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Urban Underground #1
Outrunning the Darkness
Between his father's pessimistic moods and his mother's ""put on a happy face"" attitude Jaris Spain feels trapped. Jaris hides his own darkenss from his How hard he has to work for good grades. How quickly a teacher's pen stroke sends him slipping. How he tries out for every sport at Tubman and fails. And then there is Sereeta's scorn...
192 pages, Perfect Paperback
First published February 29, 2000
18 people are currently reading
656 people want to read
About the author
Anne E. Schraff
294 books407 followersAnne Elaine Schraff grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. She received both her bachelor's and master's degrees from California State University at Northridge and taught high school for ten years.
Anne paid her way through college by writing short stories for magazines. Since college she has written hundreds of stories and over eighty books including historical fiction, biographies, science books, and her favorite, fictional books for young people. She is published as both Anne Schraff and Anne E. Schraff.
Her background, which she describes as "multicultural, lower middle-class neighborhood, including African Americans, Mexican Americans, Arab Americans, and Filipino Americans," is her greatest inspiration when writing.
Anne paid her way through college by writing short stories for magazines. Since college she has written hundreds of stories and over eighty books including historical fiction, biographies, science books, and her favorite, fictional books for young people. She is published as both Anne Schraff and Anne E. Schraff.
Her background, which she describes as "multicultural, lower middle-class neighborhood, including African Americans, Mexican Americans, Arab Americans, and Filipino Americans," is her greatest inspiration when writing.
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November 29, 2012The protagonist in this book is Jaris Spain. He has had a crush on Sereeta Prince since junior high. His feelings for her now are growing even stronger. But he feels like she never notices him. He feels like he’s invisible to her. When she finally does notice him and he tries to talk to her, she doesn’t really listen. Then right when he was trying to make his move Marko Lane called her over and they kissed. Jaris realized they were dating and his heart sank. But he wasn’t going to give up. He kept talking to her learning more and more about her, but he could tell she wasn’t interested.
I think if Jaris really liked her he should’ve told her a long time ago, before she started dating Marko. Then maybe he could’ve had a chance with her. He could’ve at least tried talking with her instead of just watching her from a distance. When he finally did talk with her I thought she was really mean. She didn’t have to be so mean to him when he actually did get the guts to talk to her. She made him feel bad about himself; he thought he could never get a decent looking girl and he felt as if he and Marko were competing to own her heart. I also think Marko is a nice guy to because he treats Sereeta like a princess. But in the end they’re both really nice guys and she made a very tough decision.
I think if Jaris really liked her he should’ve told her a long time ago, before she started dating Marko. Then maybe he could’ve had a chance with her. He could’ve at least tried talking with her instead of just watching her from a distance. When he finally did talk with her I thought she was really mean. She didn’t have to be so mean to him when he actually did get the guts to talk to her. She made him feel bad about himself; he thought he could never get a decent looking girl and he felt as if he and Marko were competing to own her heart. I also think Marko is a nice guy to because he treats Sereeta like a princess. But in the end they’re both really nice guys and she made a very tough decision.
March 29, 2010
Fans of the Bluford High series will enjoy this series by one of the Bluford authors, Anne Schraff writer of Lost and Found, Until We Meet Again, The Bully, A Matter of Trust, and Secrets in the Shadows. Outrunning the Darkness is the first in a new series called Urban Underground, which will catch teens with its dark covers featuring ethnic teens. Like Bluford, the students of Tubman high school face the same teenage problems. In Outrunning the Darkness, Jaris Spain struggles with keeping up his grades, home problems including a depressed, alcoholic father, and trying to win the girl of his dreams by trying out for the lead role in the school's production of A Tale of Two Cities.
