Lost Soul

by Marsan Q. Champion

Tajalik Stokes (Taj-a-leak) is a 14 year-old middle school student who is growing up on Chicago's north side. He is travelling a path of destruction as he is running with the notorious Vice Lord street gang. After many suspensions from school Tajalik, is now facing expulsion and a transfer to an alternative school. Tajalik has been labeled as a special education student because of his diagnosed learning disabilities. Through his frustrations of not being able to fit in with the regular school population, Tajalik has developed a character of defiance and disobedience. His mother, Yolanda Stokes, is doing everything she can as a single mother to get through to her son but is losing patience as he continues with his sinful nature. After losing his older brother (Tyan Stokes) to gang violence, Tajalik seems to be heading in the same direction as he has been constantly involved in fights with rival gang members and selling narcotics. He and his best friend Trunk (Newton Ellis) share the same gang affiliation and continuously find themselves apart of devious acts. Tajalik is set to commit a murder that will change his life for ever. All the while, two interesting characters, Mr. Alfred Justice (Tajalik's school trust counselor) and Seymoore Awminus (leader of the Vice Lord's north side region) are steadily at odds with each other and a possible head-on collision is brewing as they battle for influence over Tajalik in his oblivious quest for salvation.

176 pages, Hardcover

First published June 7, 2010

Reviews

[Jaime · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this book is a good eye opener to those who have not been exposed to this world, it was very academic and did not have the "novel" quality that I expected.

This new author is on the right track but perhaps needs more practice.