57 pages • 1 hour read
Tiffany D. JacksonA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Quadir and Jarrell go to Kaven’s studio. There are many cameras outside. Kaven is an adult, which surprises Quadir. The boys explain that they need Kaven to make the track, but he can’t tell anyone about it. Kaven asks if the rapper is dead. The boys confirm this but reiterate that it’s an easy job and they’ll pay him. Kaven listens to Steph’s CD and seems surprised but doesn’t explain why. He says it will cost $800. The boys realize they must pay because Kaven already knows too much.
After leaving, the boys debrief about how Kaven seemed weird after they played Steph’s music. Jarrell says they shouldn’t worry; Kaven probably just heard Steph’s music before at a party and is surprised that’s what they brought in.
Steph looks over his CDs and tapes, thinking he still needs a few more songs until he’s ready for the studio. Steph questions whether Ronnie, who has just started dating Quadir, is Quadir’s type. Quadir isn’t receptive to this. Quadir apologizes that his mom didn’t cook dinner for them, but money is tight. Steph finds a brochure for Bishop, a prep school whose coach has started scouting Quadir. Steph thinks he should consider it, but Quadir doesn’t want to leave his friends. Steph leaves, claiming he needs to go make money, but in a half-joking tone.
Quadir struggles with his crush on Jasmine. She arrives at Quadir’s apartment with more CD copies, and when she sees a pamphlet for Bishop, he says he’s still considering whether or not to go. They grieve Steph, then decide to go to Coney Island like Steph used to do each year.
At Coney Island, it’s cold and not very crowded because the beach is almost closed for winter. They eat some hot dogs and chat. Jasmine starts humming and Quadir realizes for the first time that she can sing very well.
Jasmine is embarrassed that Quadir noticed her humming; she doesn’t usually sing or even hum around others, but she got caught up in the moment. Quadir pressures her to sing, but the last time she sang was with Steph. They used to sing together a lot. She finally agrees to sing, and Quadir is blown away by her talent. Quadir says she should go to a studio, too. She doesn’t want to because her family needs her to be around and not chase dreams.
Quadir and Jasmine hear Steph’s music coming from a car—his song is on the radio. They overhear some other people talking; one guy with braids and acne asks if the song sounds like a kid who died a while back. Quadir and Jasmine hide and continue listening. The others argue about whether or not the song on the radio is the dead kid and they then part ways. Jasmine wants to follow one of them and find out what happened, but Quadir convinces her not to, because even if he does know something, he’s still liable to hurt them rather than help them. Neither Quadir nor Jasmine knew that Steph was recording in a studio.
Quadir and Jarrell deliver the song of Steph rapping over a background beat to Pierce’s office in Times Square, but he’s furious that the Architect is, once again, not there. The boys claim he’s on tour. Pierce doesn’t believe them and demands to know why he should entertain them any longer. Fletch says Pierce should keep pursuing the Architect, because he’s already sold 6,000 CDs and is on the radio. Pierce says he’ll keep considering the Architect if the boys go fetch him a highly specific sandwich from a shop in Harlem, far from Times Square, and return with it in 30 minutes. The boys agree.
They take an express train and arrive at the sandwich shop, run by a man Pierce knows, named Knowledge. Knowledge promises to make the sandwich properly if the boys answer a series of questions correctly. He quizzes them on hip hop, then makes the sandwich. The boys get back on the train and return to Pierce, who listens to Steph’s new song they brought. He says it’s good, but he needs them to make another one in two days. They agree, then leave.
Despite the two-day deadline for a new song, Quadir takes Ronnie to the movies, hoping to avoid a fight. After the movie, Ronnie wants to discuss the film, but Quadir isn’t very talkative. She again asks why he’s being distant, and he brushes her off. She switches topics, asking if Quadir will buy her a $400 jacket. Quadir thinks this is a ridiculous request. Ronnie says she heard he’s selling drugs so he can afford it. Quadir says he’s not selling drugs, and Ronnie asks what he’s up to. He won’t tell her exactly what he’s selling, only that the money he’s raising is to pay for his school, not her clothing. Ronnie shares that she also wants to go to college. This surprises Quadir because he thought she’d want to stay near home. She points out that New York City has a lot of colleges. Ronnie is tired of Quadir not being open or honest with her, so she breaks up with him.
