LitPick Review
Ignacio Torrez has just moved to the middle of nowhere, a small town called Middleburg, which has two gangs: the rich Toppers and the middle class Flatliners. The gangs regularly engage in wars using the strict code of martial arts, taught to them by Master Chin. But Middleburg is no ordinary town. It is the crossing point of two railroad tracks in the train tunnel, which is called "dark territory" for good reason. Something lives in the tunnel and nobody who enters ever comes out alive. When Raphael, leader of the Flatliners, falls in love with Aimee, a Topper girl, everything goes wrong and the biggest gang war ever is planned. But the dark forces are rising and this battle might mean the end of Middleburg and the world.
Opinion:
This is one of the best books I have ever read. I couldn't set the book down -- I had to read more! There are varied aspects of the book that make it amazing: romance, magic, adventure, and mystery. The plot is beautiful with many different twists that come together nicely at the end, and there is just enough detail to help you understand the story. The setting is very mysterious and has a slight magical feel to it. The authors have written very powerful characters with strong bonds between them. The characters complement each other. For example, in the Topper gang, the leader, Zhai, is calm and not very violent while Rick, one of the members, is aggressive and angry. The vocabulary is a little advanced but I don't find it too difficult. I would recommend this book to kids ages 11 and up.
