Nowhere to Run

Calvin has always been responsible: he promised his late father he would graduate from high school, he holds down a job at an auto shop, and he’s a track star. But when he tries to persuade Norris, the criminally inclined cousin of Calvin’s friend Deej, to stop shaking down Calvin’s mother’s nail salon for money—once again trying to do the right thing—Calvin gets caught between a rock and a hard place: lose an upcoming race that Norris is betting on or lose his kneecaps, along with his chance at an athletic scholarship. After Deej and Calvin get temporarily suspended, (unjustly) accused of smoking pot at school, Deej asks Calvin to assist in one of Norris’s crimes, forcing Calvin to give his future and his past serious consideration. Set in Washington, D.C., Griffin’s first novel looks at the price of loyalty, the forces that conspire against good kids from bad neighborhoods, and the frustration of being seen as a stereotype. While the story can be moralistic at times, readers will identify with Calvin’s desire to make something of himself. Ages 12–up. (Mar.)