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.
