Up in Smoke

Gr 8 Up–Cooper is a straight-laced Black kid whose friend Jason has convinced him to “just be the lookout” while their pack pre-loots a high-end clothing store ahead of a protest riot. In the heat of the moment, Jason orders Cooper to fill a duffle bag with merchandise. When Cooper complies, he is brimming with guilt and shame—not wanting his dad or his crush Monique (“Mo,” Jason’s younger sister) to know that he used the political rally for illegal financial gain. Nevertheless, he can’t resist the allure of fencing the valuable take and stashes the goods in his bedroom. Then a complete bomb is dropped when a young woman is murdered during the pandemonium, and Jason is arrested as the prime suspect. This doesn’t seem like the Jason, whom Cooper and Mo know, and they begin elaborate sleuthing to uncover the real plot behind the murder. Meanwhile, it doesn’t look great for Cooper. He’s easily identified in surveillance videos, his blood is in the store, and he can hardly claim he knows nothing about the expensive clothing in his room. With character names in the chapter heading to designate perspective, the narrative clips right along, never lagging as the intrigue builds. The cast is mostly Black and the author addresses the #BLM movement directly in the story. A light romantic tension between Mo and Cooper creates a believable dissonance as Cooper attempts to explain away his own role in the fateful day.