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Sixteen-year-old Rasheed is smart, tough and a survivor. In his neighbourhood, he has to be. The streets are run by a gang called the E Street Locals, and they've been trying to jump him in since he was a child. So far, he's managed to escape their clutches. But the gang is not his only problem. Rasheed's sister, Daneeka, was paralysed in a drive-by shooting, and now she's confined to a wheelchair, mentally frozen at the age of nine. His mother is an addict. His father hasn't been heard from in years. High school is no safer than the streets, so Rasheed seeks solace at the local university campus. There he meets a young woman named Lanaia who takes an interest in him. He also bumps up against a police officer who he thinks at first is hassling him just because he's black. But eventually Rasheed realises that the officer is only pushing him to become a better person.
Though he can't escape his home life, or the gang, as easily as he'd like, Rasheed does learn some valuable lessons in his struggles: you and you alone are accountable for the decisions you make in life; even though the world is not a fair place, you can still accomplish whatever you set your mind to; and we all become stronger when we admit we need someone to lean on.
"Kowalski's latest title is a superb example of the novella as an art form. It completely engages the reader in a short period of time. Jumped In fuses both well-developed characters with a compelling action plotline…Rasheed is an engaging and likeable teen, adrift until he finds support and direction from an unexpected source. The tight plot and plain language act together to compel the reader to root for Rasheed and to hope that he is able to rise up out of this hopeless existence. Highly Recommended."
- CM Magazine