Quadir meets up with Jasmine and Jarrell. They search Steph’s room for any songs they missed before, hoping to find something to impress Pierce. Kaven doesn’t think any of the songs they already gave him are good enough. They open the stereo and discover a CD in the disc changer that they never found before. It’s more of Steph’s music and it’s even better than what came before. They show it to Kaven, and he says it needs an additional verse plus a hook to be a real song. Quadir suggests that Jasmine could do the last verse and the hook. They just need to find some lyrics.
The kids sift through Steph’s notebooks, searching for lyrics. They find a verse, then Jasmine writes the hook. They return to Kaven’s, and in the booth, Jasmine notices a lot of writing and designs on the wall. Kaven says each person who records there leaves their name or a symbol. Jasmine tries several takes but she’s too nervous to perform well. Quadir gives her a pep talk and reminds her that they’re doing this for Steph, then she succeeds. However, she notices a special doodle Steph used to make on the wall: three lines and a snake. Jasmine asks Kaven if Steph was ever there, but Kaven claims not to know Steph.
On the phone, Pierce says the new song is good, and he’s impressed by the girl singing as well and would like to meet her. To celebrate, Pierce wants to meet at a fancy nightclub called the Tunnel. He says that the Architect better be there this time. The boys promise he will.
The boys are hanging out in the courtyard. Jarrell shares that he’s bummed out because a kid from his class, Rashad, was murdered. Steph also knew Rashad and is disappointed. Rashad was talented at basketball and had great potential. Steph is disheartened that so many kids have their futures stolen from them due to murder.
Jarrell and Quadir debate how they’re going to deal with Pierce. They think maybe they can have an actor pose as Steph, but they’re not sure who. Jasmine then appears in sweats, and they remark that she looks a lot like Steph. If she wears his clothes, she could appear to be the same person from the faceless photo they used on the CD.
They go through the Tunnel’s security, then enter the crowded club. Pierce has been drinking and encourages Jasmine, who he thinks is Architect, to drink, so she does, although the alcohol burns her throat and makes her cough. Jarrell distracts Pierce and Quadir leads Jasmine to the dancing area.
The Power of Music and The Complexity of Grief become even more intertwined in this section of the novel. Jasmine associates music and singing with Steph because Steph loved music and she used to sing with him. She hasn’t sung since Steph died and avoids the emotions she knows will arise if she sings. When she goes to Coney Island, another place she associates with her brother, Quadir finally convinces her to sing. That Quadir can provide enough comfort to allow Jasmine to open up furthers their growing relationship with one another. Her grief is finally given an avenue of catharsis as she remembers her brother through her own music, showing music’s healing power. After Jasmine starts singing again, it’s easier for her to take a new step in her grieving process and collaborate on a new song with Steph. The collaborative song that the siblings create demonstrates how their relationship lives on despite Steph’s death.
The collaboration becomes another example of Steph’s legacy through music and its power, as Pierce is determined to sign the Architect to his record label. The power of Steph’s music and Jasmine’s ability to work through the complexity of her grief give way to a song that would not only secure fame, but also lucrative opportunities to make more money for their already financially stressed family.
This section serves to heighten the suspense surrounding Steph’s murder. Steph’s father was also murdered, inserting the possibility of Steph’s murder being connected to his father’s. The chapter flashbacks also relay the story of Rashad’s murder, another neighborhood teen, who Steph, Jarrell, and Quadir mourn because he died too young and was talented. This memory introduces irony, as it parallels the main narrative—the readers know that Steph will also be murdered too young and mourned for the loss of his talents. Furthermore, the narrative’s tone of intensity and violence increases, developing themes around justice, as three Black men are murdered and their murders remain unsolved.
By Tiffany D. Jackson
9th-12th Grade Historical Fiction
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Books on Justice & Injustice
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Brothers & Sisters
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Community
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Daughters & Sons
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Diverse Voices (High School)
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Earth Day
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Equality
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Family
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Fear
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Friendship
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Grief
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Guilt
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Hate & Anger
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Loyalty & Betrayal
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Memory
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Mothers
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Music
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Power
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Pride & Shame
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Revenge
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Safety & Danger
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Truth & Lies
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YA Mystery & Crime
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