Book Review 5 ***** Read!!!! 16 Going on 21 by Darrien Lee

16 Going on 21 by Darrien Lee

Teenage love is such an innocent thing but at the same time it can be such a trying time for both parent and child. Meet sixteen-year old Denim Mitchell. She is very smart and has a great head on her shoulders. This all comes from the guidance that she gets from her family unit. But Miss Denim has a serious crush on a childhood friend and neighbor, Andre Patterson. Andre aka Dre’ is the star on the basketball team. He is what you think of as the big man on campus. Dre’s family life is the total opposite of Denim’s. His family is involved with some illegal activity. One night changes the feelings from a simple crush to something much more. Denim and Dre’ are wanting to explore the love that is presented to them but because of the differences in lifestyles, Denim's mom and dad are not really in favor of this. Denim goes to Dre’s birthday party and the night goes bad. First she goes without her parent’s permission and then someone gets shot. Who is the person that was shot and what do he/she have to do with Denim.  Will the trials of family life, school, friends, and a crazy one night give the relationship a chance?

Darrien Lee gives a breath of fresh air to African American young adult literature. He gives younger readers the same drama you would see in adult novels but more on a level in which they can understand. Also he shows respect to the parents for not making the book over indulgent with sex and drugs. This book is given 5 stars. being a thirty-year-old woman it had me on the edge of my seat and brings back the memories of my teenage years.

This book is apart of a series that is called the Denim Diaries. The next book in the series is Grown in Sixty Seconds…. Look for the review on this one pretty soon.