The author developed a story based on his and other Wes's everyday struggle while growing up, which invites the reader to the most private and personal realm of one's life. Both characters faced difficult decision that were disproportionate to their age. The main lesson I would take out from this book, is that involvement in criminal activities has a short term gratification which does not result in beneficial outcomes. One can argue that circumstances force us to act a certain way or do certain things that usually we do not do. However, it is possible to escape crime and criminal behavior by having strong and supportive family, peers, mentors, and authoritative figures that one learns to respect. Neglected youth tends to drift
