In Bed Stuy, New York, a small misunderstanding can escalate into having a price on your headeven if youre totally clean.

This gritty, triumphant debut captures the heart and the hardship of life for an urban teen.A lot of the stuff that gives my neighborhood a bad name, I dont really mess with.

The guns and drugs and all that, not really my thing.

Nah, not his thing. Alis got enough going on, between school and boxing and helping out at home.

His best friend Noodles, though. Now theres a dude looking for troubleand, somehow, its always Ali around to pick up the pieces.

But, hey, a guys gotta look out for his boys, right?

Besides, its all small potatoes; its not like anyones getting hurt. And then theres Needles. Needles is Noodless brother. Hes got a syndrome, and gets these ticks and blurts out the wildest, craziest things.

Its cool, though: everyone on their street knows he doesnt mean anything by it.

Yeah, its cooluntil Ali and Noodles and Needles find themselves somewhere they never expected to besomewhere they never should've beenwhere the people aren't so friendly, and even less forgiving.