Denim Diaries 1: 16 Going on 21, by Darrien Lee

Good Girl falls for Bad Boy. Good Girl sneaks out of house, despite her mother’s warning, to attend Bad Boy’s party. Shots ring out, and the couple flees only to find blood on Good Girl’s shirt once they stop running. This is the scene presented to readers in the first few pages of Darrien Lee’s 16 Going on 21, the first volume in the “Denim Diaries” series. The Good Girl/Bad Boy construct becomes complicated as we learn more about both Denim and Andre’s back stories. Students looking for a romance high in drama will be drawn to the theatrical dialogue between Denim and Andre. Moralistic in tone throughout, the ending is left unresolved, creating a desire in the reader for the next book in the series.

Lee, Darrien. Denim Diaries 1: 16 Going on 21. West Babylon, NY: Urban Renaissance, 2009.