A Walter Dean Myers Honor Author
A Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe New Talent Award-Winning Author
Biggie Smalls was right: Things done changed. But that doesn't mean Quadir and Jarrell are cool letting their best friend Steph's music lie forgotten after he's murdered. With the help of Steph's younger sister, Jasmine, they come up with a plan to promote Steph's music under a new rap name: the Architect. When his demo catches the attention of a music label rep, the trio must prove Steph's talent from beyond the grave. As the pressure of keeping their secret grows, Quadir, Jarrell, and Jasmine are forced to confront the truth about what happened to Steph. With everything riding on Steph's fame, they need to decide what they stand for or lose all they've worked so hard to hold on to - including each other.
Age Range: 13-17 | Grade Level: 8-9 | Lexile Measure: 720L