Fighter

August 4, 2014
In this launch of the Cap Central urban fiction series, written at a third-grade level, Jair’s difficult home life fuels the insecurity that causes him to bully other students at his Washington, D.C., high school. Jair’s ill-conceived challenge of new student Zander—who tries to resist any altercation, and who has wicked boxing and martial arts skills, to boot—puts Jair to shame on a viral video for all to see. Rage drives Jair to obtain a gun, but getting even takes a back seat to teamwork when a party gets out of hand and Zander asks for Jair’s help in a dangerous situation. The positive resolutions in Jair’s life don’t feel pat, and the new friendships formed between all the key players will leave readers eager to know them better. Simultaneously available: Running Scared and Hacker. Ages 12–up.

August 1, 2014
Easily angered Jair picks a fight with outsider Zander in a compassionate and efficiently told tale. Berated by his father and responsible for his two younger siblings, Jair takes comfort in the fact that pretty, popular Keisha has just chatted with him online. When Zander, a new kid from LA, shows up at school wearing aqua and purple clothing and immediately gains Keisha's attention, Jair decides Zander needs "to be taught a lesson." The story is told from both teens' perspectives, and in Zander's chapters, readers see a different story: The son of an Air Force colonel and a mother deployed to Afghanistan, Zander has moved repeatedly from place to place, is constantly picked on for being a new kid and has developed fighting skills to keep the bullies away. Trying to turn over a new leaf, Zander tries his hardest to refuse to fight Jair; when Jair corners him, however, Zander wins their fight, and Jair leaves humiliated. Complicated and timely topics, from cyberbullying to homophobia, are treated carefully here. Jair's decision to seek out a gun to prove his toughness feels at once believable and dangerous, but this is no scare-'em-straight story. Instead, the tension between Jair and Zander resolves in a way that feels true to their characters and avoids both melodrama and triteness. Simple and powerful. (Fiction. 12-16)

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2014

Gr 8 Up-Jair is short for his age and feels that he has to make up for it by being a fighter. Being tough is the only way to survive at home, too, where his dad is known to get abusive when he drinks. Zander, a military kid, is the new kid at school-again. His good looks and outgoing personality land him a bunch of friends, including the beautiful Keisha-the girl Jair likes. Desperate to keep the new kid from stealing his girl, Jair jumps Zander after school in front of a crowd of their classmates. Zander, a trained fighter, beats Jair and the fight is caught on camera and posted on social media sites. The protagonist is so humiliated that he considers a classmate's offer to lend him a gun. The plot moves quickly in this first of a new series set at Cap Central High School in Washington DC. Complex situations resolve a little too easily, and the dialogue often sounds like adults speaking as teenage characters. Still, the quick pace and the relevant topics of cyberbullying and gun violence may make this title useful where demand for hi-lo books is strong. [Ed. note: see annotations of books 2 & 3 on page 156.]-Alison O'Reilly Poage, formerly at Cutchogue New Suffolk Free Library, NY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2014
Grades 8-11 It was only a matter of time before Jair and Zander started throwing punches. Jair is Cap Central's toughest student, and when Zander, the flashy new kid from L.A., unknowingly crosses him, Jair has a new target. Bent on making sure Zander knows his place in the school hierarchy, Jair tries to ambush him but quickly finds himself losing the fight instead. After the humiliating video is posted online, Jair is desperate to repair his reputation, and a classmate's offer of a gun seems like the perfect solution. Riding the coattails of the long-popular Bluford High series, this first volume in the high/low Cap Central series is tense and fast paced, and it features characters in difficult home and social situations. Several teens have parents who are absent, neglectful, or abusive, leading them to struggle with anger and self-esteem issues. Although Jair is an overly familiar character, teens will likely connect with his intense emotions. Secondary characters are more authentic, helping create a realistic high-school setting with enough requisite drama to keep the pages turning quickly.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)