February 28, 2011
This book a for the people who love a little romance and catches a sense that can relate to you and your life. As Jaris Spain tries to outrun the darkness of his life, trying to get good grades in school, chasing the girl of his dreams, and dealing with problems at home. I feel this book will catch your eye and make you think about your own life and see if u are outrunning a type of darkness or problem you have. The only thing disappointing about the book was that it was too short. I would have liked it to continue at least five more chapters. But overall this is a great book and i highly recommend it.
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February 3, 2013I want to read this book
February 20, 2018
I enjoyed the book because when I was reading I noticed that the person is relatable. I also noticed that the boy got help from his friends and family when he was having trouble. I found it relatable when things went good for him, it would turned bad and when things were bad the would become good. Finally I liked that the son was able to cheer up his father and made his a sober and happy person.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2011
Jaris Spain is a junior at Tubman High. It might not be the best school in the ‘hood, but Tubman’s not all bad and Jaris attends with his closest friends. Jaris works hard to get good grades and he also has a part-time job. He isn’t always happy with his home life, since he never knows what kind of mood his dad will be in and his parents argue all of the time. Gangs are moving closer to his neighborhood. But there is someone who makes life better, even if she doesn’t know how Jaris really feels about her. Will he ever find the courage to ask her out?
Jaris is a likeable teenage guy. Even though I didn’t think he should have spoken to his mother they way he did at times, I understood his concerns. He was very protective of his sister; I liked that. Although he was smart and talented, he didn’t have much confidence. I guess being around his gloomy dad had something to do with that, but then again, hearing his parents arguing all of the time wasn’t good.
Lorenzo Spain (Jaris’s Dad): After reading the book description, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this man, but I noticed what his wife just didn’t seem to get – Lorenzo was suffering from depression. Although I felt for him deeply, I believe letting go of the past would have helped him.
Monica Spain (Jaris’s Mom): College educated. An elementary school teacher and she loved her work. A mother and she loved her children. A wife and she loved her husband. I don’t think she was trying to be so hard on Lorenzo; she knew what a good man he was and she wanted him to see it.
Chelsea (Jaris’s Sister): This girl better be glad her brother has her back.
Alonee Lennox (Jaris’s friend): An intelligent, kind-hearted young lady. I was glad she was there for Jaris; he needed her encouragement and support. And I really like the words she spoke on page 107.
Sereeta Prince: The girl Jaris has had feelings for since junior high. I felt bad for her because of her family situation; divorce does affect the children.
Grandma Jessie: I don’t believe she was uppity. I think she just wanted the best for her daughter and grandchildren.
Trevor Jenkins (Jaris’s friend): I’d like to read his story so I can get to know the woman who raised him. It sounds like she’s a single mother who does not play.
Marko Lane: Bully
I like the small size of this book and I really like the cover. There are ten long chapters with no scene breaks. I don’t really like long chapters, but this story was so interesting that it didn’t bother me. Families, teenage love, friendship, bullying, education, dreams that have died and dreams still alive – these are all a part of this young adult novel. Outrunning the Darkness is Book #1 in Anne Schraff’s Urban Underground series. I’m not sure if I’ll read all fifteen books, but I plan to read the second one.
Jaris is a likeable teenage guy. Even though I didn’t think he should have spoken to his mother they way he did at times, I understood his concerns. He was very protective of his sister; I liked that. Although he was smart and talented, he didn’t have much confidence. I guess being around his gloomy dad had something to do with that, but then again, hearing his parents arguing all of the time wasn’t good.
Lorenzo Spain (Jaris’s Dad): After reading the book description, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this man, but I noticed what his wife just didn’t seem to get – Lorenzo was suffering from depression. Although I felt for him deeply, I believe letting go of the past would have helped him.
Monica Spain (Jaris’s Mom): College educated. An elementary school teacher and she loved her work. A mother and she loved her children. A wife and she loved her husband. I don’t think she was trying to be so hard on Lorenzo; she knew what a good man he was and she wanted him to see it.
Chelsea (Jaris’s Sister): This girl better be glad her brother has her back.
