If I Grow Up

This unflinching novel plunges readers into the brutal reality of gang life in the inner-city projects, where a teenager's future hangs in the balance. DeShawn is a smart kid who knows that staying in school is his only real shot at a better life, but the pressure to join his friends in a gang becomes a matter of survival. When his family is starving and the allure of quick money for food and necessities becomes overwhelming, his academic ambitions feel like a distant luxury. The story masterfully frames his impossible choice not as one between right and wrong, but between his integrity and his family's most basic needs.

Strasser's narrative is gripping and raw, pulling no punches in its depiction of a system that offers few viable exits for young men like DeShawn. The novel's power lies in its refusal to offer easy answers, instead forcing readers to confront the complex socioeconomic forces that trap its characters. Teens grappling with issues of identity, peer pressure, and societal injustice will find a profoundly resonant and thought-provoking story here. This is a vital, conversation-starting book that challenges its audience to look beyond simple judgments and understand the heartbreaking calculus of survival.