I raced through this 400 page book in two days, which is my favorite way to read a book! It's been a while since I read a YA book that I enjoyed so much. Bri is a high school junior at a Midtown Arts Academy but she lives in Garden Heights with her single mom and her older brother. She dreams of being a rapper like her father, shot and killed when she was four in a gang related conflict. Her mom wants her to focus on SAT and ACT test prep, get into a good school and go to college. Bri's best friends, Sonny, a gay visual arts student, and Malik, a filmmaker, thrive academically but Bri keeps getting sent to the principle's office for every tiny defiance. Finally, Bri's aunt is able to use her connections to secure Bri a chance at a freestyle rap battle in the Ring- of course her opponent is the son of a music producer with one or two vapid viral hip-hop tracks already released. I was literally sweating while I read the section about Bri freestyling, getting sympathetic stage fright. The pacing of this story is so satisfying- a perfect mix of action moments and scenes of reflection or family time. It had the heightened stakes of a YA novel, but grounded by the very real emotions of the characters. Plus there are moment that it made me laugh out loud!