My 900th finished book on GoodReads! Huzzah!

I checked this out and listened to it in one day as I puttered around the house today. It's the sweet story of Bryan, a kid from NYC whose dad has been in and out of prison, who geeks out over comics, and who loves his mom so much he doesn't hesitate to hold her hand while walking down the street. Once he starts hanging out with a new friend, Bryan begins to feel the negative influence of his new pal and starts acting in ways he normally wouldn't. Author Maldonado tells this story with natural dialog and a balanced tone, never leaning too far into moral lectures so as to be didactic. But the reader will get a sense of Bryan's dilemma and why he struggles to clean up his act. I loved the supporting character Big Will, who exerts a positive, calming influence on the whole book. His demeanor sets a wonderful example of strength, especially as a fantastic juxtaposition against some tough-guy machismo.