ARC Review: Safe Passage by G. Neri & David Brame

Synopsis

Thirteen-year-old Darius is going through a rough time. It's almost been a year since a terrible act of violence took the life of his mother and left him with a wound both in his leg and in his heart. With his stepdad out of work; his little sister, Cissy, always on his case; and the looming prospect of foreclosure on their house, he feels his world closing in on him.

But Darius's best friend, Booger, has a plan. A Brinks armored truck has crashed on a nearby highway and money is blowing everywhere. If they can get across town and back safely, they just might get rich! But to do it, they need to cross through some of the most dangerous streets in Chicago, staying ahead of the gangs that rule those neighborhoods.

Before long, their adventures blow up on social media as Booger documents their search for riches, and everyone is after them. Can they get home without falling victim to the violence of the streets? Sometimes, on the streets of Chicago, there is no Safe Passage.

Review

I've only ever been to Chicago once, it was for work and this was understandably a very different perspective. This book starts with gun violence, death of a parent, and gang history and violence so prevalent "safe passages" had to be created just so children could make it to school. We can't forget the friendships that while cherished can cause all sorts of problems. We follow Darius, his friend Booger and Darius's little sister Cissy as they break the first rule to not wander off the path in search money not only for prestige but for a better life in the face of layoffs and evictions. 

Reading this book and seeing how the environment had such different effects on Darius and Booger showed how two people could live through similar circumstances and still turn out different people. I'm so glad we were able to see some of the beauty in the men and others in the community coming together to keep each other and their families as safe as possible. It would have been so easy to show only the ugliness. 

I loved watching Darius, Cissy, and their father. They loved each other, even though Darius was in so much pain, they fought for each other, and this was such a great read!