YA review: Rooftop by Paul Volponi
Rooftop by Paul Volponi:
Clay meets up with a long-lost cousin, Addison, who used to be almost like a brother to him. The two inadvertently reunite when both are in a drug-treatment program in New York City called Daytop. Addison is worried about this own little brother, who is wanting to deal crack, and about his own debts dealing drugs. One night, on the way to a celebration at Daytop, Clay and Addison chase Clorox-- another Daytop member who owes Addison money-- to the rooftop of an apartment building in their urban housing area. Addison is accidentally shot and killed by a white police officer, touching off racial tensions in the community and emotional struggles within Clay as he tries to understand everything. Like Black and White, Rooftop is a suspenseful book that raises more questions than it answers. The reader is left to analyze the character's decisions and future outcomes, which makes the book stronger as it forces the reader to be actively involved in the thought processes of characters that we care about. Can Clay get past the half-truths and self-promoters, and does he have the courage to say what really happened that night on the Rooftop? This is a title I've recommended to high school students for several years, especially reluctant readers somewhat near grade-level, with great results. It is an engaging story that is just long enough to squeak past Engligh teacher's 200 page minimum for independent reading assignments.
Clay meets up with a long-lost cousin, Addison, who used to be almost like a brother to him. The two inadvertently reunite when both are in a drug-treatment program in New York City called Daytop. Addison is worried about this own little brother, who is wanting to deal crack, and about his own debts dealing drugs. One night, on the way to a celebration at Daytop, Clay and Addison chase Clorox-- another Daytop member who owes Addison money-- to the rooftop of an apartment building in their urban housing area. Addison is accidentally shot and killed by a white police officer, touching off racial tensions in the community and emotional struggles within Clay as he tries to understand everything. Like Black and White, Rooftop is a suspenseful book that raises more questions than it answers. The reader is left to analyze the character's decisions and future outcomes, which makes the book stronger as it forces the reader to be actively involved in the thought processes of characters that we care about. Can Clay get past the half-truths and self-promoters, and does he have the courage to say what really happened that night on the Rooftop? This is a title I've recommended to high school students for several years, especially reluctant readers somewhat near grade-level, with great results. It is an engaging story that is just long enough to squeak past Engligh teacher's 200 page minimum for independent reading assignments.
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