This is a raw and gut-wrenching book of short stories about youth gangs, based on true events Ellison saw while doing “undercover” research. He is a brilliant writer and really brings this scene to life. For someone from a middle class background, it is incredibly sad and frightening to know that this sort of gang activity truly goes on out there. This is one of those books that everyone should read, because it is an intimate description of a part of our world that is too often ignored.