Wallace Rachpaul

Wallace is a young boy who is growing up in a gang-ridden neighborhood of Harlem, in New York City. Wallace lives with his mother, Sue-ellen, who is gay. His father, Benny, often has a new girlfriend and is not a constant presence in Wallace's life. Wallace's brother, Jermaine, was killed just a short time before the events Wallace relates in this novel. Wallace's neighborhood has a strong gang presence, and Wallace is very aware of the territory boundaries that protect him from one gang while putting him in danger of another. Most of the time, Wallace is on guard and cautiously watching for any gang members who might attack him, but he is often vulnerable. When two gang members attack him one day, Rose jumps into the fray and the two of them win that battle. Later, Wallace and his friend Vega are attacked, and they are...