Alonee Lennox (Jaris’s friend): An intelligent, kind-hearted young lady. I was glad she was there for Jaris; he needed her encouragement and support. And I really like the words she spoke on page 107.
Sereeta Prince: The girl Jaris has had feelings for since junior high. I felt bad for her because of her family situation; divorce does affect the children.
Grandma Jessie: I don’t believe she was uppity. I think she just wanted the best for her daughter and grandchildren.
Trevor Jenkins (Jaris’s friend): I’d like to read his story so I can get to know the woman who raised him. It sounds like she’s a single mother who does not play.
Marko Lane: Bully
I like the small size of this book and I really like the cover. There are ten long chapters with no scene breaks. I don’t really like long chapters, but this story was so interesting that it didn’t bother me. Families, teenage love, friendship, bullying, education, dreams that have died and dreams still alive – these are all a part of this young adult novel. Outrunning the Darkness is Book #1 in Anne Schraff’s Urban Underground series. I’m not sure if I’ll read all fifteen books, but I plan to read the second one.
October 1, 2012
High school junior Jaris has hit a rough spot. His parents argue constantly, the girl he loves sees right through him, and he has to work extra hard to achieve the kinds of grades he needs to get into college. Despite these problems, he hangs out with a good crowd of kids, even if his school borders a ghetto. When one of his friends suggests he try out for the school play Jaris is extremely hesitant, but with the encouragement from his father and friends, and the attention of his crush, he begins to gain more confidence and see what others saw in him all along.
Although the message of triumph over adversity is an important one, overall Outrunning the Darkness falls short in nearly every sense. Anne Schraff’s writing style is overtly simple, to the point where a story meant for teenagers could be classified at a middle school reading level. The voices of the characters do not feel authentic, in patterns of speech, slang, or simply wording, making for awkward conversation. For an Urban Lit novel, this book would most likely not speak to the audience for which it was intended. Jaris is a quiet, likeable character, dealing with many issues familiar to teenagers, but a convoluted supporting cast and poor writing plague his eventual triumph.
Although the message of triumph over adversity is an important one, overall Outrunning the Darkness falls short in nearly every sense. Anne Schraff’s writing style is overtly simple, to the point where a story meant for teenagers could be classified at a middle school reading level. The voices of the characters do not feel authentic, in patterns of speech, slang, or simply wording, making for awkward conversation. For an Urban Lit novel, this book would most likely not speak to the audience for which it was intended. Jaris is a quiet, likeable character, dealing with many issues familiar to teenagers, but a convoluted supporting cast and poor writing plague his eventual triumph.
November 2, 2015
It was good,I could relate to the main character,Jaris Spain's, rejection he got from his crush,Sereeta.Jaris is the main character,and Marco is his enemy,who Sereeta pays more attention to,and hangs with.The story is set in Georgia, and the setting is in Jaris's school and house.The conflict is Jaris loving Sereeta,who rejects him and spends time with his enemy Marco.Another conflict is Jaris coming home to his negative,alcoholic dad,who doesn't like the fact Jaris doesn't play sports.The theme is no matter what negative energy you receive in your life, you should strive for greatness, regardless of what's going on.Jaris continues to do well in school despite the rejection from his crush and criticism from his dad.My opinion of the book so far is that it's very interesting and relatable.I say that it's interesting and relatable because as a teen, reading this novel relates to a lot of things teens like me go through on a regular basis.Rejection, parents saying hurtful things, and enemies at school, are just some of the examples from this book that normal teens go through in real life.
April 28, 2014
My thoughts on this novel is that its great for teens in high school because some may have the same situation as Jaris Spain (main character).This book will help the reader if he or she has this situation and if they do have this same situation the reader will actually finish the novel even if he doesnt really read books, just like myself, i dont like reading but since it was a problem that a lot of teens have in high school i though it would be interesting and it was.The story is basically about Jaris Spain that tries to get through high school as he deals with trouble at home, his failure at sports, his difficulty in the classroom, and trying to get Sereeta Prince to notice he exist.Two reasons why i like this book is because its actually true events that people in high school have so that makes the book more real to me . The other reason is because one of my friends actually has this problem but she goes to another high school , i recommended this book to her because she loves to read all the time so i though this was a good book for her.
