A Gangsta's Life
Loretta Harris
ISBN: 9780978668143
Children's Heart Publishing
Reviewed By Sarah Givens

Official Apex Reviews Rating: 


When Tyrone is called to the principal's office one day at school, he can never imagine the news waiting for him: his mother has been found on the living room floor of their home, strangled to death. His stepfather, Bobby, is there to comfort him, but Tyrone is enraged, blaming Bobby for not being there to protect his mother from harm. He then storms out of the office, running home to find out more about her death, but the officers investigating the crime scene tell him nothing, claiming they can't disclose any information about the case until it's been solved.

Over the next few days, Tyrone struggles with his mother's murder, trying to figure out exactly who did it and why. Suddenly, though, Bobby appears to give him the answers he seeks, finally admitting to Tyrone that a man he's owed money to for awhile threatened to harm someone close to Bobby if he didn't pay; since Bobby never did, the man made good on his threat and collected on his debt by killing Tyrone's mother. Infuriated, Tyrone vows to seek out the killer and settle the score.

When he finally finds the presumptive murderer, though, Tyrone learns shocking new information that casts a shadow of considerable doubt over his stepfather's version of the events surrounding his mother's death, forcing him to alter his plans for ultimate revenge – as well as shift the target of his growing wrath.

In A Gangsta's Life, Loretta Harris spins a suspenseful tale of mystery and intrigue, while at the same time conveying a convincing moral of the ultimate consequences of greed. She effectively posits Tyrone as a tragic hero the likes of which many readers – young and old – will be able to relate to as he seeks the truth behind a tragic event that has befallen him beyond the scope of his control. His torment is real and palpable, and his actions exemplify the very internal conflict that plagues many teenagers on an everyday basis. Bravo to Harris for crafting such a stirring tale of bravery and courage in the face of adversity and cruel deception.