Growing up in the quiet and calm suburbia that is Carmel, I have to admit that there is little I know about notorious gangs like the Crips and the Bloods. So when I decided to read and review Snitch by Allison van Diepen, a contender for this year’s Rosie award, I was surprised to find that the book was actually quite interesting and enjoyable.

Van Diepen, who spent around three years teaching at one of Brooklyn’s most dangerous public high schools, bases this work of fiction at South Bay High School in New York, so-called “mixed territory” for the Crips and the Bloods.  The narrator and protagonist, Julia DiVino, makes the conscious decision to stay away from gangs and drama in general. That is, until Eric Valiente enters her life and her mindset changes.

Despite its quasi-cliché description, Snitch is actually far from the typical teenage romance novel. While it is geared more toward females, its plot, which is nothing too farfetched or contrived, provides enough action to keep any kind of reader interested. Although some of its twists and turns are somewhat predictable, the plot, for the most part, is suspenseful and exciting.

Another plus to this novel is its writing style, especially in the characters’ dialogue. Van Diepen, whose background gave her experience with urban teens, intentionally uses colloquialisms and even text-speak to add to this novel’s overall appeal. The colorful writing, combined with the first-person narration, made Snitch more realistic and helped differentiate it from other books in this genre.

Although I did get some judgmental stares for Snitch’s rather risqué front cover, I would certainly recommend this book to any young adult and especially females. While the book’s subject and use of profanity limits its audience, those who do pick it up will find it extremely difficult to put down.

My only complaint is that the last page came too soon. Overall, Snitch is short, sweet and well-deserving of its title as a Rosie nominee. Its 300+ pages are guaranteed to fly by. As I wait for the Indiana Library Federation to tally votes and announce this year’s Rosie winner, I certainly plan on grabbing Street Pharm, van Diepen’s first novel, to content myself in the meantime. By Melinda Song <[email protected]>