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April 21, 2016There's this boy named jaris spain , characters was seereta , mark and jaris spain . he has been liking this girl seereta for the longest . his feelings are now growing stronger , and stronger for her , he can't help but to look at her , but seereta seems to just look right through him , seereta was a nice sweet , curly headed girl , she was very smart . but when it came down to "boys" she wasn't the best . this book take place at school , majority of the time , and at home . jaris had a difficult life , his father was a macanic , but he seemed to hate his job , fridays were bad , jaris said "i know dad had a rough day at work , when i don't see the red pick up truck , that means he stopped for a few drinks , but if i do , that means dad had a good day " the problem was jaris was in love with seereta , and seereta didn't seem interested . but at the end they end up liking each other .
October 5, 2015
Jaris is worried that his father's attitude about life might be correct--if things are going well, just wait because it will all get ruined eventually. He has a crush on Sereeta, but she's the prettiest girl in school and she doesn't seem to return Jaris's feelings. His friend Alonee is trying to talk him into trying out for the school play. But is Jaris even worth a part in the play or Sereeta's attention? I liked that this book serves a demographic in need of young adult fiction, but I think kids might feel the book is a bit preachy. It seems that all of Jaris's problems are overcome very easily as well. But overall good message in the book and interesting characters.
December 19, 2011
there are too many things wrong with this book to list.
overall, I think it's just very poorly written. I don't think that it would ring true with the urban teens that it's trying to reach. I think the story goes absolutely nowhere. there's too much going on with too many different characters, all with their own life stories to share. in the end, everything is just resolved a little too easily for my taste. none of it rings true. I'm sure there is better urban lit than this.
overall, I think it's just very poorly written. I don't think that it would ring true with the urban teens that it's trying to reach. I think the story goes absolutely nowhere. there's too much going on with too many different characters, all with their own life stories to share. in the end, everything is just resolved a little too easily for my taste. none of it rings true. I'm sure there is better urban lit than this.
December 23, 2011
Unfortunately, I felt this book tried way too hard, but ultimately was just too poorly written. There were too many instances of something being described, and then the character would speak exactly what had just been described. I felt the language was stilted and didn't seem realistic at all. There were too many characters with too many problems for any of them to be developed enough for us to care about any of them.
December 2, 2013
I thole this is a very good book. lesseon well learned! Some problems in this book is drugs, romance trouble, and violence. The main character of this book is javaris he has been in love with his class mate since the beginning of highschool! He tries to get close to her then he boyfriend to beat up javaris. Then things go wrong with that girl and she decides that javaris will love her and not harm her. These books always are wonderful to read. I love action, drama, suspense anything.
January 27, 2012
Wasn't blown away by the start of a teen series called Urban Underground. So far, it has the covers going for them and a cast of characters that any student picking it up could relate to. The writing isn't strong or deep, although it does delve in to topics of achievement, depression, teen life and it's ups and down, family life and how it affects performance, and of course, love.
February 7, 2015
Anne Schraff is one of my favorite authors but this book wasn't one of her best :( I have been wanting to read this series for a while now and I am very disappointed that the first book I really didn't care for. I AM going to give the second book in the series a go anyways.
May 6, 2012
i think this is a great story.i think that he is going to find the right love
November 1, 2012
I thought this book was okay but not all that. It didn't really interest me.
December 17, 2012
it caught my eye!
April 25, 2014
jaris is in love with sereeta for a long time but she doesnt notice him really. jaris is trying to to see what he can do to get sereeta to like him
February 14, 2015
The ending was very rushed and not too satisfying but overall I enjoyed the story. Reads just like a Bluford book.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews