Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles

Marvin Johnson thinks it will be a night out like any other when he and his twin brother Tyler leave for the party.  But they run into Johntae who they know from school and who they know sells drugs.  

Suddenly, things go from bad to worse when shots ring out.  Panic ensues and afterward Marvin realizes his brother Tyler is missing.  Johntae is caught up in a sweep and taken to jail.  Marvin, desperate to find Tyler,  calls Johntae and reaches him in jail.

Johntae agrees to help find Tyler but only if Marvin can get Johntae’s girlfriend to bail him out.  Marivn will do anything to find his brother, but does Johntae really know where Tyler is?  

Topical and heartfelt,  this novel will be appreciated by confident readers who enjoy realistic fiction.  Recommended for fans of The Hate U Give. --Jessica Fenster--Sparber

Coles, Jay.  Tyler Johnson Was Here.  New York:  Little, Brown and Company, 2018.