Citoyen "City" Coldson

Citoyen "City" Coldson is the first person narrator and main character of the novel. In Book One, City is growing up in Jackson, Mississippi with his mother. He is a teenager attending Fannie Lou Hamer Magnet School, and the most pressing issue on his mind is beating his classmate and arch nemesis at the upcoming Can You Use That Word in a Sentence contest. Though City is sharp and clever, and "known as the best boy writer in the history of [the] school," City is often teased and bullied for his appearance (4). Becoming famous on national television, therefore, offers City the opportunity to prove himself capable, important, and valuable to his rivals and community. However, at the start of the competition, City realizes he is being used by the judges. Furious, he makes a scene, yelling at the judges, his fellow contestants, and cursing at all...