Booklist Review

Just in -- a review from Booklist. Very happy.

Fourteen-year-old April Lundquist lives in the colorful neighborhood of Dyker Heights, where many of Brooklyn’s most dangerous mobsters live. She and her best friend Brandi can hardly refuse when Soft Sal requests that they escort his mentally handicapped son, Larry, to and from high school. April thinks that her service might buy a bit of protection for her older brother, Matt, who has fallen in love with a mobster’s daughter. Lurie has written a delightful book about growing up in Brooklyn’s Mafia-dominated 1970s. Colorful characters—Soft Sal, “Gorgeous Vinny” Persico, Frankie the Crunch—hold ever-present but largely benign control over the neighborhood. Against this rather sinister backdrop, April enters high school, learns to play a mean game of tennis, babysits for her younger brother Sammy, and falls madly in love with bad-boy rocker, Dom. A classic growing-up-in-America story with a twist, this is lighthearted yet complex, with just enough gut-wrenching love and suspense to make it an obvious hit with the girls and a potential sleeper with the guys. — Frances Bradburn

Loose Marbles

Just got back from a wonderful family get-together in New York and Pennsylvania. Highlights of the trip were: walking all over Manhattan with my mom and dad, hearing Loose Marbles play in Washington Square Park, rafting down the Delaware River, and having lunch with my lovely editor. First, she gave me a tour of her office and introduced me to the book designer for Dylan and the publicist for Brothers. After that, we had a long, relaxed lunch at a very nice Greek Restaurant. It was great to see her and catch up on things, and now it's GREAT to be home. I love Austin.