Come Get Some

In his fourth novel Nane Quartay, (Take Two and Pass) attempts to combine a coming of age story with social commentary through the experiences of four young protagonists: Truitt, Whiteboy Paul, Mugwump and Wilmon-all of whom have to deal with the morally ambiguous choices necessitated by life in the ghetto. Starting with the protagonists as they're playing kickball and marveling at the exploits of the local pimp, Uncle Dope, the narrative quickly flashes forward to adolescence, when we're re-introduced to Paul and Truitt through their sexual exploits-Paul starts an affair with his English teacher, Ms. Jones, while Truitt loses his virginity. When three of the boys are witnesses to a terrible incident between Ms. Jones and another teacher, it starts them down a path of unfulfilled relationships, violence and eventually murder. Quartay attempts to tackle the knotty issues of life in the modern inner city but the characters lack realism and the plot twists are also implausible. This might not stop the book from appealing to its primary audience: Zane fans and, if there are any, their male equivalents.