Five Blocks Down

by Miriam Sidanius

In a Los Angeles suburb with graffiti-etched palm trees, Paco sells dope in front of the apartment building where fourteen-year-old Luis lives with an overprotective family. The two form a relationship when Luis sells Paco’s marijuana for money to buy his sister a birthday present. Paco never expected to live past his teens, but when his twentieth birthday approaches, he is forced to challenge the choices which brought him to the brink of adulthood with so few options. Paco wants off the street. Luis just wants a girlfriend, and Paco’s marijuana gives him an unexpected opportunity. Their relationship takes a dark turn when Paco ensnares the younger boy in a life-changing crime. Both are forced to confront the paths they have chosen.

233 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 25, 2016