THE TROUBLE WITH HALF A MOON

Thirteen-year-old Dellie lives in the shadow of her brother’s death, a death for which she feels culpable. Living in crime-ridden urban projects with her protective parents and the memory of Louis, Dellie goes to school and does her best to get by. She finds a focus in sweet Corey, a neglected boy who moves into the downstairs apartment. The little boy needs protection from his abusive mother, and Dellie steps in to this dangerous relationship. The first-person, present-tense narration allows readers to feel Dellie’s pain and confusion as she tries to figure out how to make it through the difficult months, which are made even more trying because she is estranged from her best friend and begins to chafe at her parents’ restrictions. Debut author Vigilante packs a lot into one story, and some plot twists seem too convenient. However, readers cannot help but cheer for Dellie and the little boy who helps pull her family together. Rich secondary characters add depth and dimension to this fast-paced tale of bereavement, forgiveness and healing. (Fiction. 10-14)