The staccato rhythm of Coburn's prose is the best part of this tale of Manhattan prep-school gangsters. Coburn, himself a prep-school graduate, sheds light on a fascinating subculture of privileged teens who lack for nothing save their parents' attention. Nick is in love with Kris, whose younger brother, Danny, is being threatened by a gang. To save Danny, Nick calls on friends from his tagging (graffiti) days and, in doing so, faces difficult memories of his own cowardice. There is a fair amount of action, but what pulls readers along is the language. Realistic, slang-filled dialogue and short, crisp narrative passages create a minimalist world of frenetic gang warfare, substance abuse, and wild parties that become nightmares.

Over one weekend, a New York preppie tells his best friend that he's in love with her, helps her younger brother confront a gang, and ruminates about a friend left brain-damaged after a stabbing. This story of overprivileged youth mired in a world of violence, drugs, and sex has a sensationalistic quality, and the narrative's pervasive slang will quickly become dated.

Gr 9 Up-This novel focuses squarely on the world of Manhattan prep-school teens with too much money, too little family, and too few morals. These young men beat and cut one another for fun, territory, or girls, and generally use violence to gain reputations, power, and control. Nick, a famous ex-tagger, is haunted by the memory of the knife that nearly killed his friend Kodak, and ignores the recruiting efforts of various gang members. He is secretly in love with his best friend, Kris. When her younger brother gets in trouble, Nick tries to intercede and is once again drawn into the gang circle, though he's not sure that he's ready to fight. Prep does an excellent job of revealing the darker side of growing up rich, including drugs, easy sex, and drinking. Coburn's brief sentences and often-raw gang slang create a cadence and reflect the movement of the novel through four suspenseful days. While some of the gang members seem to be from central casting, the main characters are exceptionally well drawn and sympathetic.-Gail Richmond, San Diego Unified Schools, CA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.