In this decidedly unsubtle sequel to Hip-Hop High School (Hyperion, 2006), sullen computer wiz Teddy sets out for revenge after gangbangers gun down his sister, Tina, in a drive-by shooting. After an up close encounter with the horrors of California's juvenile justice system in the wake of a failed first try, he's sentenced to a mentoring program for at-risk youth that forcibly hooks him up with hot but hard-nosed parole officer Mariana and wild, foulmouthed preteen Micah. Sitomer frequently breaks away from the story for clunky minilectures: "The lack of money, Teddy knew, kept thousands and thousands of inner-city kids like Micah from getting the educational services they needed." And Micah's instant reform is just one of several strands of blatant wish-fulfillment. Still, the tale's violent, rough-hewn plot and street-inflected language supply sufficient intensity to carry the heavy agenda. By the end, Teddy is no more likeable, but at least he's slightly more socialized.

Teddy is arrested while seeking revenge for the accidental gang-shooting death of his sister. As an alternative to prison, he mentors an at-risk boy. Teddy's plans to manipulate the justice system shift when he learns the police have the wrong suspect and his charge knows the truth. Occasional shifts in perspective are distracting. The violent, gritty setting is vividly portrayed.

When his sister is shot and killed in a gangland drive-by shooting, Teddy plots revenge, and the tension of this gritty and violent story lies in just how he will do it. Los Angeles gang leaders are like Pied Pipers of the inner city, luring people into their fold, and Sitomer explores the dynamics of the gangs—why they're attractive, how they operate and what societal factors contribute to their growth. Unfortunately, the well-meaning text too often sounds like an angry social worker expounding on the ills of society, to the detriment of the story itself. The character of Teddy is sometimes secondary to social analysis, and at other times he's too much the superhero to seem real—a consummate street fighter, a world-class computer hacker and a handsome, smart boy with a penchant for trouble. However, the fast-paced plot and lurking threat of violence will capture readers' attention, and older readers will find this a satisfying conclusion of the Hoopster trilogy. (Fiction. YA)

Gr 9 Up-After Tina is sprayed with bullets in a gang shoot-out, her older brother and computer hacker, Teddy, 17, plots revenge. In the midst of carrying out his plan, he is arrested and charged with attempted homicide. Barely escaping a prison sentence, he is placed in a community-service program where he's required to mentor Micah, a 12-year-old gangsta wannabe on the path to destruction. After a rocky start, their partnership flourishes: Micah befriends Teddy's quickly disintegrating family and offers information that might lead to Tina's killer. In this third installment of the trilogy that began with The Hoopster (Hyperion, 2005), Sitomer uses lean, mean street-speak and dark urban landscapes to emphasize the cycle of violence that Teddy is on the verge of getting caught up in. For the most part, true-grit reality takes precedence over an occasionally preachy subtext, and readers will find themselves riveted with every turn of the page. A frighteningly real story of survival, brotherhood, and friendship.-Hillias J. Martin, New York Public Library Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

Seventeen-year-old Teddy Anderson is known for his moodiness and for his wizardry at computer hacking. When his little sister is accidentally killed during a gang-related shooting, Teddy assuages his grief by stalking her killers. His plan to avenge her death turns sour, however, when Teddy is arrested during his assault on the gang members. Now his grief-stricken family is further devastated because Teddy's promising future seems destroyed. He gets one chance at redemption via an experimental mentoring program that pairs him with a twelve-year-old boy named Micah. Micah's life has been one emotional disaster after another, and now he hovers on the brink of gang involvement. If Teddy can save Micah from the fate of gang warfare, he can escape imprisonment. At first Teddy resists the righteous path, brushing off Micah's predicament and plotting to finance his own escape. After realizing that Micah and Teddy's own shattered family members can heal each other, Teddy is able to accept a responsible role and reclaim his future. This third book in Sitomer's Hoopster trilogy also focuses on one of the Anderson siblings, and both Andre from The Hoopster (Hyperion, 2005/VOYA August 2005) and Tee-Ay from Hip-Hop High School (2006/VOYA April 2006) make appearances in this novel. There are a number of gritty scenes, including the opening sequence that describes a young girl's initiation into a gang. Although character development is thin and plot a bit incredible, teens who enjoy urban drama will be captivated by the steady flow of action.-Diane Colson.