Jumped

by Rita Williams-Garcia

The story takes place (mostly) in one day at a large, urban high school. We have three main characters, all female:

• Leticia is the beleaguered cell phone addict, who is mostly interested in gossip and manicures.

• Trina is the bouncy Latina for whom art is everything.

• Dominique is the tough b-baller who’s been benched due to poor grades.

When bitter Dominique decides to jump Trina for some perceived slight, it is up to Leticia to warn Trina. Why? Because Trina is oblivious to the alleged incident, Leticia is the only neutral witness to it. She is the only one who can warn Trina. But does Leticia want to get involved? What are the consequences of her silence?

I checked this out because it is a finalist for the National Book Award. Now that I'm finished reading it, I'd love to hear the justification for such an honor. I was not fond of the negative stereotypes portrayed in this novel, and I thought that the basic plot was pretty idiotic.

10/22/09