I literally finished this book cover-to-cover in less than 24hrs. My pending book club meeting this weekend played a role in my desire to finish quickly *smile*, but this was definitely a page turner. I’ve always been intrigued by the lives and struggles of people growing up in difficult neighborhoods, and under less than favorable circumstances. Maybe that is my sheltered naiveté shining through, who knows.

Throughout the book, my goal was to find the ‘turning point’ – the decision, scenario, opportunity that accounted for the difference between the life paths of these two young men. I failed. There wasn’t one certain event that stood out as the deciding factor. Instead, I was able to see all the benefits of family, support, exposure, and shared knowledge once placed in the hands of someone who determines to take advantage of it. I don’t know if it’s pregnancy hormones or what, but I got really emotional thinking about the responsibility ‘the village’ has on our young people, and my responsibility as a soon to be parent. I pray God shows me how to be the best parent, and a mentor to anyone He brings along my path. But more importantly, I pray that we find a way to give as many young people as we can options in life, so that when they are ready to make long term decisions about their life, they have something concrete to refer to.

Loved the presentation of this book and the journey it took me through. It is pretty powerful because of how it made me think, reflect, and challenge myself after reading it. Two thumbs up!