Being the only Black kid in a small town makes 15-year-old Trick an easy target for bullies. The only bright spot in his life is Kelly, the girl he secretly loves, who hardly knows he's alive but who, someday, he will let know his feelings.

However, everything changes when Kelly speaks up for him against a bully. As pleased as he is that she did, he knows that, if the bullies think he'd let a girl fight for him, things will only get worse. So when the bully, who is much bigger than Trick, challenges him to a schoolyard fight, he has no choice but to accept. But, when the bully tries to call in his friends when Trick proves harder to beat than expected, an older, tougher kid steps in to help Tick. Now, suddenly Trick finds himself a member of a gang with a bad reputation. Truth is though, mostly, they're just kids with little hope for the future who just smoke a lot of dope and listen to heavy metal. That is, until one afternoon when they're trying to come up with easy ways to make some quick cash. It's mostly just goofing around until Trick jokingly suggests they rob the local grocery.

When I first saw Trick by Sean Hancock listed on Netgalley, I really wasn't expecting much. I just wanted a quick entertaining read but nothing out of the ordinary and this sounded like it would fit the bill. So I was more than a little surprise when I discovered how much I enjoyed this book. It is a well-written and interesting coming-of-age story that will, I believe, appeal both to kids and adults as it touches on issues of friendship, race, bullying, and the socio-economic impact of living in a small dead end town with few avenues for kids either for recreation or for their futures. But most of all, it is a compelling story with characters easy to empathize with and great dialogue that keeps the story moving at a fast pace. Absolutely a high recommendation from me.

One caveat: the author doesn't shy away from using racial slurs that will likely (hopefully) make readers uncomfortable. They aren't however, used gratuitously simply to shock but work within the confines of the story.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review ( )