2014

Saving Baby Doe


Saving Baby Doe by Danette Vigilante    230 pages

Best friends and neighbors Lionel Perez and Anisa Torres are running an errand when they are derailed by an empty construction site. Lionel wants to see the big machinery up close. It’s a good thing, too. When they hear the cries of what they think is a hurt animal, they find an abandoned newborn baby girl in the Porta-Potti.

The 13-year olds aren’t sure exactly what to do, but they know the baby needs help PDQ. Together, they take the baby to a hospital where the two fall under suspicion that the baby is theirs. Once their mother’s arrive, Anisa’s mother forces her to undergo a physical examination to prove that the baby is not hers.

Lionel isn’t cleared right away, and everyone has suspicions. The baby opens up a deep, old wound for Lionel, who was abandoned by his father.  As the older of the three children, Lionel felt the most pain. Unable to stand for the baby to go into foster care, Lionel hatches a plan to kidnap the child. 
To fund his plan, Lionel gets mixed up with a group of drug-dealing teenagers, slightly older than he.

Vigilante creates strong and interesting characters. The mixed-races Brooklyn neighborhood lends authenticity to urban youth. They grow up long before they should.

 The story is well-crafted but stereotypical. A happy ending is surely guaranteed. I give this novel 3 out of 5 stars.

 

No comments:

Post a Comment